The Melbourne GP brings out the greatest level of entertainment within Supercars drivers and it’s probably the best advertisement for the category in peak condition and this edition was no different, there was great driving, lots of bumping and grafting, lots of safety cars and crashes. As a quick side note poor Zach Bates, he’s had an induction from hell for his Supercars career found himself attracting the contact of other cars at an alarming rate. 

Now let’s get into the meat of the article, starting with the good.

The Good

Kostecki 

The newly minted ‘Bogeyman’ was imperious this weekend taking 3 out of 4 race wins and coming in second in the only race he didn’t win where he had a very realistic shot at winning. He looks every bit the man who won the 2023 Championship and danger signs are popping up right now for the competition. Nothing more needs to be said the results speak for themselves. 

Waters

Another quietly good weekend for Waters with results of 6^th, 4^th, 3^rd and 6^th resulting in his second place in both the Drivers Championship and Larry Perkins Trophy. Consistency has been the name of the game for Waters season so far, he’s avoided unnecessary fights and maximised what his car has given him for each given race despite not showing blistering pace. Further continuing to put my pre-season prediction of him and Tickford in the bin where it clearly belongs at this point. 

Gray

Rylan Gray stayed out of the majority of the action this week and only involved in a few incidents which was quite impressive considering he spent the weekend being in the danger zone 24/7, he finished every race and recorded a PB 14^th finish in Race 7. Good job Gray you did basically everything which could’ve been asked of you this weekend the only thing which would’ve made it better would’ve been a top 10 finish, this is good progress especially considering other rookies couldn’t achieve the same feats he accomplished this weekend.   

Entertainment Factor

This is perfect, I am loving the animosity within the field the Feeney vs Wood rivalry, Triple Eight vs Walkinshaw, Cameron vs Kostecki there is so much for fans to sink their teeth into and get invested in. There is great momentum which has now been built over the first two rounds for Supercars in terms of on and off-track action we’ve got team principals trading blows through various media platforms, drivers actually disliking one another openly and this has generated greater interest in the category. The commentating was great this weekend I am really enjoying the dynamic between Tander and Neylon they bounce off each other really well and the graphics worked outside of a couple of instances which is much better than what was served up Round 1. Most importantly this weekend was Supercars at its peak chaotic hard racing with drivers only looking out for number one I loved every second of it as a spectator removing any team biases I have. 

Walkinshaw TRG Racing

Despite a couple of hiccups across the weekend for Walkinshaw TRG Racing, Wood got Toyota’s first podium finish in Supercars and Mostert finished 6^th in the Larry Perkins Trophy. This has been a good bounce back from the woes of opening round, the car definitely isn’t the finished article and won’t be in competition for the Drivers Championship come end of season. However, there is a little more light at the end of the tunnel compared to last week hopefully for Toyota they can have a strong showing across the New Zealand double header. 

Allen’s Race Pace

Kai Allen was bruised and battered nearly all weekend by others yet somehow each time he managed to replicate Kratos’ rise from hell to give himself a great result. He climbed 6 places from his qualifying in Race 4 which was especially impressive considering he was pointing the wrong way at Turn 3 on the first lap. He then did it all again in Race 5 claiming 8 places where he again found himself pointing the wrong way this time at Turn 14 on lap 10 and claimed 9 places in Race 6 which he for once didn’t find himself pointing the wrong way in at any point in time. Although he had a quiet Race 7 wherein, he did not gain a single position that does not diminish the close to dominating speed in races Allen had across the weekend exciting times are on the horizon for Allen. 

Le Brocq

Another driver who had a sneakily solid weekend kept himself mostly out of trouble outside of meeting Will Brown on track prior to Race 7 and became another one of Brown’s victims for the weekend. Le Brocq had both solid qualifying and race pace which will enthuse Matt Stone Racing going forward if it can be found more regularly. This weekend’s results promote him to current number 2 GM driver with him sitting 6^th in the Drivers Championship which is a surprise to be sure but a welcome one.   

The Bad 

The Stewards

Some dodgy officiating at times from the stewards this race weekend there were multiple occasions in which some drivers got away scot-free, Will Brown should’ve had two in Race 6 for forcing both Le Broc and Murray wide at Turn 11 but didn’t for some reason and for taking Cameron out at Turn 4 on lap 11. Not sure how Brown avoided a penalty for those since both had some similarities to the Sydney Motorsport Park penalty he picked up last week (which I thought was unfair given the conditions) the stewards did come out and say both incidents were fine for various reasons. Going 3 wide into Turn 11 with Murray having no way of knowing the Brown was on the inside of Le Brocq and Cameron saying that he didn’t see Brown there, in my opinion both of these reasons are flimsy at best. However, I do believe that many of us will see these incidents differently some may accept the stewards reasoning and some won’t. 

Feeney also should’ve been penalised for the Cameron incident Race 5 but wasn’t oddly enough since he did end up helping cause that accident by trying to readdress after turning Cameron. It’s a similar incident to 2016 Bathurst where Whincup’s readdress attempt resulted in McLaughlin and Tander both being in the fence and their days done. However, I will give a little more leniency given Cameron decided to give into the goblin and give Feeney a side swipe for his troubles which also aided in him and Allen ending up in the fence. 

Now I know for the Triple Eight supporters this may seem like I’m bashing your team, I’m not I’m going after the stewards for ignoring causes for accidents and by happenstance the two main instances of this happening were with both Triple Eight drivers. 

The Timeslot

I know that Supercars is a support category for the F1 at this event however, it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to complain about the timeslots the Supercars run in. It does not suit the main audience of Supercars I’d be willing to bet most of us were working when all of practice and first two qualifying sessions were on and the remaining two qualifying sessions were on before 9am on a Saturday. This is not conducive of a positive Supercars experience in its totality but as a wise man once said, “it is what it is”. 

Erebus Again

Erebus had a mixture of bad luck and poor pace this weekend with Murray recording a season best result of 10^th in Race 4 this being the only positive whatsoever. Stewart for the most part spent the weekend relatively off the pace and continually involved in midpack squabbles which he generally found himself coming off second best in. Murray on the other hand was a personal punching bag for the Red Bull cars, Brown in particular being obsessed with putting Murray in the gravel at Turn 11 this weekend doing it twice in back-to-back races then being flattened by a Feeney brainfart in Race 7. This was particularly painful for Erebus since Murray for the first time this season looked somewhat likely to pick up some decent results instead received a whole lot of pain and disappointment. At least their cars looked really good though. 

The Ugly

Feeney’s Race 7 360˚

Why just why, that spin was such a dumb thing to attempt in the middle of the track not only ruined his own race it put two other drivers out of commission for the race. For such a skilled and adept driver to try and pull off a flick spin whilst still spinning was inconceivably stupid, I sit here writing this article nearly 12 hours after the race still bamboozled by this decision. Now does he deserve all the personal attacks coming his way online NO, but it doesn’t mean that the decision itself cannot be critiqued because it was very much stupid. Thankfully both he and all others involved are in-fact ok and no injuries have been reported from the crash thus far, that’s the only positive. 

Brown Being an Avengers Level Threat

Will Brown spent Races 4, 5 and 6 either picking up penalties or driving into others in what I can only describe as his attempt to collect the infinity stones (penalties or opposing cars can’t tell at this point). If there was an incident on track during this period, you would usually find him at either the centre or involved in it there wasn’t much he didn’t hit this weekend. Given the immense outside and potentially inside pressure on Brown this was not a good weekend outside of a 2^nd place finish in Race 7, this weekend was miserable for himself and anyone who had the general misfortune of sharing the track with him. 

BRT’s Race Luck

Aaron Cameron had a depressing weekend littered with bad luck he was involved with at least one entanglement per race and got a flat tire somehow in Race 7 which just compounded the rotten luck he found. Golding’s weekend wasn’t much better outside of a 5^th in Race 7 where he too got involved in many entanglements which he often came out second best and with a ruined race. The positive for Blanchard Racing Team is they proved the pace at Sydney wasn’t a fluke however, will be left wondering which witch they pissed off during the week to get all the chaos they did this weekend. Hopefully the New Zealand venture will be more fruitful for them results wise as their pace deserves its just reward.  

Now it’s time to sign off, Supercars will be back in action in Taupo 10^th-12^th of April so it will be a relatively long wait time for my next Supercars article unless some absolute bombshell drops in this period and a long wait for some high quality Supercars entertainment. 

