Ford left the Gold Coast 500 with a race win and five Mustang drivers still chasing the 2026 Supercars championship. Broc Feeney took Sunday’s victory ahead of Brodie Kostecki, while Matthew Payne kept himself at the front of the title fight heading toward Sandown.
That combination matters at this point in the season. The Gold Coast opened the three-round Finals, where a good weekend needs to produce more than a respectable finishing position. Drivers also have to survive the cuts that determine who remains eligible for the championship.
Feeney Converts Pole Into a Home Win
Feeney qualified on pole for both races, but the two days offered very different conditions. Saturday was wet; Sunday’s 85-lap race ran on a dry track. The change gave the field a fresh test on the tight street circuit.
As detailed in Repco’s race report, Feeney started Sunday alongside teammate Will Brown. Kostecki worked his way forward and reduced the gap before the final stops, leaving Feeney with just over a second in hand after their late pit sequence.
Feeney eventually stretched that advantage to 6.9 seconds at the finish. Kostecki secured second, with Chaz Mostert completing the podium. For Feeney, it was his first victory at his home Gold Coast event and a ticket into the semifinal.
Payne Keeps His Championship Run Moving
Payne’s Sunday was about recovering positions. He climbed from 12th to sixth, following a third-place finish on Saturday. A podium and a recovery drive gave the Grove Racing driver a productive weekend even without an outright win.
Ford’s Gold Coast recap identifies Payne, Feeney, Kostecki, Brown, and Cam Waters as its five semifinalists. Those drivers account for five of the seven remaining championship contenders, giving Mustang supporters several cars to follow into the next round.
There was depth to Ford’s Sunday result as well. Alongside the two cars on the podium, Payne finished sixth, Waters seventh, James Golding eighth, and Thomas Randle tenth. Six Mustangs in the top 10 made the weekend about more than the winning car.
Sandown Raises the Stakes Again
The Finals format outlined by Motorsport Australia began with 10 title contenders at the Gold Coast. Seven advance to Sandown, where the field will be reduced again before the championship is settled in Adelaide.
Sandown runs November 6–8, with four championship places available for the finale. Ford has numbers on its side, but five Mustang contenders cannot all fit into those four spots. The next round will decide which of these strong seasons gets a chance at the title.
Featured image credit: Ford Racing. Original source.
