Pleasure as Payne pips Feeney in Supercars sprint
Joanna Guelas |
Matt Payne has claimed a surprise sprint victory, sensationally spoiling Supercars title favourite Broc Feeney’s bid for a clean sweep in Tasmania.
Payne’s pit-stop gamble across the 200km sprint paid off, the Grove driver upstaging a dogged Feeney to take the chequered flag at Symmons Plains Raceway on Sunday.
After starting from 11th, Payne won by just 0.0550 seconds.
“I didn’t actually think he was that close until he got within three seconds and then I knew, ‘Righto, this is going to come down to the wire’,” Payne said.
“I practically used everything I had to that point.
“You’re not even thinking when you’re in those situations and the pressure’s on.
“It’s so exhilarating when you can pull it off.”
Feeney had fought from fifth to move into top spot, before taking his second garage visit with 21 laps to go.
Payne had rolled the dice and gone to pit lane for his second visit earlier than Feeney.
The strategy forced Feeney to chase down a 16-second buffer between himself and Payne, overtaking pole-sitter Will Brown, Team 18 driver David Reynolds and Tickford’s Thomas Randle on the way.
Feeney easily outpaced Reynolds when he rejoined the fray, while Randle tumbled down the order after spinning off-track following contact with the Team 18 driver.
The 22-year-old then jumped teammate Brown with nine laps to go, before putting himself within a second of Payne in the final lap.
“I tried darting to the inside at turn six and we nearly had a Max Verstappen and (Daniel) Ricciardo moment in Baku (in 2018),” Feeney said.
“When it’s the last lap, it’s going to be pretty hard to pass without doing anything.”
Feeney at least holds on to his championship lead with a 33-point lead over Brown after claiming back-to-back wins on Saturday.
Brown gave up his lead after a tussle with Cam Waters and Ryan Wood off the starting line, allowing PremiAir Nulon Racing’s James Golding to surge from fourth into the lead.
“Me and Woody thought we were at Summernats doing a burnout and no one else got the gist,” Brown joked.
An incident between Dick Johnson Racing’s Brodie Kostecki and Bryce Fullwood on lap 28 brought out the safety car, allowing Feeney to jump Golding after a strategic pit stop.
Kostecki went spinning into the wall after contact from Brad Jones Racing driver Fullwood between turns three and four, and suffered steering damage.
The two drivers had a close call just moments earlier when Fullwood, exiting pit lane, narrowly avoided crashing into Kostecki.
Fullwood was hit with a pit-lane penalty for the incident, before copping a 15-second penalty for a safety-car breach.
Kostecki finished 22nd, while Fullwood was 20th.
RACE 13 RESULTS:
1. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
3. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
4. James Golding (PremiAir Nulon Racing)
5. Richie Stanaway (PremiAir)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)
2. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
3. Matt Payne (Grove)
4. Cam Waters (Tickford)
5. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)
AAP