Payne’s Pain

Payne found himself wrong place wrong time in back-to-back which dropped him down into 4^th in the Drivers Championship despite having a quick car around Melbourne and will be rueing the dropped points. Of the two separate incidents in question, he was at fault for neither of them Race 6 Golding put him into the wall opening lap ruined both their races and Race 7 he got a puncture from either flat spotting it during breaking in an overtake for 3^rd or he ran over debris on the road couldn’t entirely tell. 

This weekend’s racing at Sydney Motorsport Park was absolutely phenomenal, every race provided their money’s worth for entertainment and was well worth the off-season wait. It’s been a fantastic way to get the season started especially considering the turmoil coming into due Crompton and Skaife’s sacking and the whirlwind it picked up. 

Both Chevy and Ford had strong showings from their homologation teams this weekend with both picking up wins across the weekend and providing their respective fanbases with hope for the season ahead. Toyota however, will want to look away from this weekend it has not been good for them nor kind worst possible start they could’ve had. 

To start the review of Sydney Motorsport Park Race Weekend I’ll start with the good, then move into the bad and finish off with the ugly with me picking what I believe to be the most relevant points from the weekend it’s pretty straight forward, so let’s get into it. 

The Good 

Broc Feeney 

Coming into the season Feeney had a point to prove and he did just that this weekend claiming two victories in wildly different circumstances. Race One utilised the undercut to perfection to get the edge on the two BRT cars ahead and went to win in comfortable fashion in the sole sprint race of the weekend. Race 3 he battled the elements both inside and outside the car to claim a strong and gruelling victory that was much deserved. He saw off multiple challenges by Kai Allen, changing weather during the mid-section of the race which caused chaos throughout the pack and a malfunctioning cool suit. Although Race Two did not work out in his favour with a 15 second time penalty being applied for an unsafe release during pitstop chaos shuffling him down the order he managed to reel in a 6^th place finish which could’ve been more. 

Matt Payne 

Consistency, Payne did not finish outside of the top 5 all weekend and didn’t put a foot wrong despite not having the race pace others around him often had in spades, yet he continually put himself in the best position to achieve the best possible result. The only thing which would’ve gone better would’ve been a race victory, but this consistency is nearly as good as one and leaves him in a fantastic position going into the Melbourne Grand Prix Sprint Races. 

BRT 

Who had this on their bingo cards coming into this season?

Bloody hell what a round from BRT both cars making the top 10 in each qualifying session of the weekend with a front row lockout for Race One this has been a near perfect start for BRT this season. The major highlight is the double podium coming from Race One despite a lack of frontrunning experience costing them a potential race win, there were also more positive signs across the weekend for the team. There was potential for better Race Two results, but race pace fell away in the second stint for both Cameron and Golding resulting in them sliding down the order despite some strong early pace. Race Three brought bad luck despite again strong signs with Cameron being spun by Kostecki last lap and Golding losing a tire and going multiple laps down. Despite a mixture of mistakes and bad luck post Race One BRT can hang their heads high with their opening round performance, now the challenge for the team is to both learn from their mistakes this weekend and challenge for podiums week in week out. 

Anton De Pasquale 

The leading Chevrolet driver has stamped his authority in the pecking order claiming his first win in two years in Race Two and the first win in nearly three years of Team18. Had luck been on his side in Race Three he could very well be one of the frontrunners in the championship despite still sitting 4^th currently he very well could be a lot closer to the Ford pack ahead. Team18 and De Pasquale will look at this weekend positively despite the end result, things are looking bright for both parties and Chevy fans. 

Cam Waters

Despite not achieving the heights of last year at Sydney Motorsport Park, Waters has come out of this weekend in solid shape the highlight of which being a remarkable charge through the field in Race Three making up 17 places to achieve a fantastic 3^rd considering the situation. This season start has flown under the radar somewhat as he like Payne finished inside the top 10 each race providing a good base for him to launch his campaign from, now the question remains of whether he can keep this momentum going. As a side note to Waters, Tickford are also sitting pretty at the top of the Constructors heading into Melbourne with my prediction regarding their season already aging like milk. 

The Bad 

Toyota 

Toyota’s introduction into the category has been nothing short of a disaster only managing meagre results throughout the vast majority of the weekend and looking like this year will be wasted on learning and development. Don’t let the Sunday Race 3 result distract you from how utterly poor all the Toyota’s had been all weekend prior they found themselves often at the foot of the grid and without the chaos of the weather in Race 3 they would not have had the success they did. Toyota are very clearly across both Walkinshaw TGW and BJR far off the pace if this is a sign of things to come, it’s time to get the danger signs out this season for both teams could get very ugly very quickly. 

Erebus Motorsport

Leaving Sydney sitting at the foot of the Constructors table is not where Erebus want to be, nothing went right for the team every qualifying and race there was nothing within the car which either driver could extract. Add onto this lack of speed car failure for Murray in the season opener and Stewart’s front right tyre deciding it had enough of being with Erebus that it loosened and subsequently failed to operate as a tyre. It will be in the team’s best interest to forget this weekend lest they want nightmares. 

PremiAir Racing

Another Chevrolet team which will want to forget all about this weekend, I found they’ve managed to disappoint me although that may be on me for having greater expectations of this group coming into the season. They spent the majority of the weekend at the back of the grid with the only consolation being a 13^th place finish in Race One and Two by Ojeda and Fraser respectively, they have a lot of things to improve upon heading into Melbourne if they want to put their season back on track. 

The Ugly

Supercars Broadcasting Issues 

I like the new broadcasting team and the graphics package however, half the time the package was not working on screens, there were errors abound and there was not a full race where something did not go massively wrong. If Supercars want people to get around this broadcasting graphics package, they need to present it better there cannot be as many errors next race weekend as there was this weekend. The public are already looking for ways to criticize the broadcast as it is Supercars do not need to give them further ammunition. 

Bizarre Penalty for Brown 

I genuinely do not know how Will Brown picked up a 15 second time penalty for the Lap 34 collision after the race restart, with a slippery track on a restart. I am of the opinion it was more of an unfortunate racing incident on tv vision. To play devils advocate for a second us viewers don’t always get shown the same information the stewards do as unlike them, we’re relying on the broadcasters for that information, so they might’ve seen something that I didn’t. Brown will feel hard done by with this penalty as I believe he was far enough up on Kostecki’s car to make a legitimate pass for the position and due to the conditions, he slid and made slight contact which in turn caused Kostecki to spin De Pasquale into the oncoming Brown. It isn’t a great look for the stewards and could potentially set a dangerous precedent going forward into the season with other incidents in similar conditions with potentially title altering ramifications. 

With the season opener for Supercars this weekend and pre-season testing nearingfull completion it feels fitting to provide the Supercarsspace with an idiotic perspective of the upcoming season. Now with this review it feels pertinent to mention that I will not consider pre-season testing as I personally deem it to be largely irrelevant for predictions.

This guide will be structured by Constructors Results from 2025, so if you have a favourite team feel free to skip to them.

Without further ado let’s get into the guide.

* Denotes a Rookie Driver

Red Bull Ampol Racing (Triple Eight)

Goal: Win Drivers and Constructors Titles

Triple Eight will be looking to win the constructors’ championship again this year as they have done so consistently in their history. Despite them taking on homologation team duties for Ford and having had some personnel changes during the offseason, I expect it to make little difference in their approach and ability to win. Triple Eight will be looking to improve their Enduros and Finals results as they fell apart for their standards during this portion of the season last year with key mistakes like the pitstop failure at The Bend and Engine troubles in Adelaide swaying the championship out of Broc’s favour to win the championship.

Broc Feeney

Goal: Win the Drivers Championship

Feeney will be looking to replicate much of his Sprint Cup form from last year which led him to a record breaking 19 Pole Positions within a single season and 14 Wins (Won 41.18% of Races last year) this form any other season would’ve guaranteed a drivers’ title, but Finals threw a spanner in the works. Time will only tell how his Finals heartbreak will change him whether he mentally capitulates or comes in looking for absolute vengeance I am personally leaning towards the latter especially considering his current look.

