NASCAR fans have hammered the playoff system for more than a year, and Denny Hamlin’s heartbreaking miss in this season’s finale only poured more fuel on their frustration. Now the backlash has jumped hemispheres. The Repco Supercars Championship fanbase is just as divided after the series’ dominant driver fell short of the title in Year 1 of its elimination-format playoffs.
Advertisement
Broc Feeney was the class of the field all season, winning a series-high 14 races and earning 19 poles, yet he wound up third in the final standings. A spin in Turn 5 on the opening lap of the Adelaide Grand Final and a failing engine derailed his title hopes, while four-race winner Chaz Mostert sailed to his first championship. Will Brown finished the year second.
That prompted Jeff Gluck to note that Supercars fans were echoing the same outrage NASCAR fans have voiced for years. On X (formerly Twitter) he wrote, “Supercars just wrapped their first try at a playoff system and the best driver of the year didn’t win it. The replies to the post below look familiar to NASCAR fans.”
The comments were blistering. One fan said, “What an embarrassing mess Playoffs just don’t reward the best team that performs over the season Ima Chaz fan but this is not cool.”
Another added, “We all know he’s the real champion, no bullshit playoff system is gonna tell us otherwise.”
A third long-timer declared, “Just like NASCAR, until the playoffs are dropped, there will never be a champion that doesn’t have an asterisk and a debate associated with them. Full season points eliminate both.” A fourth compared the numbers and didn’t hold back: “19 poles, 14 wins vs 1 pole and 4 wins. Punishment of excellence for entertainment.”
Supercars just wrapped their first try at a playoff system and the best driver of the year didn’t win it. The replies to the post below look familiar to NASCAR fans. https://t.co/uwyMIxAMfn
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 30, 2025
Feeney, sounding every bit as gutted and heartbroken as Hamlin after Phoenix, said, “I don’t think you’ll be hearing from me for a while. I’ll be flying under the radar for a bit.”
Broc Feeney speaks after a cruel end to Supercars championship challenge ️ #Speedcafe #supercars #adelaidegf #repcosc pic.twitter.com/63JrhCqppi
— Speedcafe.com (@speedcafe) November 30, 2025
Supercars officials had revamped the format this season, splitting the 13 rounds and 34 races into three sections, with the final segment comprising seven races spread over three rounds. The first two rounds featured eliminations to determine which four drivers would battle for the title.
But unlike NASCAR, the Supercars finale wasn’t a single winner-take-all event as the championship round consisted of three races, with the driver scoring the most points crowned champion. Feeney entered the last race with a 23-point lead over Mostert, needing only a steady run to lock it up.
Instead, contact from Mostert’s teammate sent him tumbling from P5, and engine issues buried him further. Meanwhile, in the second race of the final round, Wood slipped from second place, allowing Mostert to grab nine crucial points.
Wood later said he had fuel-saving issues that cost him 14.2 seconds in the closing laps. Others weren’t convinced, suggesting he manipulated the finish to keep Mostert within striking distance of Feeney. In the end, the system meant to create drama delivered controversy instead, and for many fans, it felt like déjà vu from NASCAR’s own playoff battles.
