Practice makes perfect as Payne pips Supercars rivals

06-06-2025

Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth.
The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday.
He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session.
Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint.
"We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said.
"Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship.
"We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything."
Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest.
Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022.
"When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said.
The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn.
Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one.
He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray.
Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres.
He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest.
Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time.
"It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said.
Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth.
Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand.
Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm.
Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth.
The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday.
He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session.
Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint.
"We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said.
"Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship.
"We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything."
Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest.
Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022.
"When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said.
The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn.
Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one.
He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray.
Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres.
He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest.
Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time.
"It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said.
Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth.
Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand.
Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm.
Supercars youngster Matt Payne saved his best for last to top the final practice session in Perth.
The Grove Racing driver set a lap time of 54.390 seconds in a last-gasp effort to top the time sheet at Wanneroo Raceway on Friday.
He pipped Team 18's Anton De Pasquale by 0.085 seconds with the final lap of the 30-minute session.
Payne will be looking to back up his race win in Tasmania, having moved into third in the series after denying championship leader Broc Feeney by 0.0550 seconds in the final sprint.
"We've made huge gains with our car," Payne said.
"Last year we were just too inconsistent to be fighting for the championship.
"We've really tried to, coming into this week, up the prep and just make sure we're across everything."
Thomas Randle, rewarded by Tickford with a two-year deal earlier in the week, was third fastest.
Randle is still chasing his first career win, having joined Supercars full-time in 2022.
"When will that happen? Hopefully, this weekend," Randle said.
The red flag was brought out after 13 minutes on Friday when Tickford wildcard Lochie Dalton got stuck in the gravel at the first turn.
Dalton's Mustang nearly rolled on to its side when the Super2 driver locked his rears going into turn one.
He avoided any damage and was able to rejoin the fray.
Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans was fastest in the opening practice session, clocking 55.086 seconds after putting on new soft tyres.
He was 0.359 seconds quicker than fellow sophomore driver Ryan Wood, with Feeney third fastest.
Rookies and drivers in their second year are allotted an extra set of tyres for practice, allowing Evans to post his time.
"It's really nice to finish the session on top. It's the first time I've done it in Supercars," Evans said.
Triple Eight ace Feeney is out to extend his 33-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown, eyeing a clean sweep of the three sprint races in Perth.
Meanwhile, Walkinshaw Andretti United's Wood will hope to break through for a maiden career win after finishing on the podium for the first time in New Zealand.
Drivers return to the track for back-to-back qualifying sessions at 11.45am (AEST) on Saturday before Race 14 of the season at 2.55pm.

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Toyota Supra dead in Australia, will live on in Supercars

