10 to 1: Ranking the rising stars of Supercars ft. Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, Ryan Wood, Kai Allen
The future is bright for Australian motorsports, with a seemingly endless production line of talented racers just waiting for their opportunity to shine. Meet the top 10 stars of tomorrow.
Motorsport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Motorsport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The future is bright for Australian motorsports, with a seemingly endless production line of talented racers just waiting for their opportunity to shine.
Some of Australia’s top Supercar drivers have weighed in on the young guns they tip to dominate the track in the next decade.
While 20-year-old Broc Feeney is perhaps the brightest star to graduate into Supercars in recent years, he said the next generation of drivers were proving they have what it takes to become Supercars contenders in the near future.
“There are a lot of guys in Super2, the top five are all really strong,” Feeney said.
“It’s been awesome to see in the last couple of years the young guys coming into Supercars and they’ve been doing well. Three rookies on the grid this year, which is fantastic.
“Hopefully there’s some more young blood coming through soon.”
These are the top 10 drivers to watch as they lay their claim for a long-term place in the big leagues.
10. JARROD HUGHES – 18, TOYOTA 86 SERIES
Hughes had his best season in 2022 with two poles and his first race win in the Toyota 86 series.
Hughes finished seventh overall and was awarded Toyota’s prestigious Kaizen Award at the end of the year.
In the 2022 Hyundai X3 series, Hughes dominated the field for a 98-point overall win, with seven wins and two seconds in nine starts. He finished second in the EFS Excel Cup series despite missing the second of three events, scoring six wins in nine starts.
9. BRAD VAUGHAN – 19, SUPER2 SERIES
After conquering the Super3 Series, Vaughan graduated into Super2 in 2023 and hasn’t missed a beat.
The South Australian finished second in his first race in Perth followed by a pole position in race 2, however his finish was NC (Not Classified).
Vaughan only turned 19 in June and comes from a strong lineage of drivers – his father Steve Vaughan competed in speedway events for three decades.
8. ZACH BATES – 19, SUPER2 SERIES
Racing has always been in Zach Bates’ blood.
Bates is the son of rally driver Rick Bates and nephew of former Australian motorsports champion Neal Bates – Rick and Neal being twin brothers.
While Zach’s cousins Harry and Lewis elected to follow the family tradition in rally cars, 19-year-old Zach is determined to pursue a career on the track.
Racing for Walkershaw Andretti United team in Super2 this year alongside Kiwi rookie Ryan Wood, Bates won the national Formula Ford title in 2021 to go with his 16 race wins in the Toyota 86 series in the past two years.
7. KAI ALLEN – 18, SUPER2 SERIES
Allen has been outstanding in his debut season in the Super2 Series. He turned 18 in June but his racing career started a decade earlier in karting, winning 12 state titles and becoming an Australian champion in two classes.
Mentored by Paul ‘The Dude’ Morris, Allen’s potential is limitless if he continues his current trajectory. Allen took a record 11 of 12 poles in Super3 and tied the record for most race and round wins in a single season.
The young racer comes from a famous sporting family; his older sisters Sienna and Nyah are bothelite netballers with the Collingwood Magpies.
6. RYAN WOOD – 20, SUPER2 SERIES
Wood has taken the Super2 Series by storm in his rookie season in 2023, racing for the esteemed Walkinshaw Andretti United team.
So far Wood has two wins from four starts – both at the Perth event in April – but is sitting in sixth in the drivers championship after an eighth and an NC in his first two starts.
The 20-year-old Wellingtonian took all six pole positions in the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge, converting four to race wins.
Wood was also a multiple kart champion in New Zealand growing up.
5. AARON LOVE – 21, SUPER2 SERIES
Love returned to Australia in 2023 after spending time in Europe, most notably racing on the Formula 1 undercard at the French and British Grands Prix.
The 21-year-old enters the Townsville event sitting in third on the Super2 driver’s championship standings.
In his last race in Perth, Love overtook four drivers to leap from starting sixth to a second-placed finish – his second podium of four races this year.
Love started racing karts when he was six before making the leap to Formula 4 in 2017. He made his Porsche Carrera Cup debut before he had turned 18, and is now showing off his racing chops in a Ford Mustang.
4. DECLAN FRASER – 22, SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
After claiming the Super2 title in 2022, Fraser secured a ticket to the big leagues with Tickford Racing.
While he’s still finding his feet in Supercars, the Mackay local has shown glimpses of a promising racing career and should be a mainstay on the circuit for years to come.
Fraser made his Supercars debut at Bathurst in 2022 as a wildcard entry alongside his childhood hero Craig Lowndes, finishing eighth overall.
Fraser took the Super2 championship lead after winning on his ‘hometown’ track in Townsville, before backing it up with victories in Sandown and Adelaide to close out the title.
3. CAMERON HILL – 26, SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
At 26 years old, Hill is by far the oldest driver to make our top 10 but has been included as one of the three rookies on the starting grid in 2023.
The only Supercars Championship driver racing out of Canberra, Hill made a name for himself rising through the traditional route of karting before spending time in Formula Ford, the Toyota 86 Series and the Carrera Cup.
In 2022 Hill was acquired by Triple Eight Racing to race in the Super2 Series where he finished fifth after eight top 10 finishes from 11 starts.
Supercars legend Chaz Mostert said Hill was someone to keep a close eye on.
“He really stepped up in Tasmania and he’s doing a great job in Darwin as well,” Mostert said.
“He’s done a lot and had a lot of success throughout the other categories, so as a team it’s great that he’s having a great run.”
2. MATTHEW PAYNE – 20, SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
Fresh-faced Kiwi driver Payne had never raced a Supercar until November 2021, but back-to-back poles in the Porsche Carrera Cup at the Bend and Townsville caught the attention of Grove Racing’s Penrite team.
Payne had been a karting star in New Zealand and moved to Europe to chase that dream until the Covid-19 pandemic put a pin in his plans.
After a strong season in the Super2 Series, Payne was invited to race at Bathurst in 2022 alongside Lee Holdsworth where the pair finished sixth overall.
Payne has accomplished two top 10 finishes so far in 2023 and sits in 18th position on the driver’s championship heading into Townsville.
1. BROC FEENEY – 20, SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
One of three Supercars Championship drivers in 2023 born after the turn of the millennium, Feeney will no doubt become a household name if he continues on his incredible trajectory.
Feeney ended his 2022 rookie season with a maiden race victory in Adelaide after finishing inside the top 10 on 25 occasions.
His car is emblazoned with Supercars royalty Jamie Whincup’s No.88, a sign that the Gold Coast native doesn’t shy away from expectation.
Feeney’s 2023 campaign got off to a shaky start when he was disqualified from race 1 in Newcastle alongside teammate Shane van Gisbergen after the pair finished first and second due to illegal use of dry ice in the driver’s-side door.
Since then, Feeney has four race wins and has finished on the podium in his last five starts, putting him in third on the driver’s championship standings just 91 points off leader Brodie Kostecki.
More Coverage
Originally published as 10 to 1: Ranking the rising stars of Supercars ft. Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, Ryan Wood, Kai Allen
‘Sour taste’: Aussie F1 gun in huge trouble
A rare, thinly-veiled driver move could spell trouble for Australia’s newest F1 driver Jack Doohan with eyebrows raised.
Aussie eyes historic Dakar triumph
A Victorian rider is eyeing a history-making win in what is widely considered the world’s toughest motorsport race.