Chaz Mostert concedes that changes to the Supercars points system have left him an "extreme wildcard" to win the championship, despite being one of only four drivers left in the title hunt.
Last year's champion booked his spot in the Adelaide grand final later this month after accruing just enough points in the second race of the Sandown 500 on Sunday.
But despite being in the top four, the Walkinshaw TWG star is at a disadvantage after the competition altered its points allocation system for the big dance.
All four drivers' points will reset to 5000 points. However, finishing on top of the standings at the end of Sandown means that the driver gains 150 bonus points, while second earns 120, third gets 96, and fourth receives 78.
It's a stark difference from last year, when only 50 bonus points separated the first and fourth-ranked grand finalists.
"I would have felt better going in this year if the points were similar to last year or a little bit closer," Mostert, who is ranked third behind the second-placed Brodie Kostecki, said.
"The first two are going to be feeling like it's theirs to win at the moment, and then me and (the fourth-ranked) Broc (Feeney) are an extreme wildcard.
"I'd prefer to go back to the points last year ... Let's put the pressure back on the teams and drivers."
Championship leader Matt Payne will benefit most from the points buffer, but said the grand final isn't his to lose because of it.
"I'm grateful to have that over everyone. I think it's going to help us. I don't feel any pressure because of it," he said.
"We've gone over the mindset every weekend of just trying to win races, and that's been the outset since Sydney this year."
Regardless, the grand final berth for Mostert is a sparkling moment not just for him but for manufacturer Toyota, which entered into the competition this year, disrupting the traditional Ford v Holden rivalry.
Questions had swirled over whether the Supras could compete for a championship, especially as Walkinshaw TWG struggled to find form early amid teething issues and didn't secure their first win until race nine.
But since then, Mostert particularly has dazzled to claim a historic top four berth.
"We've definitely had our ups and downs throughout this year, and the team itself has worked extremely hard along with Toyota to fix a few little errors," he said.
"To get to this stage, and say you're getting to the grand final, is just so rewarding for them ... but sets us up well for future years, as we can do it in our first year."
