Rising star Matt Payne has claimed his second career Supercars win in a race overshadowed by a horror showing for series-leading Triple Eight duo Will Brown and Broc Feeney.
Grove Racing’s three-pit strategy proved a winner as Payne’s Mustang blitzed the grid from 10th to finish race 14 a good six seconds ahead of Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters in second.
Payne (1065 points) solidified his position in fourth place in the standings with his first win of a promising season marred by unfortunate crashes.
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Championship benchmark Brown (1515 points) had comparatively had a nearly unblemished 2024 before Sunday’s race.
The 26-year-old was effectively out in the opening lap, bumped into the wall by Team 18’s David Reynolds coming into turn three.
Brown hauled down a podium finish from 13th on the grid on Saturday but was unable to complete another miracle ride with a battered front end, finishing dead last.
Triple Eight teammate Feeney (1437 points) also had issues on lap one, falling outside the top 10 after he too was shunted into the fence.
The young gun recovered to finish seventh, slicing Brown’s series lead to just 78 points.
Waters looked like he would claim his second race win in two days after jumping into first place on the opening straight.
Birthday boy Jack Le Brocq got off to a shocking start from pole and was immediately surpassed by Waters, Thomas Randle and Will Davison.
But on the bumpy Reid Park street circuit, it was Payne who maintained the fastest pace throughout.
He came out of his third pit stop with a five-second lead over Waters, who pitted just twice, and held his lead with fresher tyres.
Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert (1341) rounded out the podium and closed the gap on the Triple Eight pair after he was runner-up on Saturday.
RACE 14 RESULTS:
1. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
2. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing)
3. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
4. Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsports)
5. Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Will Brown – 1515 pts
2. Broc Feeney – 1437 pts
3. Chaz Mostert – 1341 pts
4. Cam Waters – 1126 pts
5. Matt Payne – 1065 pts