Will Brown

Goal: Improve Qualifying Results

Brown did finish second in the Drivers’ Championship however, that hides just how poorly he was in qualifying managing to miss the top 10 in qualifying 15 times over the year and considering the qualifying form Feeney showed in the same machinery it was not a good look for Brown. His race pace however, was outstanding and more than made up for his poor qualifying but makes you wonder whether he could’ve gone back-to-back if his qualifying was better.

Jackson Walls *

Goal: Don’t Make Any Unforced Errors

Walls produced a solid respectable campaign in the Dunlop Super2 Series last season placing 5th overall and snagging a win from a Tickford dominated category (Don’t say those words together all too often). With Triple Eight backing his Objective SCT entry Walls will be looking to snag a few top 10 results this year he’ll likely find himself with a good enough car to do this and the year will be primarily focused on adapting and acclimatising to the Supercars with little pressure on him for results.

Penrite Racing (Grove Racing)

Goal: Win Drivers and Constructors Titles

Penrite have been steadily building themselves into a true force to be reckoned with and will be looking to take themselves a step further this year and claim a Constructors Championship with a Drivers Championship being a bonus to the team. Although Cauchi has departed Penrite they are still in a fantastic positive with all the growth and development they’ve had over the past half a decade and given the stability around the organisation I have high hopes and expectations for them coming into this year. Given the youthfulness of the drivers lineup this sets Penrite up for great success both for this coming season and the future

Matthew Payne

Goal: Compete for the Drivers’ Championship

Matthew Payne has steadilyimproved sincehis entryinto the category in 2023 with a career best 5 wins last season and a special win at the best Bathurst race of this decade he will be looking to make a serious assault on the Drivers’ Championship this season. Payne will also be looking to establish himself as the mainline Ford driver for the next decade given it’ll be all up for grabs with Tickford and DJRs respective struggles, Triple Eight’s first foray back in Ford and Mostert now driving the Toyota.

Kai Allen

Goal: Snag His First Win

Given Allen nearly pulled off a Steven Bradbury to take an unexpected Rookie Title win which hasn’t been seen since Craig Lowndes in 1996 many will be expecting another title challenge. I however, am not one of those people, Kai Allen should try to drown out the outside noise and simply focus on taking his first win in the category and push for more podiums after taking an impressive 5 last season. Allen should also look to bond with his new engineer Riccardo Corte ex Ferrari Formula 1 Performance Engineer and hopefully for the pair build a successful working relationship.

Mobil1 Truck Assist & Mobil1 Optus Racing (Walkinshaw TGW Racing)

Goal: Quick Adaption to the Toyota Supra

After winning their first Drivers Championship in over two decades Walkinshaw will be looking to now build on that momentum despite their manufacturing shift and extra responsibilities that come with being a homologation team. Expectations will be sky-high given the homologation status Walkinshaw has, something which they haven’t had since they were known as HRT. They will want to avoid any early struggles if possible, given they are waving the banner for Toyota and are responsible for leading the charge whilst providing Mostert and Wood with a car which can compete particularly given Mostert is looking to defend his crown.

Chaz Mostert

Goal: Avoid Championship Hangover

Mostert fresh off winning his first Drivers Championship will be looking to mount a strong defence and potential retention of his crown given that he is arguably at his peak at this current moment and winning another championship will only get more difficult from this season onwards. Mostert will be wanting to avoid another time-consuming adjustment to a new manufacturer which plagued Walkinshaw for the majority of their run in the Ford outfit and if it repeats it will cost Mostert another shot at a championship.

Ryan Wood

Goal: Multiple Race Wins

Wood had a wild and eventful 2025 season with the extreme highs of a maiden Supercars victory and the extreme lows of multiple mechanical failures which cost him a chance at both a championship and a maiden Bathurst victory. Wood will be looking to continue his strong form coming into this season and to put the controversy of Adelaide behind him (I believe that both drivers were responsible for the spin) whilst praying for no more mechanical misfortunes. A maiden Supercars victory in New Zealand will also be strong on the mind of Wood given he will now have two rounds worth of chances with a historic second race to take place in New Zealand.

