POSTCARD FROM SYDNEY

It's war. The battle between Cam Waters and The Bulls in Sydney was as good as it gets – not just in Supercars, but any form of motorsport.

It was rough, it was tough, and there was plenty of car-to-car contact between Waters, Broc Feeney and Will Brown. Saturday night, under lights, was easily the best Supercars race in recent memory. Perhaps even for decades.

"I felt like I was in a dodgem-car arena for the last five laps. I've never seen a Mustang turn into a bus. It was awesome racing. I haven't been in a race like that for a while," said Will Brown.

Then came the Sunday fun, as a late rain squall stirred the field and highlighted the drivers – Brodie Kostecki was one – who shine when the sky is dark.

The Saturday scrap was the highlight of the weekend, but there was plenty of other stuff to unpack from the first round of the 2025 Supercars Championship series.

Here are six things we learned:

6. Aaron Love is doing it tough. Brake failure on the test day and then a collision with his team-mate James Courtney in qualifying provided a sub-optimal start to the season. He copped a $2000 fine for the crash but more worrying was his lack of pace. The Blanchard team is battling, even with technical veteran Mike Henry now on board, and Love will have to lift soon to defend his spot.

5. Opposite ends at PremiAir. Jimmy Golding had some dramas, starting with a giant fire on the test day, but recovered well to qualify and run in the Top 10 in the final race. In contrast, new signing Richie Stanaway had dramas _ including an engine failure and another fire on Saturday night – and never looked remotely happy at his new team.

4. Kostecki finding his feet. The Big B and his sidekick George Commins already look well entrenched at DJR. The ultimate pace is still to come from the V-Power Mustang but, based on the strength in Sydney, it won't be long.

4. The Bulls keep coming. When most teams get into trouble they struggle and stay there. Not Triple Eight. There were setbacks on Friday night but both Will Brown and Broc Feeney raced forward. Then they improved on Saturday. And both were strong on Sunday. It's a class act.

3.Waters on fire. "That thing is a jet," said Will Brown, talking about the Monster Mustang. But Cam Waters also wheeled the thing as impressively through more than just a qualifying lap. If Tickford Racing can keep the car up to him – and he already has three wins, three pole positions and three fastest laps – he will be the one to beat in season 2025.

2. Just add water. The racing in Sydney varied wildly, like the crowds, with a pointless snoozer on Friday in front of an empty grandstand before the belter of a Saturday stoush. The Sunday run looked boring and predictable, but then the rain came and the race came alive. It suited the strengths of Chaz Mostert and Brodie Kostecki, as Waters was already well down the road, and even Richie Stanaway showed good speed as he has done many times on a wet track.

1. Saturday night special. "That's as good as it gets," said Neil Crompton after the three-way scramble and scrabble through the final four laps on Saturday night. He was right. What a show. Hopefully there is much more to come and no interference from the umpires when the going gets tough.