New Zealand racing driver Matt Payne won his first Bathurst 1000 in a dramatic finish at the famous Mount Panorama circuit.
Starting from 18th position, Payne and his co-driver Garth Tander battled through heavy rain and several accidents to claim victory in Australia’s biggest Supercars race.
The race was full of surprises, with many top drivers struggling in the slippery conditions. One of them was fellow Kiwi Ryan Wood, who had to pull into the pits with just 20 laps to go. Payne himself had a spin while chasing the lead with only nine laps remaining, dropping him to third place.
But the race turned in Payne’s favour when two other drivers, Cooper Murray and James Golding, collided with five laps left. Golding received a five-second penalty for causing the crash. Even though Golding crossed the line first, Payne stayed close enough behind to win the race based on corrected time.
“It felt like forever in the wet,” Payne said. “But a win’s a win, and we’ll take it.”
The victory also marked Garth Tander’s sixth Bathurst win. He praised Payne for staying calm under pressure, especially during the tense final lap.
At 23 years old, Payne has now won four races this season and six in total. He joins a group of famous New Zealand winners at Bathurst, including Shane van Gisbergen, Greg Murphy, and Jim Richards.