Monster Castrol Racing (Tickford Racing)

Goal: Learn to be Consistent

Tickford must recapture their Sydney Motorsport Park form from last year and finally provide Cam Waters a championship contending car as it is only a matter of time till he gets fed up and looks elsewhere particularly with GM still hunting for their marque driver. Given new majority ownership in the team by Altor Capital the team will be hoping that they will finally be able to put everything together and build a Constructors’ Championship level car for their drivers to tick off an ever-elusive milestone for the team.

Cameron Waters

Goal: Drivers Championship or Bust

Cam Waters is another driver who has suffered at the hands of Tickford inconsistences with either his performances or theirs resulting in disappointment year after year where significant achievements continually elude (Bathurst’s, Drivers and Constructors titles). Last season was a major disappointment for Waters particularly given his unrivalled dominance at Sydney Motorsport Park claiming a clean sweep joining elite company and doing so in style winning every race, claiming each pole and taking each fastest lap. Waters will be looking to take round dominance and sustain it particularly given he like multiple other drivers may very realistically only get one to two more genuine cracks at a championship given the crop of younger drivers coming through.

Thomas Randle

Goal: Win a Race

For Thomas Randle it is highly unlikely that he will ever be good enough to be a credible title challenger which is fine most drivers at the Supercars level aren’t however, his career over the next two years will hinge in him being able to perform consistently. Given Tickford are showing extreme confidence in their driver combo Randle now needs to hold up his end of the bargain and start producing better results at least one win from this season is a necessity. Randle has overcome numerous obstacles throughout his career and breaking through to win will be his second biggest so far and an objective he desperately needs to accomplish.

Dewalt & Tradie Energy Racing Team (Team 18)

Goal: Get Anton to the Final Four

Team18 being the new homologation team for GM comes with massive expectations given the extreme level of success Triple Eight achieved over their time with GM in that role. Team 18 had a solid if unspectacular 2025 getting Anton into initial Finals contention and having a strong back end of the year resulting in a 5th place Constructors finish. Their aim for this coming season is simple from a team perspective they need to break into the top 3 for Constructors I believe they have the platform for success it now comes down to achieving it.

Anton De Pasquale

Goal: Lead the GM Charge for the Title

Anton has had an odd career so far one filled with unfulfilled promise he has the pace and ability to be a championship contender but has failed to put everything together yet. He went winless last year however, was still consistent enough to make the opening round of Finals if he can add qualifying and race pace to the puzzle, he will have enough to make a run at the Drivers Championship.

David Reynolds

Goal: Finish Inside the Top 15

Reynolds is a weird case coming into this year with him being the last full-time driver of the old guard (others are still around in either co-driver or wildcard fashion) I have put his goal at quite a low bar. If Team 18 produces a competitive car like I believe they will, Reynolds will need to produce consistent top 10 results to keep his full-time seat given Super2 has a few drivers pushing for a full-time seat being Nash Morris, Reuben Goodall, Lachie Dalton, Cameron McLeod and Brad Vaughan as the main contenders. There are also drivers from other categories who could make a push for his seat if he doesn’t perform Harri Jones from the Carrera Cup being one considering he performed admirably for Team 18 during the Endros.

Shell V-Power Racing Team (Dick Johnson Racing)

Goal: Title Charge in both Constructors and Drivers Championships

Having been recently freedfrom the weight of homologation teamstatus DJR should be looking to have a bounce back year and be contenders in both Drivers and Constructors Titles. Given they have in my opinion the best driver on the grid in Brodie Kostecki it is a necessity to give him a car which can compete at the pointy end of the grid consistently. For DJR they can’t afford another middling season like last year where inconsistencies were rife and mistakes were plentiful, they have no excuses to hide behind anymore.

Brodie Kostecki

Goal: Win Drivers Title

Kostecki showed last year that when he’s on song, he is the best driver around in my opinion with a dominant display at The Bend and managing to claim 2 extra victories across the campaign with 2 other poles and a whole lot of promise. For Kostecki he’s proven that he can win the Drivers Championship and if he can turn the promise shown last season into 2023esc success, he and DJR will once again be contending for silverware.

