Symmons Plains Supercars: Matt Payne confident of Tassie success
On the back of an “incredible” result last time out, Kiwi Matt Payne is confident he can bring the same form to Tasmania this weekend.
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Flying Kiwi Matt Payne is confident he can bring the form that saw him win two of the three races in New Zealand last month to round four of the V8 Supercars championship at Symmons Plains this weekend.
The hard-charging 22-year-old from Auckland became only the third New Zealand driver to win the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, joining Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
Payne, of Grove Racing, believes he can be just as hot at the Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super440 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“It was an incredible weekend in New Zealand, getting two wins and a pole position,” Payne said.
“Coming into the weekend we knew we were going to be strong and have good speed.
“But to win on the Saturday and round out the Sunday with a second win and get the Jason Richards Trophy, it was incredibly special for myself and the team.”
There has been plenty of downtime leading into Tasmania with the hardware being shipped back to Australia.
“It has been nice the last couple of weeks just to relax, the cars haven’t been around because they were being boated back to Melbourne,” Payne said.
“It has been good for the team to get a bit of a break as well to detox a bit from racing and get focused for Tasmania.”
Payne and 19-year old teammate Kai Allen, of Mount Gambier, make up the youngest team pairing on the grid in 2025.
Allen turned heads by picking up a pair of top 10 finishes in Taupō last time out.
He won the Dunlop Super2 championship in 2023, but has never raced at Symmons Plains, one of several circuits he is learning on the fly in his first full Supercars season.
Payne hopes his twin wins can translate into more success for the team.
“I’m not going to lie, it was tough for us last year,” he said.
“We struggled to get any results in the form of points so this weekend we are going to try to make sure we don’t see that inconsistency that we saw last year.
“There’s no reason we can’t be strong in Tassie – it has been a strong track for the team in the past.
“We know what is required, it’s just about executing.”
Supercars party revving up with Hobart visit
The “people’s hero” David Reynolds says the Supercars stoush at Symmons Plains this weekend will be one for the ages as the 2017 Bathurst champion expects some edge-of-your-seat battles at round four of the championship.
The drivers will get the party started early with a Supercars Street Party in Salamanca Place on Wednesday where fans can meet the stars and get autographs between 3-6pm.
Then Reynolds hopes to start his march up the leaderboard on a track he loves.
“The margins in Tassie are always super tight because it’s such a short track,” Reynolds said.
“Technically, there are only three or four proper corners, so a hundredth of a second makes a huge difference.
“That’s why you’ll see something like 24 cars within six-tenths of a second in qualifying _ it’s ridiculous.”
Following two practice sessions on Friday, the supercars have two-knockout qualifying sessions and two 50-lap races on Saturday, and a three-stage qualifying session, including Top 10 Shootout, followed by a 78-lap race on Sunday.
“Saturday is going to be pretty hectic,” Reynolds said.
“The engineers, mechanics, everyone behind the scenes are going to be absolutely flat out, and we’re busy trying to figure out how to drive on the two different tyres.
“Sunday’s a bit slower-paced with just qualifying and a longer race.
“It’s kind of gone back to the old-school format, an action-packed Saturday and a more strategic Sunday.
“I enjoy both days, but I definitely wouldn’t want to be a mechanic on a Saturday, they’re working their guts out.”
Reynolds, drives the number 20 TRADIE Energy Racing Camaro, is looking to turn his season around after a challenging start.
He has a strong history at Symmons Plains, including top-three qualifying pace last year.
“On my side of the garage, it’s been a pretty average year so far,” he said.
“We’ve got a few new parts in the car this weekend to try and figure out what’s going on with my speed.
“It’s a really positive step, and hopefully we can start getting on top of it. I was really fast at Tassie last year, so we’ve got a good base to build from.”
‘Bring out the tow trucks’ says champ heading into Tassie battle
He is yet to win a race this year so reigning Bathurst champion Brodie Kostecki is hoping to grab his first chequered flag for his new team at Symmons Plains this weekend.
After claiming the Great Race for Erebus Motorsport last year, the 2023 Supercars champion is sixth in this year’s series heading to Tasmania for round four after scoring his first podiums of the season at the Taupō Super440 in New Zealand three weeks ago.
The 27-year-old Perth driver is finding his stride in his Shell V-Power Ford Mustang, qualifying the No. 38 Ford on the front row for each of the three races across the ditch in mid-April.
Kostecki has already claimed 2 pole positions this season and two more _ either by himself of teammate Will Davison _ would see DJR become only the second team to reach 150 poles.
Kostecki said racing had been intense so far and did not expect anything different in Tasmania.
“We are seeing a lot more on-track battles, which is what the fans deserve,” he said.
“It’s what I grew up watching as well, seeing some of my heroes racing against each other and watching those rivalries.
“It has been really exciting so far.”
It could go to the next level on the 2.4km Symmons circuit.
“I hope there’s five or six tow trucks parked permanently at the hairpin because I reckon they will be getting used quite frequently,” he said.
“Tasmania has always been a really exciting event and the circuit promotes really tight racing.
“I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it this weekend and hopefully bring the Shell V-Power Mustang home on top.”
Kostecki’s best results have been fourth in race three at the opening round in Sydney, fourth in race one at the Melbourne GP event, and third in race two in NZ.
“We are getting there _ even though our results don’t show it I’m learning as much as I can about this Shell V-Power Mustang and making the car more comfortable each round,” he said.
“I’m stoked with how everything has been going so far and can’t wait to race in Tasmania.”
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