Brodie Kostecki says the Supercars title is his to lose as he heads into four crucial races across two street circuits.
The Erebus driver has led the series since the Sydney SuperNight in late July and holds a 131-point lead with four races, with a maximum 600 points available, to go.
Critically he fared well in the two endurance races which were single 300-point affairs, finishing second at both Sandown and Bathurst.
Given the points weighting on those single races, and the higher risk of a DNF, the haul leaves him in the box seat to secure a first Supercars title in just his third year as a full-timer.
When asked on the eve of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 if the title is his to lose, Kostecki agreed.
“Most definitely,” he said. “I have the points lead at the moment.
“There’s still a lot of points up for offer, and a lot of races as well. We have two massive races this weekend here at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 and two races left in Adelaide as well.
“We have to make sure we do our jobs, minimise mistakes as much as possible and make sure we’re there at the end.”
Despite the inherent dangers of the Gold Coast and Adelaide street circuits, Kostecki is adamant he won’t take an overly cautious approach to either race as he looks to seal the title.
“I don’t think I can be a bit reserved,” he said. “The guys that are my closest rivals have been really fast as well, so you really can’t sit back too far.
“I’m just going to focus on what I’ve been doing all year, and that’s trying to win races. It’s been working so far. I’ll just stay focus on that.”
Another wildcard this weekend is the changes to the Ford aero package, which, if successful, could potentially shake up the running order.
Kostecki, however, isn’t phased by the ongoing parity saga.
“My job is to beat everybody, not just one manufacturer,” he said. “We’ll stay focused on ourselves and I don’t really look too much into that stuff. I just do my job, which is driving the car.”