Latest news with #MattPayne
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Broc Feeney turns the table on rivals to win the Perth Super 440 to extend his championship lead
Australia's Broc Feeney turned the tables on his young New Zealand title rival Matt Payne to win Sunday's feature race at the Perth Super 440 and extend his lead in the 2025 Supercars championship. Four weeks after Payne held off Feeney in a drag finish to the chequered flag to win at Symmons Plains in Tasmania, the pair traded places after an incredible finish to the 200km main race at Wanneroo Raceway. This time, the 22-year-old Feeney got his Chevrolet Camaro across the line first by half a second to remain on track to become the second youngest driver to win the Supercars title. There's still a long way to go, of course, and with a new format in place this season, no-one is taking anything for granted but so far, Feeney has established himself as the one to beat. 'I just executed the start and just sort of managed the race in those first two stints,' Feeney told Fox Sports. 'It was probably going to be pretty smooth sailing home (but) with the pit stops and the safety car and Matt was super quick at the end there. 'I was a bit worried in the sprint shoot out at the end. He got one off on me last one so it's good to get one back on him this time.' Following on from his victory in Saturday's second 120km sprint, Feeney has already won five races this season to stretch his lead in the championship standings to 72 points over his Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate Will Brown. Payne, a 22-year-old rising Kiwi star, is currently in third spot, 123 behind Feeney. Starting from pole position, Feeney made a brilliant launch when the lights went out to take immediate control of the 16th race of the season. The only times he relinquished the lead in the 83-lap event was when he made his two mandatory pit stops but the introduction of a safety car, when Cooper Murray came to a halt because of a mechanical problem, set the stage for a nail biting 14-lap sprint to the end. The lead that Feeney had built up was instantly wiped away as the field came together for the hectic dash to the finish, but he held his nerve to seal the win and celebrate in style. 'I didn't have much left in the end. My rears were pretty cooked,' Feeney said. 'I finally did a good burnout, so hopefully it was all right for the crowd. I was practising with the (NRL) Bulldogs earlier this week, doing burnouts on grass, so it was good to finally let one rip.' Payne got a lucky break when the race was yellow flagged because it enabled him to make a cheap pit stop and jump to second spot. 'I'd never given up, absolutely not. When I saw the car that was stopped down at turn six, I thought, oh my God, we've actually got a real chance. And then I came out and I was behind Broc and I thought no way we're in second,' Payne said. 'I had already accepted 11th or 12th place was going to be where we were going to finish so it's tricky, very tricky but very, very lucky. 'I just wanted to keep pounding Broc there at the end. I was trying everything I could. but we just didn't quite have the car underneath us. 'We stayed close, but we fought right to the end, but I'm just really happy to be standing on the podium.' A tearful James Courtney also benefited from the safety car to finish third and secure his first podium in two years. 'I'm not going to lie, I did cry on the in-lap,' Courtney said. 'It's been a tough 18 months for these guys putting in so much work and to be able to finally repay them with the results has been amazing.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Broc Feeney takes second victory from Supercars Wanneroo round
Broc Feeney has taken a dominant win in the third and final Supercars race at Wanneroo Raceway near Perth, in Western Australia. The Triple Eight Chevrolet driver took pole position by an emphatic 0.20s, sprinted away on the opening lap and, after a late-race scare, went on to take a narrow 0.5671s victory over the 83-lap journey on the Soft Dunlop control tyre. Advertisement Second place was a reward for Matt Payne, who started fourth and ran in touch with the leaders until his first pitstop, when a fuel-flow problem delayed him. But Payne was saved by a late-race safety car, allowing him to pit under yellow, vault up through the order and chase Feeney all the way to the flag. If second came as a surprise to anyone watching mid-race, third place was a complete shock. James Courtney started 13th in the Blanchard Racing Team Ford and stayed in the mid-pack for the opening part of the race. But when the safety car appeared, he followed Payne into the pitlane and vaulted all the way up to fourth, which became third when he picked off Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United). 'The key was the start,' Feeney said. 'To manage the pace in those two stints, it was a matter of getting it home. Broc Feeney, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Broc Feeney, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Edge Photographics Edge Photographics Advertisement 'I've had three of the best starts of my life this weekend but from the second row, there's not much you can do! The car has been awesome and the pitstops this weekend have been second to none.' Payne was on a fuel-saving mission after not enough fuel went into the Grove Racing Ford at his opening pitstop. 'It's really hard to fuel save that much,' he admitted. 