The opening qualifying session of the 2025 Supercars Championship at Sydney Motorsport Park delivered a strong start for the Kiwi contingent! With three of the five Kiwi drivers securing top-ten starting positions for the season opening race.
Ryan Wood led the Kiwi charge in Qualifying 1, showcasing impressive pace in his Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang. He initially positioned himself third, but was able to improve his time to a 1:29.335 on his second run, securing second place, though still over two-tenths of a second behind the leader, Cameron Waters.
Matthew Payne followed suit, making a significant jump up the order. After a less-than-ideal first run that placed him 15th, he clocked a 1:29.5 on his second lap, earning him fourth position.
Andre Heimgartner completed the trio of Kiwis advancing to Qualifying 2, edging out reigning champion Will Brown by a mere .003 of a second to finish in tenth.
Brad Jones Racing teammate Jaxon Evans, despite showing early promise, ultimately finished in 18th after his final run.
Richie Stanaway had a difficult start to the session, triggering a kerb strike on his first lap which left him with no recorded time. A late second attempt would only secure him 19th position by sessions end.
Qualifying 2 saw drivers capitalize on a period of temporary cloud cover. Most of the top ten opted for early runs to take advantage of the cooler track conditions. Waters again dominated, setting a time a quarter-second faster than Broc Feeney in second. Payne followed in third, two tenths behind Feeney, showcasing the Kiwi’s pace. Heimgartner advanced to sixth, while Wood finished seventh, just under a tenth of a second ahead of teammate Mostert.
With three Kiwi drivers starting within the top seven, the opening race promises an exciting spectacle! The 26 lap season opener is set to kick off at 9:50pm tonight NZ Time.
Header Image: Penrite Racing Facebook
