Northern Territory Supercars fans were treated to an exciting three days of racing following another memorable weekend at Hidden Valley Raceway for the 2026 betr Darwin Triple Crown.

Cam Waters claimed the coveted Darwin Triple Crown trophy for the first time in his career after providing a consistent performance throughout all three races.

The racing began on Friday with Waters returning to the top step of the podium for the first time in 16 months.

Starting from fourth on the grid, the Tickford Racing driver made an excellent launch to move into second place and immediately challenge pole-sitter Brodie Kostecki.

While Kostecki elected to complete his compulsory pit stop early, Waters adopted an alternate strategy and stayed out significantly longer.

The approach benefitted Waters in the long term, with the Mildura driver emerging from pit lane on fresher tyres and hunting down Kostecki before taking the lead on lap 23.

Grove Racing teammates Kai Allen and Matt Payne also found a way past Kostecki late in the race before a Safety Car, triggered by David Reynolds, set up a one-lap sprint to the finish.

Waters remained composed to secure victory ahead of Allen and Payne, while Kostecki crossed the line 4th, and Waters moved to the top of the Darwin Triple Crown standings and became the ninth different race winner from the first 17 races of the 2026 season.

Saturday’s 200-kilometre feature race provided rising star Allen another chance to continue his remarkable form at Hidden Valley.

The 20-year-old Grove Racing driver delivered a dominant performance to claim his second Supercars victory and fourth podium finish from his last five starts at the venue. Allen controlled the race from the front and successfully held off Waters.

Despite battling flu-like symptoms throughout the weekend, Kostecki produced a determined drive to finish 3rd and complete the podium. Defending champion Chaz Mostert finished 6th ahead of Championship leader Broc Feeney in 7th.

The result had significant championship implications, with Feeney’s advantage over Payne shrinking from 90 points to just 39 points entering Sunday’s finale.

Sunday’s concluding race delivered yet another winner, with Anton De Pasquale returning Chevrolet to victory lane.

The Team 18 driver executed an effective pit strategy to leapfrog rivals and withstand sustained pressure from Payne to secure his second win of the season and third career triumph at Hidden Valley.

Kostecki was ruled out before the race due to illness, with endurance co-driver and 2024 Bathurst 1000 winner Todd Hazelwood stepping into the Dick Johnson Racing Mustang, finishing 12th.

Thomas Randle was also sidelined, prompting former Champion Mark Winterbottom to make a surprise return to the cockpit.

Payne finished 2nd to cap off an excellent weekend, while Waters crossed the line 3rd. Will Brown and Broc Feeney completed the top five, while Mostert’s race ended dramatically with an apparent engine failure in the closing laps, seeing the race finish under yellow flags.

Although he did not win the race, Waters’ consistency on the weekend did enough to secure the Darwin Triple Crown for the first time in his career.

The Repco Supercars Championship heads to Queensland next for the NTI Townsville 500 in July with the Championship lead substantially condensed.

By the end of the Darwin round, Payne had reduced Feeney’s championship lead to just 15 points, reigniting the stakes in the title battle.