Kai Allen produced a masterclass to secure his second victory of the season in Race 18 of the 2026 Supercars Championship in Darwin.
In an eventful 200km race, it was Allen when ended on the top step of the podium. While the Penrite young gun sailed to an eight second lead, pole sitter Cam Waters held off a charging Brodie Kostecki for second.
So far this weekend…
Supercars was back in the Northern Territory and it was Brodie Kostecki, who claimed pole position for Race 17 despite battling illness. Championship leader Broc Feeney endured a difficult session and was knocked out early, leaving him 13th on the grid, while Kai Allen and Ryan Wood both qualified inside the top ten despite a clash during the session.
As the checkered flag waved, it was Cam Waters, who converted strong race pace and strategy into his first Supercars win since February 2025. After running behind early leader Kostecki, Waters gained the advantage through the pit-stop cycle and controlled the race before surviving a late Safety Car restart. Kai Allen finished second and Matt Payne third, while Kostecki dropped to fourth and Feeney could only recover to 14th.
Waters back on top
Saturday’s qualifying session produced plenty of surprises, with Brodie Kostecki topping the timesheets to secure provisional pole after setting the fastest lap in the knockout session. Championship contenders Broc Feeney and Will Brown both struggled for pace and only just made it through the early stages, while Anton De Pasquale suffered a disastrous session and missed the Shootout altogether. Kostecki led a Ford-dominated top order ahead of Cam Waters, Matt Payne and Thomas Randle.
Cam Waters then delivered when it mattered most, producing a 1:06.0383 lap to snatch pole position for Race 18. Kostecki looked capable of challenging but lost time with mistakes in the latter part of his lap and settled for second. Matt Payne qualified third, Chaz Mostert fourth and Kai Allen fifth, while Feeney recovered to sixth after his Friday struggles. Will Brown and De Pasquale were among the notable names outside the top ten.
Lights out on Race 18
With track temperatures reaching over 40 degrees, it was Waters who got the best start of the field. Further back, Rylan Gray was send to the back of the field, after a trip through the grass. After starting third, Matt Payne was given a five second time penalty for a false start. However, the Penrite driver was quick to pick up positions, passing Kostecki for second. Further back, the battle between Broc Feeney and Kai Allen continued, the pair swapping positions for sixth and sixth.
It was a difficult start for the Supras with Ryan Wood and Cam Hill both picking up damage. Wood suffered a power steering issue after contact with Declan Fraser. With his car table to turn and spilling oil on track, The Walkinshaw driver was forced to retire. Chaz Mostert was the first driver implicated by the oil, taking a trip across the grass before rejoining down in fourteenth.
12 laps into the race, the field began to settle. Waters was managing a half second gap to Payne, while Brown continued his charge up the field into eighth. Gray and Jack LeBrocq were the first drivers into the pit lane, coming in on Lap 14 and 16 respectively.
Another Penrite Pit Masterclass
With 50 laps to go, it was Brown who muscled his way into sixth past Thomas Randle. While Payne was the first of the front runners to pit, coming out ahead of Le Brocq and Feeney. Fraser was sent spinning after a move from Zach Bates, who ran wide on the previous corner. Bates was then handed a 15 second penalty.
On Lap 26, Waters pitted, coming out mere meters ahead of Payne. However, the exit wasn’t without drama, as the Race 17 victor weaving across the track to gain traction. The race leader was later given a Bad Sportsmanship Flag. In another strategy masterclass, Kai Allen managed to pass Kostecki for net third. Eight laps later, Feeney made the pass for fifth, going down the inside of Le Brocq at Turn 5.
After a podium in Race 17, Allen was on track for another, passing teammate Payne for second. With fresher tyres and momentum, Allen passed Waters on Lap 41. Behind them, Kostecki moved onto Payne’s bumper, passing him on the final corner. Like Waters, Payne was given a Bad Sportmanship Flag for moving under braking.
Allen Charges Ahead in Darwin
After his maiden victory in New Zealand, Kai Allen was on track to secure his second victory, two second ahead of the field. On Lap 45 Payne was called in for his second pit stop, before Kostecki was pulled in to cover him two laps later. Waters was pulled in on Lap 48 to undercut Allen, however it was unsuccessful, with Allen coming out over four second ahead.
With less than 20 laps to go, Kostecki closed the gap from Waters to only one and a half seconds. Down in fifth, Brown continued his charge, passing Le Brocq, before Red Bull teammate Feeney also passed him for sixth. Le Brocq continued to struggle for position, dropping behind Mostert in eighth. The signing champion continued his charge, passing Feeney for sixth on Lap 60.
De Pasquale was also on the charge. After starting 20th, the Team18 Camaro was up twelve positions after passing Le Brocq for eighth. While Allen was over seven seconds ahead, it was Kostecki who closed up to Waters.
Race for the Podium
With five laps to go, Waters extended the gap to Kostecki to seven tenths. Payne was also on the charge, closing the gap to one second with a few laps to go.
However, their efforts were without success. Kai Allen crossed the checkered flag almost nine seconds clear of the field. Waters held on for second, while Kostecki had a comeback drive, securing another podium while battling illness.
Payne had to settle for fourth, ahead of Brown. After struggling early on, Mostert held onto sixth ahead of Feeney. De Pasquale was the highest placed Chevrolet in eighth, ahead of the Chevrolets of Le Brocq and Jayden Ojeda.
With attention shifting to Sunday’s Race 19, Kostecki and Randle will be looking to recover, after both seemed medical treatment following Race 17. Kostecki was forced to skip the podium, with his Race Engineer taking his spot.
Final Supercars Race 18 classification and results from Darwin
- Allen
- Waters
- Kostecki
- Payne
- Brown
- Mostert
- Feeney
- De Pasquale
- Le Brocq
- Ojeda
- Golding
- Randle
- Gray
- Heimgartner
- Fraser
- Jones
- Reynolds
- Murray
- Hill
- Walls
- Cameron
- Bates
- Stewart
- Wood
The Supercars Championship will return to Darwin tomorrow for Race 19, with Qualifying occurring at 10:45am local time before the 70 Lap race at 2:40pm.
