In an exciting day at the Wanneroo Raceway, Matt Payne achieved a remarkable victory in the third race of the Supercars, leaving behind his top rivals. The Grove Racing driver showcased his skill behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang, solidifying his position in the championship.
Broc Feeney, who had started from pole position in his Triple Eight car, led the first part of the 80-lap race. However, the race was decided after the second pit stop. Payne pitted on lap 50, with Feeney following him a lap later. The key moment came when Payne, after recovering from the pit stop, passed Feeney and took the lead at a time when the latter could not warm up his tires.
Despite a touch between the two vehicles, Payne managed to stay firm until the checkered flag, fortunately without a serious failure affecting his vehicle. The New Zealander commented that he knew Feeney would be quick, so he opted for an undercut strategy to overtake him.
Feeney, for his part, expressed disappointment at being so close to victory, despite finishing second. He acknowledged that his speed had not been sufficient during the first part of the race, which limited his options.
The third place went to Anton De Pasquale, who showed a good performance in his Chevrolet from Team 18, especially with the soft tires, which seemed to fit his car better. De Pasquale advanced from the sixth starting position, showing a notable improvement during the race finale.
Cameron Waters finished fourth and struggled to match his qualifying performance, while driver Kai Allen, after starting from the back of the grid due to power steering issues, had an impressive race to finish fifth, improving his previous result at the same track.
The other Triple Eight car, driven by Will Brown, had no luck after accruing a penalty that left him out of the top 15. Meanwhile, Brodie Kostecki saw his race compromised by a poor fuel strategy, finishing in twelfth position.
With this victory, Payne extends his lead in the championship standings, accumulating a total of 1950 points, with Feeney in second place 118 points behind. The next round of the Supercars will take place at Queensland Raceway from August 21 to 23, where drivers will seek to continue their march in this highly competitive competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI