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Payne wins at home as pit lane chaos mars Supercars race
Joanna Guelas, AAP • April 12th, 2025 3:25 pm
New Zealand young gun Matt Payne has recorded his first Supercars race win on home soil | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
New Zealand's Matt Payne has claimed the opening Taupo 440 sprint race to kick off Supercars action across the Tasman, joined by compatriot Ryan Wood on the podium.
The Grove Racing driver led from start to finish across the 120km, 37-lap race at Taupo International Motorsport Park to claim his third career win from his third career pole.
Saturday was also the 22-year-old's first win on home soil.
Tickford ace Cam Waters was the beneficiary of pit lane chaos and finished second to leapfrog Will Brown and return to the top of the series standings.
Young Kiwi driver Wood overtook Team 18's Anton De Pasquale in the penultimate lap to finish third, securing his first Supercars podium.
Defending champion Brown pulled off an impressive drive to finish sixth after starting 13th, while Triple Eight teammate Broc Feeney languished in 15th.
Brodie Kostecki, who will start Saturday's second sprint race from pole, was on track for a podium finish after starting in the front row until mayhem ensued during his visit to the garages on lap 11.
Brad Jones Racing driver Macauley Jones had brought out the safety car when his Chevrolet Camaro came to a sudden halt with an engine issue, gifting his rivals an opportunistic visit to pit lane.
Kostecki dropped to seventh following a slow pit stop as Matt Stone Racing driver Cam Hill, trying to avoid making contact with another car in the commotion, sent a rogue wheel flying on pit exit.
Fellow Dick Johnson Racing driver Will Davison also came off worse from the garages, dropping from fourth to 16th after getting stuck in the exit queue.
In the end, Kostecki finished 12th after copping a 15-second penalty for nudging Waters' Tickford teammate Thomas Randle off track, with Davison 10th.
Randle was also slapped with a 15-second penalty for a similar action, having sent Walkinshaw Andretti United star Chaz Mostert into a slow spin into the dirt on the fifth lap.
Mostert finished 13th after starting sixth, while Randle crossed the finish line in 22nd out of the 24 cars.
The Supercars grid, led by Kostecki and Mostert on the front row, will return to the track at 4.05pm (NZST) for race nine of the season.
