The Repco Supercars Championship concluded the ITM Christchurch Super 440 weekend on Sunday with Race 13 at Ruapuna Raceway. Matthew Payne started the race on the pole, with Anton De Pasquale starting second.
Before the race, Cameron Waters’s car suffered a starter motor failure and had to be towed to pit road. On the opening lap, there was a multi-car crash at Turn 8 that involved Jackson Walls, Rylan Gray, and Aaron Cameron. Thomas Randle also got damaged and went a lap down.
On the restart, Payne resumed the lead, while Ryan Wood fought Anton De Pasquale for second place. Behind them, Kai Allen and Will Brown fought for the fourth position. Brown pushed Allen’s car into the grass and got a bad sportsmanship flag. While Payne led, drivers began to head to pit road, starting with Anton De Pasquale. Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki pitted on lap 38, and leader Matthew Payne pitted on lap 46.
Payen exited pit road with the lead. As the race was getting closer to its conclusion, Ryan Wood’s car suffered an engine failure with seven laps to go, bringing out the safety car. When the safety car went to pit road, there were three laps left. Payne floored it to keep the lead. Behind him, Brodie Kostecki moved Chaz Mostert at Turn 2, and Mostert returned the favor at Turn 3. Kostecki went on a wild ride. Mostert was issued a 30-second time penalty.
Up front, Matthew Payne went on to win the race by 1.125 seconds over his teammate Kai Allen to give Penrite Racing a 1-3 finish. It was Payne’s second win of the season. Broc Feeney, James Golding, and Cameron Waters rounded out the top five. Feeney won the JR Trophy. Will Brown, Jack Le Brocq, Andre Heimgartner, Cooper Murray, and Declan Frasier completed the top ten. Click here to see the rest of the finishing order.
The Repco Supercars Championship returns to action on May 22-24 at Symmons Plains Raceway for the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 from Launceston, Tasmania.
