Kiwi claims Bathurst crown

Matt Payne has claimed his maiden victory at the Bathurst 1000, the showpiece of the Australian Supercars championship.

The New Zealander started way back in 18th, but he and co-driver Garth Tander slogged their way through the field in severe wet conditions as several racers dropped out along the way.

Fellow Kiwi Ryan Wood was among them, limping to the pits with 20 laps around Mount Panorama remaining after briefly being in first place.

Payne, pictured above right with James Golding, also spun off as he challenged Cooper Murray for the lead with nine laps left, slipping back to third. 

However, he then benefitted from a collision between Murray and Golding to edge into the lead with five laps to go until the chequered flag.

Golding was handed a five-second penalty for his part in the accident and, although he went ahead again on the last lap, Payne remained in the required margin to win on corrected time.

The 23-year-old Kiwi says: “In the wet, when I got back in the car, it felt forever. Safety cars kept stalling the race. I saw Jimmy go into the side of Cooper and I kind of predicted that was going to happen. I managed to get through, but felt like I ran out of tyres at the end. A win’s a win and we will take it.”

Veteran Tander captured his sixth Bathurst crown with his two most recent coming with Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen in 2020 and 2022.

“Something about tall Kiwis at Bathurst,” says Tander. “He [Payne] kept away and kept his calm. He and even managed that last lap when Golding was mucking around with his five-second penalty. That was an impressive drive.”

Payne has now won four Supercars races in 2025 and six across his career, joining a distinguished list of Kiwi winners of The Great Race, including Jim Richards with seven, Steven Richards on five, Richie Stanaway, Scott McLaughlin and Greg Murphy with four, and Van Gisbergen with three.