Matt Payne wins Sandown thriller as Supercars title contenders are set

Matt Payne claimed a dramatic victory in the final race at Sandown, holding off Anton De Pasquale by less than a second to secure his place in the Supercars Championship Grand Final at Adelaide.

The Penrite Racing driver led all 79 laps from pole position, but came under intense pressure from De Pasquale in the closing stages, with the Team 18 driver needing victory to keep his championship hopes alive.

Payne maintained a lead of around three seconds during the opening stint and remained in control through the pit stop sequences, while Cooper Murray held third for PremiAir Racing.

De Pasquale began closing the gap after the final stops, despite losing time behind Thomas Randle, who received a bad sportsmanship flag following their battle.

With five laps remaining, Payne encountered several backmarkers, allowing De Pasquale to close rapidly. The New Zealander also ran wide at Turn 9 but recovered to take victory by 0.738 seconds.

Murray completed the podium, securing his maiden Supercars top-three finish ahead of Broc Feeney and Chaz Mostert.

Mostert’s charge through the field proved decisive in the championship battle. The reigning champion climbed from 11th on the grid to fifth, securing the final Grand Final position and eliminated De Pasquale despite the latter’s runner-up finish.

Saturday’s winner Brodie Kostecki recovered to tenth after receiving a drive-through penalty for breaching starting procedures, having switched off his engine before reaching his grid position.

Will Brown charged from 19th to seventh but was also eliminated from championship contention, along with Cameron Waters, who endured a difficult race to finish 15th.

Payne, Kostecki, Feeney and Mostert will now contest the championship title at the Adelaide Grand Final on November 26-29, with Payne heading into the decisive weekend as the top seed.