Supercars Taupo: Further success for Payne vaults him up to third in the table
Payne lands Jason Richards Memorial trophy with latest Taupo win after brutal opening lap, while Hill breaks Ford's podium stranglehold with runner-up spot
Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT
Photo by: Edge Photographics
Matt Payne took advantage of Grove Racing’s speed and some messy racing from the opposition to take his second Supercars win of the weekend at New Zealand's Taupo Motorsport Park.
Payne emerged from an opening lap skirmish to take the lead and drove to a conventional pit strategy to take his fourth Supercars race win by 3.19 seconds.
In doing so, Payne secured the Jason Richards Memorial trophy, named for the popular NZ-born driver who was taken by cancer in December 2011.
“It's pretty special, I'm lost for words, really,” said Payne, 22.
“I managed to get the lead early on, I knew I had to do that. I think we took a bit of a step backwards [in qualifying] but we worked hard for those couple of hours and it worked.”
Podium: Race winner Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT, second place Cameron Hill, Matt Stone Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, third place Chaz Mostert, Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang GT
Photo by: Edge Photographics
Second was a strong result for Matt Stone Racing's Cam Hill, whose Chevrolet Camaro actually took the lead (from fourth on the grid) on the opening lap when Anton de Pasquale ran wide at the opening corner in the Team 18 Chevrolet, and then again after the Fords of polesitter Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) and Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United) indulged in some panel rubbing.
For the second time in 24 hours, Kostecki had to nurse his Mustang to the flag after suffering damage from contact, dropping him from third to fourth, losing that place to his Saturday nemesis, Chaz Mostert (WAU).
It was a tough Sunday for Triple 8 Racing. Will Brown started 12th and, when stuck in traffic, took the opportunity to make an early stop on lap 12. On a clear track, he made the subsequent undercut work, making his way to eighth at the flag.
Even worse off prior to the race was team-mate Broc Feeney. He was all at sea in qualifying and started from 20th, the car looking evil on the patchwork track surface. But he surged through the pack in the race, nearly taking sixth from Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing) on the last of the 61 laps.
Likewise Tickford Racing's Cam Waters made strides from a lowly 18th grid spot until delayed by a stubborn front-left wheel at his second stop. He soldiered on to finish 12th at the end of the race.
As a result, Brown leaves New Zealand with an extended points lead, on 651 to Waters on 617. Payne vaults to third on 605 ahead of Feeney.
The Supercars now set sail on the return leg to Australia, to race at Symmons Plains in Tasmania on 9-11 May.
Race 3 result:
|
1
-
2
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cla | Driver | Car | Laps | Time | Interval | Retirement | Points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 |
M. Payne
Penrite Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
1:31'45.508 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 |
C. Hill
Tyrepower Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+3.194 1:31'48.702 |
3.194 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 |
C. Mostert
Mobil 1 Optus Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+8.288 1:31'53.796 |
5.094 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 |
B. Kostecki
Dick Johnson Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+9.741 1:31'55.249 |
1.453 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 |
T. Randle
Monster Castrol Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+13.782 1:31'59.290 |
4.041 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 |
A. Heimgartner
R&J Batteries Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+15.515 1:32'01.023 |
1.733 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 |
B. Feeney
Red Bull Ampol Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+15.732 1:32'01.240 |
0.217 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 |
W. Brown
Red Bull Ampol Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+22.146 1:32'07.654 |
6.414 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 |
W. Davison
Dick Johnson Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+25.458 1:32'10.966 |
3.312 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 |
J. Golding
PremiAir Nulon Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+26.900 1:32'12.408 |
1.442 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 |
R. Wood
Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+28.442 1:32'13.950 |
1.542 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 |
C. Waters
Monster Castrol Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+28.666 1:32'14.174 |
0.224 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 |
R. Stanaway
PremiAir Nulon Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+29.205 1:32'14.713 |
0.539 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 |
J. Evans
SCT Motorsport
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+32.759 1:32'18.267 |
3.554 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 |
J. Le Brocq
Erebus Motorsport Penrite
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+36.758 1:32'22.266 |
3.999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 |
A. De Pasquale
DEWALT Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+37.510 1:32'23.018 |
0.752 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 |
D. Reynolds
Tradie Beer Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+38.357 1:32'23.865 |
0.847 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 |
K. Allen
Penrite Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+48.159 1:32'33.667 |
9.802 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 |
M. Jones
Pizza Hut Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+1'00.664 1:32'46.172 |
12.505 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 |
J. Courtney
Snowy River Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+1'03.472 1:32'48.980 |
2.808 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 |
A. Cameron
Brad Jones Racing
|
Ford Mustang S650 | 61 |
+1'08.994 1:32'54.502 |
5.522 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 |
C. Murray
Erebus Motorsport Penrite
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+1'10.151 1:32'55.659 |
1.157 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 |
N. Percat
Bendix Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+1'21.298 1:33'06.806 |
11.147 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24 |
B. Fullwood
Middy's Racing
|
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Gen3 | 61 |
+1'22.749 1:33'08.257 |
1.451 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| View full results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Share Or Save This Story
Supercars Adelaide: Matt Payne wins finale as Chaz Mostert takes title
Supercars Taupo: Ford drivers lock out opening two podiums
Tander, Reynolds paired for Bathurst 1000
How Grove Racing got its second rising Supercars star
Reynolds blindsided by Bathurst penalty
Grove Racing confirms Stanaway signing
Four NASCAR Cup car chiefs ejected after multiple Las Vegas inspection failures
“Probably the toughest rally ever”: Thierry Neuville as brutal Safari wreaks havoc
Alex Albon: Williams "cannot hide" behind F1 2026 car weight
Grand Prix of Arlington the “new standard” for IndyCar
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments