Only disaster stands between Scott McLaughlin and Supercars glory.
The 24-year-old Ford star will clinch his maiden Supercars title if he finishes in 11th place or higher in Sunday's second 250km race at the inaugural Newcastle 500.
He has achieved worse results just five times in his 25 races this season, including his failure to finish the Bathurst 1000 which had almost derailed his championship hunt.
That mechanical failure opened the door for six-time champion Jamie Whincup, who entered Saturday's race in Newcastle 30 points ahead, despite winning only three races for the season - his lowest tally since 2006.