A classic triple-threat battle for the title is set to take place on this Gold Coast this weekend when the Aussie Racing Car series hold their final round for 2018.
After six entertaining rounds at tracks all around the country, the series reaches its final destination as a regular supporter for the Virgin Australian Supercars Championship.
Only one point separates leader Kyle Ensbey and second placed Joel Heinrich, while third placed Kel Treseder sits a further two points behind Heinrich, meaning just three points split the top three.
Fans would be forgiven for thinking Treseder would have been leading the standings at this point, with the Camaro driver claiming three out of the six rounds in 2018.
Treseder’s latest round win came at last month’s Shannons Nationals event in Sydney, dominating the field to claim wins in every race, putting him in a good spot to earn the title.
Unfortunately for the Treseder, Ensbey has been the most consistent driver of the field this year. His 2018 has seen top five finishes in every round, including one round win and three podiums.
With three points the difference between the two Queenslanders, Treseder will need to finish a minimum of three spots ahead of Ensbey, as only there is only one point difference between each outright round position.
If Treseder can replicate his opening two rounds form, Sydney and last year’s Gold Coast victory, a round win is certainly on the cards, so it will come down to weather Ensbey makes an uncharacteristic mistake and finishes fourth or below.
As for Heinrich, he has a little bit more room to move unlike the 2017 runner-up, with three-second place finishes and a round victory putting him one sole point behind the leader.
Of the top three, Heinrich has the best form going into the Gold Coast, with three of those results occurring in the previous three rounds.
The South Australian may not be targeting a round victory on the Gold Coast, but will certainly be doing all he can to make it four podiums in a row and prevent Ensbey from a top three finish.
A highly likely scenario will be a draw between Heinrich and Ensbey, with Treseder either to finish above the pair just or behind and fall just short of a title for the second consecutive year.
The battle for fourth will also determine the outright winner with both Justin Ruggier and Blake Sciberras on equal points, 11 points behind Ensbey.
While both would need a miracle to win the title, or finish on the podium for the matter, each driver will be confident of claiming strong results.
Last year, Sciberras finished on the podium, behind Treseder and ahead of Heinrich making him one the major deciding factors in the three-way battle for the title.
Rookie Joshua Anderson is also one for fans to keep an eye on. The Victorian Camaro pilot has enjoyed a stellar first season and will be hungry to repeat his efforts from round three and claim a podium finish.
The Aussie Racing Car series will have four races across the weekend, with their first occurring on Friday, two on Sunday and the final race for 2018 to take place on Sunday morning.
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