Payne takes easy win at Taupo Supercars
- Dave Worsley
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
New Zealand driver Matthew Payne has won the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, easing to victory in the feature race at the Taupō Super 440.
The 22-year-old Penrite Racing driver took the lead from Cameron Hill on lap 8 of the 61-lap race on Sunday at the Taupo International Motorsport Park and never looked back even through two pit cycles to win Race 10 of the 2025 Supercars championship.
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Payne emerged behind Hill in second position after a frantic first lap, after pole-sitter Brodie Kostecki was carted wide by Kiwi Ryan Wood through the fast turn 8.
After passing Hill for the lead, Payne was peerless, joining Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin as New Zealand winners of the Richards Trophy.
Hill and Chaz Mostert completed the podium, ahead of Kostecki and Thomas Randle, with Broc Feeney stunning with fastest lap points amid a charge from 20th to seventh.
New Zealand's Andre Heimgartner, then Will Brown, Will Davison and James Golding rounded out the top-10. Cam Waters, who started 18th, finished 12th.
Of the other Kiwis on the grid, Wood was 11th, Richie Stanaway 13th and Jaxon Evans 14th, the best combined results for the New Zealand quintet.
The next round of the Supercars season is May 9-11 May in Launceston, Tasmania.