Payne 'really hungry' to shake off 2024 Taupō demons

Last April, Matt Payne loomed as New Zealand's best hope to make it back-to-back Kiwi wins in the very first Supercars round in Taupō, after receiving the pole cheque from hero Greg Murphy.

By day's end, he was 17 seconds from victory after failing to make his tyres last, and didn't even get to take home a trophy.

Come 2025, and the Penrite Racing driver is determined to make it count on his second visit to New Zealand as a Supercars driver, having had a taste of what could have been last year.

The 22-year-old will arrive on home soil sixth in the drivers' championship, one position better off than he was this time last year.

Remarkably, despite missing out on poles and podiums, Payne has the second best qualifying average (6.57) and sixth best race average (7.5) through the first two rounds.

“Getting the cheque from Greg was really cool,” Payne told Supercars.com.

“To have my family standing on the garages above was really cool as well. So yeah, super special moment.

"We weren't quite able to get it done in the race. Just didn't quite have the tyre life we needed, so that was a bit of a shame really to miss out on a podium and get fourth.

“Really, really hungry to get back there this year and try and get on the top step."

Payne is one of five Kiwis, along with former teammate Richie Stanaway, Andre Heimgartner, Ryan Wood and Jaxon Evans looking to join Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin as New Zealand-born winners of the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

If Payne or Wood get up, they would become the youngest Richards Trophy winner, beating then 25-year-old McLaughlin's marker set in 2018.

"[Richards] was such a historic guy. Did a lot for the sport,” Payne said.

“It would be a huge achievement for one of us to get it done. But, three races we gotta get through first. So, it's gonna be tough, but we'll give it our best shot."

Tickets for the ITM Taupō Super 440, on April 11-13, are on sale now.