"Our Best Round Ever" — Crooke Reflects on a Stunning 2025 Winton Finale
The 2025 ADC season concluded at Winton Motor Raceway in what Hyper Racer director Dean Crooke described as the most competitive round in the championship's history.
When Dean Crooke says something is the best he's ever seen, it carries weight. He has been at every ADC round since 2024. He knows exactly what a great race looks like. And his verdict on the 2025 season finale at Winton Motor Raceway was unambiguous.
"The last round of 2025 I thought was probably our best round ever," Crooke said. "The whole field's doing such a good job. If a top driver is having an off weekend, they are outside the top 10."
Winton is a circuit that consistently produces good ADC racing. Its combination of tight, technical sections and a long back straight creates multiple overtaking opportunities, while the relatively short lap means drivers are never far from the action. A close qualifying session tends to produce a close race — and in November 2025, qualifying was very close indeed.
The championship had already been decided in Sterling's favour by the time the field arrived at Winton, but that took nothing away from the intensity of the racing. With the title off the table, multiple drivers were racing for pride, for ranking, and for the kind of form that would determine their status heading into 2026 contract discussions.
The 2025 finale was watched on SBS, Fox Sports and Kayo as part of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series television package — the broadest audience the ADC has ever had for a season-closing event. For the many who tuned in not knowing what the championship was, Crooke's "best round ever" assessment probably made a lot of new fans.