'I couldn't believe it when I saw the car stopped at Turn 6. I came out behind Broc and thought, no way am I second! I had already accepted that that was where we were going to finish.' Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT Edge Photographics Edge Photographics Advertisement After the maiden podium finish for BRT, veteran Courtney, who will retire at the end of the season, was an emotional man. 'It's been a tough 18 months for these guys, who have put in so much work,' he said, after his 45th Supercars race in Perth. 'Qualifying was tough for us. I was crying in the car like a little kid. There was a bit of hustle at the restart, and I managed to gap those guys [behind].' Cam Waters took fourth place in the Tickford Racing Mustang after being in the wars mid-race, and Will Brown gained ground late in the race to take fifth place, in spite of dealing with a fuel pressure problem. Advertisement The defending champion finished ahead of WAU's Chaz Mostert, who started from 14th on the grid and moved up steadily. His cause was aided when James Golding (PremiAir Racing Chevrolet) carted Wood off the road at Turn 4. Up to that point Wood had driven a heady race, moving from seventh on the grid to fourth in the opening 10 laps and finding a way past Waters on lap 41. As a result Feeney has extended his championship points lead over Brown, 1181-1109. Payne maintains third place on 1058 ahead of Waters (1028) and Mostert (877). Tickford Racing's Thomas Randle is sixth on 773. The Supercars drivers and teams will return to the track in two weeks, at Hidden Valley near Darwin, for the second of the series' four winter rounds, on 20-22 June. To read more articles visit our website.
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Practice makes perfect as Payne pips Supercars rivals
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.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Supercars, Perth: Matt Payne fastest through practice sessions
Just like the Socceroos did the night before, rising New Zealand star Matt Payne timed his run to perfection to jump to the top of the timesheets during Friday's two wild practice sessions for the Perth Super 440. Following on from his blistering finish to win the last Supercars race in Tasmania four weeks ago, the 22-year-old Kiwi uncorked another sizzling lap in his Penrite Ford Mustang to leapfrog his rivals and send them a clear message that he means business. 'Credit to the guys. They did an awesome job,' Payne said. 'I know we've got the best crew here. 'We're working our (backsides) off to get this thing fast and thankfully we did. It's pretty cool. Press on for tomorrow.' After finishing 16th in the first practice session then getting caught in traffic behind David Reynolds approaching the end of the second hitout, Payne calmly resettled himself for one more shot just before the chequered flag was waved. Driving flat to the boards, Payne nailed it and lapped the Wanneroo Raceway in 54.3903 seconds, setting the stage for an epic finish to a mammoth week in Perth after the Socceroos' thrilling win over Japan that all but secured Australia's place at next year's FIFA World Cup. 'It's just part of our session, I knew we were going to get a little bit baulked by Reynolds there, so I just backed out of it and went again,' Payne said. 'Everyone stayed cool, and it's a really, really awesome turnaround from practice 1, which wasn't ideal for us rolling out of the truck the way we did. 'It's a real credit to the guys to get it tuned up and get it to the front for practice 2.' Anton De Pasquale was second quickest, just 0.0856s behind Payne, with Thomas Randle third, just ahead of current championship leader Broc Feeney, who released a video of himself behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro competing in a tug-o-war with NRL and NRLW stars from the Bulldogs. With qualifying set to take place on Saturday then three races split over the weekend, no-one is taking anything for granted with the top seven cars all from different teams. Sitting third on the championship standings after winning three of the last six races, Payne was feeling upbeat about his rapid turnaround but was also wary about reading too much into the results. 'It's tough. It's only two 30 minute practice sessions so you got to squeeze everything you can in,' he said. 'We did a really good job of just going through what we did in practice 1. We tried a lot so yeah credit to the guys, they did an awesome job.' The second session was red flagged when Lochie Dalton spun into the sand and almost rolled his car, while a lot of drivers complained about blistering on their super soft tyres on a track known for wearing out the rubber. Another Kiwi, Jaxon Evans set the pace in the opening practice session after benefiting from a rule giving new drivers an extra set of tyres. 'It's really nice to finish the session on top, the first time I've done it in Supercars,' he said. 'Being my second year in the championship, I get an extra set of tyres, so we obviously put them to good use. 'It's just nice to know that the car is fast and I hope we can continue that way for the rest of the weekend.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Payne on Kiwi roots & Garth partnership
Supercars: Matt Payne reflects on growing up watching Kiwi greats Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin, and looks ahead to teaming up with veteran Garth Tander for the enduros.
