Payne powers to Taupō win, Waters retakes points lead

Matt Payne scored his first win of the 2025 season with a masterful drive in the ITM Taupō Super 440 opener, the Penrite Racing driver holding off Ford rival Cam Waters.

Payne denied a racy Brodie Kostecki in the first stint before driving away from Waters, who reclaimed the points lead from reigning champion Will Brown.

With the victory, Payne became just the fifth New Zealander to win a Supercars race on home soil, joining Greg Murphy, Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin and Andre Heimgartner.

Payne scooped all 85 points on offer with the fastest lap, with Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood getting past defending Jason Richards Memorial Trophy winner Anton De Pasquale for the final spot on the podium.

Payne became the fifth different winner in seven races this season, with Brown racing from 13th to fifth. Payne's teammate Kai Allen also stunned with a charge from 22nd to seventh, with Kostecki and Cameron Hill penalised over separate incidents.

"It's pretty special here today, we had a good qualifying, and I knew we had really good speed for the race," said Payne, who won his first race since Townsville last July.

"I just needed to get the start, and we did that, we were really good in the first stint, and then I saw there was a potential Safety Car with the Wendy's car.

"I was sort of hoping that it wasn't going to be, and then I got a bit scared because I was out there by myself when everyone else pitted and I thought, "Oh no, this could just happen.'

"It's just insane, seeing the crowd on the in-lap, everyone is clapping here. The Penrite Ford Mustang is pretty quick today, let's see what we've got in the next one."

After the lights went out, Payne and Kostecki ran line astern to Turn 1, with the pole-sitter hanging tough around Turn 2 to keep the lead.

Behind them, Hill and Cooper Murray collided at Turn 7, with the latter surfing through the gravel. Murray dropped to last, with Hill hit with a 15-second penalty.

As Payne began to open up a margin, Wood muscled past Will Davison to regain fourth, with Waters ahead in third. Behind them, on lap 5, Randle went down the inside of De Pasquale, only to tip Chaz Mostert into a spin.

As Mostert spun into the infield, De Pasquale and Thomas Randle interlocked wheels, sending the former into the air. It helped Brown and Broc Feeney move to 10th and 11th, with Mostert rejoining in 20th.

Waters caught Kostecki by the time Percat kicked off the pit cycle at the end of lap 8, with Payne's lead breaching one second. On lap 10, Jones pulled over on the run to Turn 2, triggering the first bp charge Safety Car and chaos in pit lane.

Payne, De Pasquale, Randle and James Golding stayed out, while Davison and Feeney were forced to stack behind their respective teammates. Wood jumped Kostecki as the latter was held for Jack Le Brocq, who was a big winner through the cycle along with De Pasquale.

With all stops complete, Payne retained the lead ahead of Waters, with De Pasquale and Le Brocq third and fourth. Wood, Randle, Kostecki, Brown, Hill and Golding rounded out the top 10, but Randle and Hill were still carrying their 15-second penalties. Davison and Feeney, meanwhile, plummeted to 16th and 18th, ahead of Mostert.

Payne led the field to green on lap 16, and Wood immediately got by Randle through Turn 1. After Waters began to apply pressure to the rear of the #19 Penrite Ford, Payne again opened up a margin as De Pasquale and Le Brocq fought over third.

With 15 laps to go, Kostecki launched an attack on Randle, inviting Brown into play. Contact sent Randle into the outfield and down to 23rd and last of the runners, with Brown moving from eighth to sixth. Kostecki was hit with a 15-second penalty over the incident.

Brown caught Le Brocq for fourth as the broadcast cut to Murray spinning off at Turn 9. Replays showed Murray fighting past James Courtney, only to spear off to driver's left. The Erebus rookie rejoined the race, albeit in 23rd.

It mattered little to Payne, who raced away to a third Supercars win to the tune of 4.1020s. Waters, Wood and De Pasquale rounded out the top four, with Brown fifth. Kostecki, Hill and Randle were reclassified in 12th, 14th and 22nd.

Allen, Heimgartner, Golding and Davison rounded out the top 10, with Feeney unable to make an impressive through the biff and barge in 15th.

Waters leads Brown by 10 points heading into Race 9, with Feeney 91 points back. Payne, De Pasquale and Kostecki moved up in the championship, with Mostert falling from fourth to seventh.

Race 9, which will be held on the Super Soft tyre, will commence at 4:05pm NZST/2:05pm AEST.