Rylan Gray *

Goal: Get a Podium

With Rylan Gray being one of the rookies on the grid it’ll be unfair on him to expect immediate success despite being with a storied team and his own success in winning the Dunlop Super2 last season. Very rarely do we see rookies coming in and providing immediate strong performances it’s just the nature of sporting competition promise and potential needs to be honed before it can turn into results. Understanding this premise of youth leads to Rylan Gray simply needing to take this coming year to learn and grow he won’t compete for the title but he does need to compete for a slew of top 10 results and if he can snag a podium fantastic however, it won’t be the end of the world if he doesn’t reach the podium this season. Yes, I am contradicting myself a bit however, the goal was set with the belief that DJR will have a strong race car this year and that being on a podium isn’t too far of a stretch for Gray especially considering the talent he holds.

Brad Jones Racing

Goal: Avoid a Last Place Finish in Constructors

Brad Jones Racing may likely never compete consistently at the top of Supercars however, that’s fine and for the sport it’s good to have teams like BJR as they are closer to the regular person than they are the more corporate teams. BJR will want to be fighting for top 10 results however, they are dependent on Walkinshaw having early success with Toyota given they are the homologation team so expectations will need to be adjusted accordingly. Winning a race will be a major positive for BJR and a great feel-good story but highly unlikely even though their driving talent is the best it’s been since 2010 when they had Jason Bright (even though he was probably past his prime by that point) and the late Jason Richards.

Andre Heimgartner

Goal: Return to the Winners List

Yes, I know my BJR expectations are low but that doesn’t mean I’ll do the same for their drivers. Andre hasn’t won since the Inaugural Taupo Race in 2024, so he’ll want to return to the winners list and make a push for Finals again this season. He is a solid operator and good enough to get consistent top 10 finishes that’s where he’ll likely be aiming for this season however, championship contention will be out of reach.

Cameron Hill

Goal: Snag Another Victory

Cameron Hill will be looking to build upon last year’s positive results and snag another victory after opening his account last year at the Melbourne GP. A Finals berth this year would be a strong showing for Hill however, he may have an initial adjustment period coming into a new outfit but he does have the ability to reach that object and take another race win and a few more podiums too.

Macauley Jones

Goal: More Top 10 Finishes

Macauley Jones always has a great livery with his racing car what he usually doesn’t have is results to match the look having never reached the podium let alone a win in Supercars. He will be unlikely to ever be in serious danger of losing his seat given his father runs the team so achieving steady results is a must. However with Brad Vaughan being in their junior program and making steady progress in Dunlop Super2 there might come more pressure on Macauley to start getting better results as even Brad will hit his results limit at some point.

Sherrin Rentals & Bendix Racing (Matt Stone Racing)

Goal:Top 5 Constructors Finish

Matt Stone Racing has made some good inroads since coming into the Supercars and given the vacancy in quality GM teams MSR has a great opportunity to fill the void left by Triple Eight and BJR. With an all-new driver lineup, expectations will naturally be slightly lower for the squad however, given the experience Le Broqc will provide MSR will prove to be invaluable to both Zach Bates and the rest of the team.

Jack Le Broqc

Goal: Guide Bates and Help Team Development

Jack Le Broqc returns to MSR where he had his most successful stint in Supercars thus far with a 2023 career best finish of 12th in the championship. He’ll be looking for a return to the podium or even a win this season however, his primary goal will be helping the development of Zach Bates for the future of MSR.

Zach Bates *

Goal: Push for aTop 15 Finish

Another highly touted rookie in Zach Bates joins the field for this year, he won the 2024 Dunlop Super2 title and finally gets his call-up to a full-time Supercars drive at last. Bates will be unlikely to challenge for any victories this season although may be able to get a shock podium, his main goal will be consistency it’ll do his confidence wonders if he can finish within the top 15 of the Drivers Championship. Given his decent showings in the Supercheap Triple Eight Wildcard entry last season MSR will be excited with the potential of Bates and what he can deliver for the team in the future.

Erebus Motorsport

Goal: Fill the GM Power Vacuum

Erebus are fantastic at spottingand developing young talent however, they aren’t great at keeping said talent long-term this is the major thing they’ll want to rectify along with ensuring their culture doesn’t relapse into a negative whirlwind. The GM power vacuum gives Erebus an opportunity to once again push their case to be at the top of the Constructors’ pyramid with it being what amounts to a free for all amongst GM teams for who will look to stake their claim as the spearheads.

