Matt Payne claimed a hard-fought second place in an eventful Race 16 of the 2025 Supercars Championship at Wanneroo Raceway, surviving a chaotic afternoon of strategy twists, pit stop dramas and a late-race safety car that reshaped the pecking order more than once.
While Payne left Perth with a podium and more valuable championship points, fellow Kiwis Ryan Wood, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans, and Richie Stanaway all experienced a rollercoaster day in the 200km finale of the Perth Super440.
The front row was owned by Cameron Waters and Broc Feeney, with Payne starting just behind in fourth alongside championship leader Will Brown.
Wood lined up seventh, while Stanaway, Heimgartner and Evans were all buried further back after difficult qualifying sessions, Heimgartner receiving a grid penalty, Evans pinged for a kerb strike, and Stanaway struggling to hook up a clean lap.
In a shock turn of events, Cameron Hill was left stranded on the grid with an alternator issue as the field set off for their formation lap. Hill requiring to be pushed back to the pits and into the garage where the Matt Stone Racing team diagnosed the issue and began repairing the car in an effort to get Hill back out on track.
As the lights went out, Feeney launched superbly to take the lead from Waters into Turn 1. Payne slotted into third and immediately latched onto the leading duo, while Wood settled into sixth after a fierce scrap with Will Brown and James Golding, one that saw him briefly forced into the grass.
Behind them, Heimgartner and Stanaway were on the move early, both gaining spots within the opening laps, while Evans also began making steady progress from the back of the grid.
By Lap 6, Heimgartner had jumped six spots to 18th, showing pace in clean air. Meanwhile, Wood was locked in a tight three-way battle with Brown and Golding, eventually muscling his way past Golding with a bold move at Turn 7 to move into fourth.
In a great team effort, Hill rejoined the race, albeit 7 laps down.
Up front, Payne continued to apply pressure to Waters, and as the lead trio edged away, it became clear strategy would play a key role.
The first round of pit stops began around Lap 14, with Payne among the early takers on Lap 19. He came in hoping to undercut Waters and Feeney but suffered a slight delay with his right rear, rejoining behind Chaz Mostert and just outside the top 20. Still, the undercut helped by the time the rest of the leaders had pitted; he had gained track position over several key rivals.
Wood pitted on Lap 26 and made up ground on the overcut, jumping back into the effective top five. He rejoined just behind Waters, who came out on cold tyres and wasted no time passing the Tickford driver with another aggressive lunge at Turn 7, replicating the move he’d used earlier on Golding.
At this stage, Wood was up to second and chasing race leader Feeney, closing the gap down to under two seconds.
Meanwhile, Heimgartner’s charge continued, up to 13th by Lap 48 and still showing a strong race pace. Payne, now in the effective top 10, dropped a few places after being passed by David Reynolds, Thomas Randle and Brodie Kostecki but was still in the hunt.
Stanaway hovered in the mid-pack around 18th, and Evans, having been pushed off at Turn 6 by Aaron Cameron, had fallen to the rear.
Cameron was handed a 15-second penalty for the contact.
The pivotal moment came with 19 laps to go when Cooper Murray’s car broke down and stopped at the entry of Turn 6, triggering a safety car.
With nearly everyone needing to make their second compulsory stop, the timing of the safety car blew the strategy wide open. Payne, Evans, and Courtney all benefited from ‘cheap’ pit stops, rejoining ahead of rivals who had pitted a lap or two earlier under green.
For Wood, it was cruel timing; he had stopped just before the yellow.
The race resumed with 14 laps remaining, and the gloves came off immediately. Courtney made a move on Wood, then Waters pounced, followed by Golding, the trio mugging Wood for three positions in less than a lap.
Now back in sixth, Wood was trying to recover when Golding, defending into Turn 6, made a mistake, went wide, and then turned in on Wood as the Kiwi attempted to capitalise.
The contact sent both cars off the track. Golding sustained broken steering and limped back to the pits while Wood’s race was over. Golding would later be handed a drive-through penalty and was classified 22nd, six laps down.
Feeney had Payne right on his bumper after the restart, but despite Payne’s tyre advantage, the Triple Eight driver held firm to take the win, his second of the weekend.
Payne settled for second, having made the most of the late safety car and smart strategy from the Grove Racing team. It marked another important haul of points for Payne, who continues to hold third in the standings.
Courtney’s charge to third was one of the surprises of the day, giving Blanchard Racing their first-ever Supercars podium and the veteran’s first since Perth two years ago. Waters and Brown completed the top five, with Mostert fighting back from 14th on the grid to finish sixth.
Reynolds, Kai Allen, Randle, and Heimgartner completed the top ten. Heimgartner’s birthday drive from 24th to 10th was a standout performance, showcasing patience, pace, and precision on a circuit where overtaking can be notoriously tricky.
Evans crossed the line 12th after recovering from both his early-race setback and the chaos around him. It was a solid finish, considering where he started. Stanaway brought his car home in 14th with a clean and consistent after a frustrating Saturday.
Notably, Anton De Pasquale ran inside the top ten before an alternator issue saw him limp home in 18th, one lap down.
It was a day of mixed emotions for the Kiwi drivers, Payne scoring big, Heimgartner starring in recovery mode, Evans and Stanaway salvaged results from tough starting spots, while Wood was denied a top finish after a promising run and his first-ever race win on Saturday.
Top 10 Championship Standings –
- 1. Feeney 1181
- 2. Brown -72
- 3. Payne -123
- 4. Waters -153
- 5. Mostert -304
- 6. Randle -408
- 7. Kostecki -418
- 8. Hill -528
- 9. Heimgartner -534
- 10. Wood -550
