Payne heads Feeney in close thriller at Tasmania

Matt Payne has emerged from a battle of different strategies to take out the third Supercars race at Symmons Plains.

Payne positioned his Grove Racing Ford Mustang perfectly over the final lap to stymie a Broc Feeney clean sweep of all three races at the historic Tasmanian circuit.

Following a mid-race safety car, a number of drivers chose to make both of their mandatory pitstops early and then try to make the Dunlop Super Soft control tyres hang on for more than half the 78 lap journey.

After drivers reported a maximum of 33-35 laps on Saturday, the safety car prompted some to make both of their mandatory pitstops back-to-back, fuel up and hope that they could get 48 laps out of their Dunlops.

Payne was in that camp; Triple Eight’s Feeney followed a conventional strategy to set up his 15-lap sprint towards the front, which fell just 0.055s short at the chequered flag.

“That was a pretty cool race, I knew it was going to be tight there at the end,” said Payne, who started the race from 11th.

“Once I got through the hairpin I knew I could cover him at the end. We struggled here so much and we tried so hard.”

Matt Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Earlier in the weekend Payne, a winner in New Zealand last month, was nowhere near the pace, qualifying 24th and last for the opening race on Saturday.

“I think if everyone was in our position they would have done the same thing,” said Feeney. “It was qualifying laps over the final part of the race!”

Feeney’s consolation was three fastest laps from three races and an extended points lead over team-mate Will Brown, who came home in third, on a long-tyre strategy similar to Payne’s.

The opening part of the race was based on track position, which went James Golding’s way in the first 200 metres of the race.

Brown, who turned his first pole position of the season into fifth on the opening lap, must have watched in amazement as Golding simply drove around the front row cars in his PremiAir Racing Chevrolet and pulled a full second clear in half a lap.

It took Feeney until the opening pit cycle to displace Golding for the lead, and then follow his conventional strategy set up the final stanza to decide the race. At the flag Golding was fourth with team-mate Richie Stanaway right behind him, both drivers showing speed all day.

David Reynolds was next in the Team 18 Chevrolet ahead of Ryan Wood, who had by far the better weekend of the Walkinshaw Andretti United drivers. Team-mate Chaz Mostert completed his nightmare weekend in 18th, well ahead of his starting spot of 23rd, which included serving a 15-second time penalty after an early skirmish. 

As a result Feeney has consolidated the championship points lead to 33. He has 894 points to head on Brown 861, with Payne moving to third place on 819. Fourth is Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters (803) ahead of Mostert (644) and Randle (610). 

The Supercars championship will resume at Wanneroo Raceway in Perth, Western Australia on 6-8 June.