The Advertiser

2 days ago

The Advertiser

Toyota Supra dead in Australia, will live on in Supercars

Customer orders for the current Toyota GR Supra will close later this month in Australia, before the current-generation sports coupe is axed. However, Toyota has indicated that the GR Supra nameplate will live on beyond 2026. The move will see the outgoing GR Supra join the Chevrolet Camaro as another vehicle being raced in Supercars that can't be purchased by customers. Only the Ford Mustang will have a corresponding road car on sale. "The GR Supra already had a sterling legacy when the current generation launched in 2019, and we're pleased to say it has exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors," said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "Its pulse-raising performance, sleek coupe design and thrilling dynamics helped raise the profile of our GR portfolio, helping to pave the way for other exciting models like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. "While customers will no longer be able to purchase their own GR Supra by the end of August, fans of the GR Supra will be able to follow its story when it lines up on the Supercars Championship grid in 2026 and beyond." The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, given reports from last year that the Supra and its BMW Z4 platform-mate would exit production in Austria before 2027. Toyota Australia explained the decision to use a vehicle in its twilight years for Supercars racing, arguing it was an "iconic nameplate" and it was easy to drop a V8 into it and take it racing. Above: GR Supra Track Edition And Mr Hanley has previously told CarExpert "there is no plan to discontinue the Supra brand in this car company", suggesting a sixth generation is coming. The current fifth-generation Supra was launched in Australia in 2019, marking the first time Toyota's flagship sports car had been offered locally since the last third-generation example reached customers in 1993. We missed out on the sought-after fourth-generation model. Unlike past Supras, the fifth-generation vehicle shared its platform and powertrain with a BMW. While the current Supra is shuffling off, Toyota is rumoured to have plenty planned in the sports car space with persistent rumours out of Japan of a revived MR2 and Celica, as well as a Supra replacement that could use a hybrid powertrain and spawn a Lexus cousin. Above: GR Supra Final Edition Toyota is closing out the Supra on a high, having launched the Track Edition earlier this year. This flagship variant features retuned steering and suspension as well as various aesthetic upgrades, though there's no extra power under the bonnet. Overseas, Toyota has also offered an even hotter Final Edition, which not only features upgraded suspension and styling but also more power. This send-off produces 320kW of power and 570Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six, up 35kW and 70Nm on Australian-market Supras including the Track Edition. The GR Supra may be gone – at least for now – but Toyota still has a raft of Gazoo Racing-branded vehicles, including the smaller and also rear-wheel drive GR86 coupe, plus the turbocharged three-cylinder, all-wheel drive GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches. The demise of Toyota's flagship sports coupe, however, leaves the Nissan Z without any other rivals from Japanese brands – a far cry from the glory days of the 1990s when even Mazda and Mitsubishi had sultry sports coupes in this segment. MORE: Explore the Toyota Supra showroom Content originally sourced from: Customer orders for the current Toyota GR Supra will close later this month in Australia, before the current-generation sports coupe is axed. However, Toyota has indicated that the GR Supra nameplate will live on beyond 2026. The move will see the outgoing GR Supra join the Chevrolet Camaro as another vehicle being raced in Supercars that can't be purchased by customers. Only the Ford Mustang will have a corresponding road car on sale. "The GR Supra already had a sterling legacy when the current generation launched in 2019, and we're pleased to say it has exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors," said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "Its pulse-raising performance, sleek coupe design and thrilling dynamics helped raise the profile of our GR portfolio, helping to pave the way for other exciting models like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. "While customers will no longer be able to purchase their own GR Supra by the end of August, fans of the GR Supra will be able to follow its story when it lines up on the Supercars Championship grid in 2026 and beyond." The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, given reports from last year that the Supra and its BMW Z4 platform-mate would exit production in Austria before 2027. Toyota Australia explained the decision to use a vehicle in its twilight years for Supercars racing, arguing it was an "iconic nameplate" and it was easy to drop a V8 into it and take it racing. Above: GR Supra Track Edition And Mr Hanley has previously told CarExpert "there is no plan to discontinue the Supra brand in this car company", suggesting a sixth generation is coming. The current fifth-generation Supra was launched in Australia in 2019, marking the first time Toyota's flagship sports car had been offered locally since the last third-generation example reached customers in 1993. We missed out on the sought-after fourth-generation model. Unlike past Supras, the fifth-generation vehicle shared its platform and powertrain with a BMW. While the current Supra is shuffling off, Toyota is rumoured to have plenty planned in the sports car space with persistent rumours out of Japan of a revived MR2 and Celica, as well as a Supra replacement that could use a hybrid powertrain and spawn a Lexus cousin. Above: GR Supra Final Edition Toyota is closing out the Supra on a high, having launched the Track Edition earlier this year. This flagship variant features retuned steering and suspension as well as various aesthetic upgrades, though there's no extra power under the bonnet. Overseas, Toyota has also offered an even hotter Final Edition, which not only features upgraded suspension and styling but also more power. This send-off produces 320kW of power and 570Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six, up 35kW and 70Nm on Australian-market Supras including the Track Edition. The GR Supra may be gone – at least for now – but Toyota still has a raft of Gazoo Racing-branded vehicles, including the smaller and also rear-wheel drive GR86 coupe, plus the turbocharged three-cylinder, all-wheel drive GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches. The demise of Toyota's flagship sports coupe, however, leaves the Nissan Z without any other rivals from Japanese brands – a far cry from the glory days of the 1990s when even Mazda and Mitsubishi had sultry sports coupes in this segment. MORE: Explore the Toyota Supra showroom Content originally sourced from: Customer orders for the current Toyota GR Supra will close later this month in Australia, before the current-generation sports coupe is axed. However, Toyota has indicated that the GR Supra nameplate will live on beyond 2026. The move will see the outgoing GR Supra join the Chevrolet Camaro as another vehicle being raced in Supercars that can't be purchased by customers. Only the Ford Mustang will have a corresponding road car on sale. "The GR Supra already had a sterling legacy when the current generation launched in 2019, and we're pleased to say it has exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors," said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "Its pulse-raising performance, sleek coupe design and thrilling dynamics helped raise the profile of our GR portfolio, helping to pave the way for other exciting models like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. "While customers will no longer be able to purchase their own GR Supra by the end of August, fans of the GR Supra will be able to follow its story when it lines up on the Supercars Championship grid in 2026 and beyond." The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, given reports from last year that the Supra and its BMW Z4 platform-mate would exit production in Austria before 2027. Toyota Australia explained the decision to use a vehicle in its twilight years for Supercars racing, arguing it was an "iconic nameplate" and it was easy to drop a V8 into it and take it racing. Above: GR Supra Track Edition And Mr Hanley has previously told CarExpert "there is no plan to discontinue the Supra brand in this car company", suggesting a sixth generation is coming. The current fifth-generation Supra was launched in Australia in 2019, marking the first time Toyota's flagship sports car had been offered locally since the last third-generation example reached customers in 1993. We missed out on the sought-after fourth-generation model. Unlike past Supras, the fifth-generation vehicle shared its platform and powertrain with a BMW. While the current Supra is shuffling off, Toyota is rumoured to have plenty planned in the sports car space with persistent rumours out of Japan of a revived MR2 and Celica, as well as a Supra replacement that could use a hybrid powertrain and spawn a Lexus cousin. Above: GR Supra Final Edition Toyota is closing out the Supra on a high, having launched the Track Edition earlier this year. This flagship variant features retuned steering and suspension as well as various aesthetic upgrades, though there's no extra power under the bonnet. Overseas, Toyota has also offered an even hotter Final Edition, which not only features upgraded suspension and styling but also more power. This send-off produces 320kW of power and 570Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six, up 35kW and 70Nm on Australian-market Supras including the Track Edition. The GR Supra may be gone – at least for now – but Toyota still has a raft of Gazoo Racing-branded vehicles, including the smaller and also rear-wheel drive GR86 coupe, plus the turbocharged three-cylinder, all-wheel drive GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches. The demise of Toyota's flagship sports coupe, however, leaves the Nissan Z without any other rivals from Japanese brands – a far cry from the glory days of the 1990s when even Mazda and Mitsubishi had sultry sports coupes in this segment. MORE: Explore the Toyota Supra showroom Content originally sourced from: Customer orders for the current Toyota GR Supra will close later this month in Australia, before the current-generation sports coupe is axed. However, Toyota has indicated that the GR Supra nameplate will live on beyond 2026. The move will see the outgoing GR Supra join the Chevrolet Camaro as another vehicle being raced in Supercars that can't be purchased by customers. Only the Ford Mustang will have a corresponding road car on sale. "The GR Supra already had a sterling legacy when the current generation launched in 2019, and we're pleased to say it has exceeded the expectations set by its predecessors," said Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. "Its pulse-raising performance, sleek coupe design and thrilling dynamics helped raise the profile of our GR portfolio, helping to pave the way for other exciting models like the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. "While customers will no longer be able to purchase their own GR Supra by the end of August, fans of the GR Supra will be able to follow its story when it lines up on the Supercars Championship grid in 2026 and beyond." The announcement doesn't come as much of a surprise, given reports from last year that the Supra and its BMW Z4 platform-mate would exit production in Austria before 2027. Toyota Australia explained the decision to use a vehicle in its twilight years for Supercars racing, arguing it was an "iconic nameplate" and it was easy to drop a V8 into it and take it racing. Above: GR Supra Track Edition And Mr Hanley has previously told CarExpert "there is no plan to discontinue the Supra brand in this car company", suggesting a sixth generation is coming. The current fifth-generation Supra was launched in Australia in 2019, marking the first time Toyota's flagship sports car had been offered locally since the last third-generation example reached customers in 1993. We missed out on the sought-after fourth-generation model. Unlike past Supras, the fifth-generation vehicle shared its platform and powertrain with a BMW. While the current Supra is shuffling off, Toyota is rumoured to have plenty planned in the sports car space with persistent rumours out of Japan of a revived MR2 and Celica, as well as a Supra replacement that could use a hybrid powertrain and spawn a Lexus cousin. Above: GR Supra Final Edition Toyota is closing out the Supra on a high, having launched the Track Edition earlier this year. This flagship variant features retuned steering and suspension as well as various aesthetic upgrades, though there's no extra power under the bonnet. Overseas, Toyota has also offered an even hotter Final Edition, which not only features upgraded suspension and styling but also more power. This send-off produces 320kW of power and 570Nm of torque from its turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six, up 35kW and 70Nm on Australian-market Supras including the Track Edition. The GR Supra may be gone – at least for now – but Toyota still has a raft of Gazoo Racing-branded vehicles, including the smaller and also rear-wheel drive GR86 coupe, plus the turbocharged three-cylinder, all-wheel drive GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches. The demise of Toyota's flagship sports coupe, however, leaves the Nissan Z without any other rivals from Japanese brands – a far cry from the glory days of the 1990s when even Mazda and Mitsubishi had sultry sports coupes in this segment. MORE: Explore the Toyota Supra showroom Content originally sourced from: