The Team 18 driver entered the Sunday race seventh in the standings, holding the last transfer spot to the Semi-Finals.

He had a buffer of just 16 points to eighth-placed Thomas Randle after a post-race penalty for exceeding track limits in the Saturday race cost 15 points.

De Pasquale qualified just 17th on Sunday morning but rose through the field to be 10th when late-race contact with James Courtney netted a 15-second time penalty.

The DeWalt Camaro took the chequered flag ninth but fell to 16th in the result – ultimately missing out on the Semi-Final to Randle by 32 points.

“Very disappointed,” said De Pasquale of the outcome.

“I think we had a fast car both races. Unfortunately, missing out on the Finals because of some stewards decision.

“It’s a bit disappointing we can’t argue it or have our own say. I think we’re pretty stiff.”

De Pasquale nudged Courtney from behind at Turn 11 on the fateful lap, sending the Snowy River Mustang into the barrier.

Asked to elaborate on his view, De Pasquale said: “I think you can only move so much when you’re braking before there’s going to be contact.

“Something similar happened to me earlier in the race and it was play on, and that one is 15 seconds.

“It’s a bit disappointing I can’t have my own say on it and that determines most of the year.

“I feel pretty hard done by. [Courtney] spent the whole lap braking and turning to the white line, so contact is going to happen.”

Supercars champion turned commentator Mark Skaife gave his view of the incident, believing De Pasquale was “at fault most”.

“It takes two to tango when you have an incident like that,” he said on the Fox Sports broadcast.

“My initial read was it was Anton’s fault, but the more I look at other parts of the vision and that James is moving in the braking area, often it looks worse for the overtaker.

“It was similar to Bathurst with Cooper Murray and James Golding at Turn 2. If the lead car turns down on you as you’re trying to make the move, it looks worse for the person overtaking.

“I thought Anton was probably at fault most, but it still did take some movement from Courtney to end up having an accident.”

Supercars Semi-Final field set as three eliminated from Finals Series