Supercars takes inspiration from NASCAR and launches playoff system for 2025

The regular season will be contested over two phases, the Sprint Cup, made up of 25 races spread over eight rounds, from February 21 to August 10. The driver scoring the most points in this phase will win the Sprint Cup and a place in the "Finals", the official name of the playoff format. The last two rounds of the regular season, at The Bend and Bathurst, will be part of the Enduro Cup, which will also crown a champion, qualified for the playoffs. At the end of these ten rounds, made up of 27 races, a ranking will be established, in which the eight drivers having scored the most points, as well as the two champions of the Sprint Cup and the Enduro Cup will be qualified for the "Finals".

The top ten finishers will see their points tally reduced to 3000, with bonus points awarded based on their performance in the regular season. On the streets of Surfers Paradise, the drivers will contest two races, with each winner automatically qualifying for the next round at Sandown if they are among the top ten finishers. As in NASCAR, the entire field will be able to participate in the events, but only the finalists will be able to play for the title. The three drivers with the fewest points at the end of the Surfers Paradise round will be eliminated from the playoffs.

Adelaide – Three races for one title

It's back to Sandown, where the remaining seven drivers will see their points increased to 4000. If one of the seven qualified drivers wins one of the two races of the weekend, he will win his ticket to the Adelaide final, and the last three in the standings at the end of Sandown will be eliminated, leaving four finalists, as is the case in the NASCAR Cup Series.

On the Adelaide street circuit, three races will take place, one of 100km and two of 250km, to crown the champion. The four finalists will start at 5000 points, with bonus units according to their results in the previous rounds. At the end of the three races, the one who obtains the most points will be crowned Supercars champion 2025. This new system still allows the title to be played over several races, unlike the American version where the first of the four title contenders to cross the finish line at the last event wins the jackpot. The season will include ten more races than in 2024, without increasing costs significantly, with even one meeting less than this season on the calendar.

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