Payne takes back to back Taupo poles
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 12 April 2025
Kiwi Matt Payne picked up from where he left off last year, taking a second consecutive pole position on home soil, this time for the opening race of the 2025 Taupo Super440.
Payne took pole on the Sunday of last year’s inaugural trip to Taupo and has started the 2025 event perfectly by doing it again for Race 8.
The Grove Racing driver topped both Q1 and Q2 with a 1:25.7006, enough to sneak ahead of Brodie Kostecki by 0.0705s.
It was a sea of Mustangs at the front with Ford locking out the entire top six with Anton De Pasquale the leading Camaro in seventh, while neither Triple Eight driver made the top 10.
It is Payne’s third career pole and first since New Zealand last year.
Unlike Saturday last year, blue skies and sunshine greeted the field for the back to back sessions that set the grid for Races 8 and 9 of the season.
In a new format of qualifying split across two segments that left 10 in the fight for pole, with this taking place on the Softs.
The upcoming Race 9 qualifying will be decided on the Super Soft rubber.
Qualifying 1
After topping Friday, Wood again bolted out of the blocks with a purple first sector, but he was denied.
Despite a big slide coming out of the final, Kostecki carried enough speed to be the fastest from the opening run with a 1:26.2039.
The DJR driver was a tenth clear of Wood and Will Brown, while Bryce Fullwood posted a purple second sector to put the #14 in fourth.
The Tickford driver made an important jump to second, ensuring he was safe being just 0.013s from the ultimate pace.
But this figure kept changing as the lead changed hands three further times before the conclusion of the session.
Wood displaced Kostecki, only for the DJR driver to immediately snatch it back.
But Payne had the most speed, squeezing 0.0073s clear of the #38 to top the segment with a 1:25.7084.
Meanwhile, the fight to make the top 10 was intense with four tenths covering positions 10-21.
Le Brocq and Hill were the big improvers, bolting from the bottom four to sneaking into the 10 and joining De Pasquale, Murray, Davison, Waters and Mostert.
Neither of the Triple Eight drivers made the cut, with Feeney missing out by an agonising 0.0022s and forced to settle for 11th, while Brown will start 13th.
Qualifying 2
This left 10 drivers to fight for pole across 10 minutes, but no one could improve their times early on.
The only driver to make a big leap in the opening minutes was Le Brocq, who rose from ninth to seventh.
Importantly Payne held firm and retained the lead with a 1:25.7006 and Grove Racing was so confident the Kiwi watched the final three minutes from the garage.
Wood had a crack, but had to abort after a moment in the first sector, which forced him to use another set of tyres.
After most put the foot down on used rubber, the intensity lifted in the final minutes with fresh tyres.
Despite losing some time in the second sector, Mostert rose from ninth to fourth, only for Davison to snatch that place late in the piece.
Waters was another late boater, surging from ninth to third.
Wood was the last to post a lap on the extra set, but could not improve from fourth place.
Results to come
Taupo Super440
Practice 1 – 1: A. Heimgartner 1:26.8830 2: Anton De Pasquale +0.0258 3: Matt Payne +0.0830
Practice 2 – 1: Ryan Wood 1:25.9778; 2: Brodie Kostecki +0.0435; 3: Thomas Randle +0.0838
Sat 8.25-8.55: Supercars Race 8 Qualifying
Sat 9.05-9.35: Supercars Race 9 Qualifying
Sat 10.50: Supercars Race 8 (37 laps)
Sat 14.05: Supercars Race 9 (37 laps)
Sun 8.35-9.05: Supercars Race 10 Qualifying
Sun 10.50-11.35: Supercars Race 10 Top 10 Shootout
Sun 13.05: Supercars Race 10 (61 laps)
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