In a short action-packed sprint race, Matthew Payne has finished as the lead Kiwi in third position, while Ryan Wood came home in eighth after an early strategy gamble, with Andre Heimgartner in eleventh after a tougher qualifying session.
It was a great start from pole sitter Brodie Kostecki and Cam Waters, who managed to build a gap at the front on lap one. Payne fell back to fourth on the edge of the front pack, while Wood went defensive early while battling Kai Allen.
Allen managed to get past Wood on lap four, while the front four closed up as Kostecki started to block from Waters, who held the fastest lap. Heimgartner managed to get past Ojeda as the Premiair driver fell backwards, promoting the Kiwi to ninth.
Walkinshaw TWG Racing decided to roll the dice and get Wood out of the traffic by bringing him in for right-side tyres on lap seven. Anton De Pasquale headed into the lane for tyres, promoting Payne to third.
Payne seized the fastest lap on lap eight while Kostecki headed into the lane for tyres. Both Payne and Heimgartner chose to extend their stints out, with Waters out front still lapping quicker than net leader Kostecki.
The race quietened down as it became a waiting game to see who would emerge out in front after Waters and Payne stopped.
Broc Feeney went sight-seeing out of the first corner on lap twenty after pitting into the lane, making his bad race turn worse. Waters finally headed into the lane at the same time, passing the lead to Payne.
Wood sat in a net fourth out of drivers that had pitted, with Heimgartner coming in on lap twenty-one and Payne following him in a lap later.
Payne exited the lane right in the thick of the battle, after a slow right front tyre left him down in ninth. However, with a fresher tyre, Waters and Payne could focus on moving forward.
With ten laps to go Payne led the Kiwi trio in fifth, with Wood in sixth and Heimgartner in fifteenth. De Pasquale had to defend for his life as both Grove cars pressured the Team 18 driver, with Allen and Payne slingshotting past him into Turn 1.
Kostecki did not resist the fast-paced cars of Waters, Allen, and Payne as they all got past after a late pit stop.
Allen and Payne worked together in a absolute overtaking masterclass to climb through the field, putting on multiple tandem overtakes, providing thrilling action.
However, it wasn’t over yet as a safety car came out as David Reynolds beached himself on lap six, but was able to get the car back going.
Reynolds’ quick re-emergence from the sand left a one-lap shootout with Waters in the lead, being chased by the two Grove cars. Wood had been passed by his teammate and was in eighth, with Heimgartner in thirteenth.
However, Waters was able to keep his cool to take his first victory in 2026, ahead of Allen, and Payne.
Kostecki was able to come home in fourth, with Wood finishing in eighth, and Heimgartner moving up to eleventh.
Feeney’s tough race ended in a fourteenth position finish, allowing Payne to close to less than sixty points behind in the Repco Sprint Cup,.
Supercars will be back on track at 1:15pm NZST with Boost Mobile Qualifying for Race 18, before the top-ten shootout at 2:00pm.
