The Evolution of Playoffs in Motor Racing
At present, there is a lot of discussion about the Playoffs or Finals formats in motor racing as both NASCAR and Supercars seasons reach their climax. These formats are crucial for determining the champion and have sparked debates among fans and drivers alike.
In the Supercars championship, for the first time, the 24 regular drivers will be reduced to 10 at the end of the weekend’s Bathurst 1000. This reduction ensures that only those who are in title contention will compete in the final three rounds of the season. This change has brought about a new level of excitement and tension as the season approaches its conclusion.
Meanwhile, in the USA, NASCAR’s Playoffs are already underway. The format, which has been in place since 2004 under the name “Chase for the Championship,” has faced criticism from some fans. For instance, Joey Logano won the 2024 title despite being ninth in the points during the qualifying part of the season. He had just four top five finishes in 26 races before a late surge secured his third title. This outcome raised questions about the fairness of the current system.
Shane van Gisbergen’s Impact
This season, the inclusion of Shane van Gisbergen as a Playoff driver has also drawn attention. The rookie has excelled on road and street courses, securing four wins that guaranteed him a spot in the Playoffs as the sixth seed. However, he was 18 places above his points position coming into the last of the ‘regular season’ races. While van Gisbergen is still learning his craft on ovals, some fans have questioned whether he deserved to be in Playoff contention, even if he was eliminated early.
Supercars has avoided this controversy by making an important change to the NASCAR system. Unlike NASCAR, Supercars does not automatically seed race winners into the Finals. This decision appeared wise after the first nine races of the season, where six different drivers won. However, in the 17 races since then, only two other full-time drivers have won a race. This suggests that not adopting the NASCAR win-and-you’re-in model was a good call.
Key Drivers in the Final Contention
Apart from Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney, who secured a spot in the Finals by winning the Sprint Cup (based on the first eight rounds of the 13-round championship), five other drivers are assured of making the top 10 regardless of what happens in the race. These drivers include Matt Payne (Grove Racing), Will Brown (T8), Cam Waters (Tickford Racing), Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United), and Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing). The spread in results this season has left these top six in a strong position.
However, the situation is different for drivers below the top 10. The first driver to be out of Finals contention is David Reynolds, the 18th-placed Team 18 Chevrolet driver. Reynolds is a former Bathurst winner from 2017, and he could have won again in 2018 had it not been for dehydration-induced cramps. His co-driver, Lee Holdsworth, won in 2021. Despite Reynolds’s inconsistent form, it would not be surprising to see him secure a front-row start and a race win. However, the current system does not seed him into the Finals.
The Remaining Berths
The remaining berths in the Finals will be filled by four of 11 drivers. These include Anton De Pasquale (Team 18), Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United), Thomas Randle (Tickford), Kai Allen (Dick Johnson Racing), Andre Heimgartner, Bryce Fullwood (Brad Jones Racing), Nick Percat and Cam Hill (Matt Stone Racing), James Golding (PremiAir Racing), and Jack Le Brocq and Cooper Murray (Erebus Motorsport).
Conclusion
The Bathurst 1000 is always a highlight of the season, and keeping an eye on who makes the cut will make the final 50 laps of the 161-lap race particularly fascinating. Had Supercars adopted NASCAR’s win-and-you’re-in model, those drivers would have been fighting for just two places. One of those may have been taken by an otherwise non-qualifying driver who wins for the first time in 2025 at Bathurst.
While there is much discussion about the Supercars Finals format, even if some fans think it is not beneficial, it could have been worse. The changes made to the system have helped maintain a balance between competition and fairness, ensuring that the final rounds of the season remain exciting and unpredictable.
