The Supercars Championship has revamped its championship structure ahead of the 2025 season.
Confirmed:
- The season will be split into three sections: Sprint Cup, Enduro Cup, and Finals Series
- There will now be 13 rounds of 34 races, ten more races than in 2024
- Three different qualifying formats will be used in 2025
Context:
Supercars has taken inspiration from the structure of a Nascar Cup Series season, with the Sprint and Enduro Cups forming the traditional regular season, before the seven-race Finals Series determines the overall champion.
The Sprint Cup covers the first eight rounds of the season and features 25 races, before the two-round Enduro Cup featuring the Bend 500 and the Bathurst 1000. The winner of each cup will gain automatic entry to the Finals Series, along with the top ten finishers in the points during the season. If both cup winners finish in the top ten, then only eight drivers will qualify alongside them.
The Finals Series will then follow a similar route to the Nascar postseason, with a select number of drivers being dropped after a certain number of rounds, before the four finalists compete for a chance to be the 2025 champion.
Comment:
Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said: “The emphasis was on improving the racing product and giving drivers the opportunity to always attack without an external factor preventing them from being aggressive.
“Our fans wanted more excitement, more unpredictability, and a true test to find the best champion. The Finals series will do just that.
“With points resetting and drivers being eliminated, we’ve created an environment where the pressure will be at its highest, and only the best will prevail.
“This format is set to change how we crown a champion, and we’re confident it will keep fans on the edge of their seats until the very last lap.”
Coming next:
This new format will see the Sprint Cup take place between February and August, the Enduro Cup between September and October, before the Finals Series in October and November. The 2025 season gets underway with the Sydney 500 from 21st to 23rd February.
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