$50K sprint raises Grand Finale stakes
Friday cash sprint gives entire Supercars field fresh motivation before championship showdown begins
A $50,000 winner-takes-all sprint race will again provide every Supercars driver with something to race for when the BP Adelaide Grand Final opens in November, adding another layer of intrigue to the season finale.
The Mega Rewards-backed incentive returns after its successful introduction in 2025, with the 100-kilometre Friday race on November 27 offering a lucrative prize before attention turns to the four-driver championship battle later in the weekend. Last year’s inaugural cash sprint was won by Dick Johnson Racing’s Brodie Kostecki in wet conditions, setting the tone for a dramatic Grand Final.
This year’s contest will be even more intense, with drivers facing just 32 laps in Race 35 of the Supercars season to claim the prize.
Mega Rewards chief operating officer Andrew Potter said the Friday race ensured every competitor had something significant to fight for.
“While the Grand Final format will again see four drivers battling for the Supercars title, the $50,000 prize gives every driver on the grid something to fight for on Friday,” Potter said.
BP Adelaide Grand Final event director Shaun Bennetts said the return of the cash prize would once again lift the intensity of the opening day.
“We saw some wild racing last year as drivers battled the conditions, and each other, on Friday at the bp Adelaide Grand Final,” Bennetts said.
“To see the prize return in 2026 means fans will be treated to high stakes and high commitment from drivers and teams from the get-go.”
He added that while only one of the four finalists would leave Adelaide as Supercars champion, every driver in the field would have a genuine opportunity to secure the Friday payday.
Supercars executive chairman Barclay Nettlefold said the cash incentive complemented what had already been one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory.
“The $50,000 prize gives drivers a reason to attack from the opening race, and on the unforgiving streets of Adelaide, that can only add to the pressure, intensity and spectacle for fans,” Nettlefold said.
The BP Adelaide Grand Final will be held on the Adelaide street circuit from November 26-29, with the Friday sprint kicking off a weekend that will decide the 2026 Supercars championship.
