Payne leads Supercars points without Finals Series

Brodie Kostecki of Dick Johnson Racing would be Will Payne's only realistic challenger for the Supercars title, sitting 283 points behind with 300 still available in Adelaide. Payne has scored 3004 points across the 13 rounds so far, while Broc Feeney, third in the standings, would no longer be a contender with a 310-point deficit.

The figures do not account for how drivers and teams may have approached events differently under the Finals Series format. At the Gold Coast 500, Chaz Mostert gave up a chance to win the Sunday race to help teammate Ryan Wood. That help was ultimately fruitless, but it was the difference between Mostert scoring 127 points and the maximum 150.

The win-and-you're-in element of the format also means anyone who wins on Saturday is less pressured on subsequent days, though the report notes that does not suggest any driver would ease off.