Cooper Murray

Goal: Snag a Win

Cooper Murray tookalittle while to settle into a rhythm in Supercars last season. A mega showing at Bathurst where he arguably was robbed of a maiden victory in both Supercars and at the Mountain showcases his promise and talent. Murray will look to build upon the speed he showcased in spurts across the year and make it a more consistent threat if he can make a push for the opening round of Finals this will be considered a job well done and nice progress.

Jobe Stewart *

Goal: Get a Couple of Top 10 Results

Out of all incoming rookies Jobe Stewart has probably the second highest set of expectations considering his strong Bathurst showing in tricky conditions against the main game drivers (his co- driving stints were out of sequence with other co-drivers). Despite his strong Bathurst showing I would still have people lower their potential expectations of Stewart, he won’t come in and set the world alight nor will he immediately compete for silverware give him time to acclimatise and he’ll be fine he’s definitely got the potential to be a superstar in the category.

PremiAir Racing

Goal: Fill the GM Power Vacuum

Similar to other GM teams PremiAir will be looking to become the premier GM team (haha see what I did there (yes shit joke I know)). Given Roland Dane is returning to action as their team principal expectations for the squad are increasing for obvious reason, Dane is experienced in developing backmarker teams into contention. If PremiAir can achieve a 5th in the Constructors Championship that will be considered a great achievement for the team however, aiming for something about 7th would also be positive improvement for the team despite the lofty goal set.

Jayden Ojeda *

Goal: Snag a Podium Finish

Ojeda gained valuable experience from the final two rounds of last year making his first top 10 shootout in the final race in Adelaide. Although snagging a podium would be fantastic for Ojeda depending on how PremiAir develop it may or may not prove to be a realistic or even faintly achievable one. Ojeda definitely has the pace to be successful that was proven in getting himself to a top 10 shootout in only two rounds, this season will likely be another acclimatisation season where results may be wildly inconsistent (although I doubt this will be the case). Hopefully he is given time to achieve positive results.

Declan Fraser

Goal: Multiple Top 10 Results

Declan Fraser has been given a main game lifeline through PremiAir and it’s up to him to now capitalise on this and given he will be in a better car than his sole Tickford season regardless of how much or little PremiAir develops. Fraser in my opinion was quite unlucky to lose a full-time seat at the conclusion of the 2023 season as the majority of us would agree that when Tickford ran four cars the satellite cars often received much less attention and development. Given Fraser is a former Super2 Winner he definitely has the ability to be successful at the Supercars level it will just be a matter of whether he will be given time to grow into his potential.

Blanchard Racing Team

Goal: Avoid Finishing Last Place in Constructors

Blanchard Racing Team should be looking to improve upon their maiden podium from last season and look to maybe snag a surprise race win this season however, maintaining the steady improvement from last year will be the ideal. With Courtney now retired the team has to put to use the significant development he aided in and look to push onwards and upwards this year given that they now no longer have a driver of that experience or calibre at this current point in time (no dig on Golding or Cameron but Courtney is obviously a different level from these drivers). If Blanchard Racing Team could push themselves to 7th or 8th in the Constructors standings this would be good positive movement for the team and will give them a platform to maybe make a push for top 5 in Constructors come 2027 or 2028.

James Golding

Goal: Snag a Surprise Victory

Golding had a good year last year with PremiAir Racing highlighted by a strong Bathurst showing resulting in a 3rd Place despite having a penalty looming over his head and led to a 14th place finish in the Drivers’ Championship. Golding will come into the year needing to prove that his decision to move across to BRT was correct and will be eager to deliver strong results for the squad and fulfill the longstanding potential many have seen in him.

Aaron Cameron

Goal: Get Himself onto a Podium

With 3 top 10 results last season and an impressive Adelaide Grand Final Race 33 qualifying Aaron Cameron will look to build upon these positives especially since he could’ve already been on a podium had he not crashed in Race 33. Cameron despite it feeling like he has been around forever technically is going into his first full Supercars season this year even though he came into the seat for the second round and beyond last year in awkward circumstances given how his entrance came about with all the Aaron Love drama. Given last year gave him time to adapt to the series he is well set to start improving his results and he’ll want to contribute nicely through providing more top 10 finishes and maybe even getting his maiden Supercars podium.