Chaz Mostert has claimed his maiden Supercars championship in a thrilling finale in Adelaide, capitalizing on a dramatic spin-out by his rival Broc Feeney on the opening lap. The Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) driver finished second to race winner Matt Payne, securing the title in the inaugural finals series of the competition.
Mostert’s victory marks Ford’s first Supercars championship since Scott McLaughlin’s triumph in 2020, ahead of WAU’s anticipated switch to Toyota next year. Last season’s champion, Will Brown, rounded out the podium in third place, with grand finalist Kai Allen finishing fourth.
A Season of Highs and Lows
For Feeney, the 23-year-old Triple Eight driver, the season ended in heartbreak. Despite a career-best performance with 14 race wins and a record 19 pole positions, Feeney finished 20th in Sunday’s 250-kilometre decider. He had been leading the championship since round four, making the finale all the more devastating.
Mostert, in contrast, celebrated his first crown after 12 years as a full-time driver. He becomes the 28th driver to win Australia’s premier touring car category, which has been contested since 1960. The 33-year-old had previously come close, finishing third on three occasions in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
“I’ve been racing for so many years. You start to doubt it year after year,” Mostert told Fox Sports. “I’ve always believed that I could do it. Thank God for finals series, hey?”
Path to Victory
Mostert’s journey to the title was marked by a remarkable comeback. With only one race win prior to the finals, he surged to prominence by sweeping the Gold Coast 500 and clinching the first Sandown 500 race, propelling him to second place in the standings. In Adelaide, Mostert’s relentless drive saw him overcome numerous challenges to remain a formidable contender.
After his car failed to start in qualifying, the dual Bathurst 1000 winner skillfully navigated from 12th to finish second in Saturday’s race. Sunday’s race, however, saw Feeney’s championship hopes unravel when Mostert’s teammate, Ryan Wood, inadvertently tagged the back of Feeney’s Chevrolet Camaro, causing a spin at turn six.
Triple Eight team principal Jamie Whincup criticized the move, calling it “pretty grubby.”
Feeney’s Misfortune
Despite a strategic gamble by Triple Eight, which saw Feeney briefly regain the lead after a late pit stop, disaster struck when the crew struggled to replace the right-rear wheel of his Camaro. Further compounding his woes, Feeney’s engine began misfiring from lap 36, echoing a similar issue he had overcome to win Saturday’s race.
“No matter what happened today, the thing was going to break down today, unfortunately,” Feeney lamented, visibly emotional. “That’s the way it goes. That’s the new system they’ve got. You can have a shocker in the last race of the year, and it all falls apart.”
Wood finished 24th, hindered by an unknown issue in the front right of his Mustang. Meanwhile, retiring veterans Will Davison, James Courtney, and Nick Percat concluded their careers with finishes of 13th, 14th, and 22nd, respectively.
Looking Forward
As the Supercars season concludes, the championship standings reflect the intense competition:
- Chaz Mostert (WAU): 5306 points
- Will Brown (Triple Eight): -62 points
- Broc Feeney (Triple Eight): -66 points
- Kai Allen (Grove): -83 points
The announcement of WAU’s switch to Toyota next year adds another layer of intrigue to the upcoming season. As teams regroup and strategize, the next chapter of Supercars promises to be as unpredictable and exhilarating as ever.
