Matt Payne reinforced his status as the driver to beat in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship after claiming two race wins from three starts at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440, extending his championship advantage at MotorMall Wanneroo Raceway.
The Penrite Racing driver entered the round with momentum and immediately stamped his authority on proceedings, topping both of Friday’s free practice sessions before converting pole position into a commanding victory in Saturday’s opener.
Payne controlled the race from the outset, leading home fellow New Zealander Ryan Wood to secure a Kiwi one-two finish, while Anton De Pasquale completed the podium for DEWALT Racing.
Behind the leader, the action intensified when Payne’s teammate Kai Allen and Brodie Kostecki collided at Turn 1 late in the race, leaving Kostecki stranded in the sand trap and triggering a Safety Car.
The restart produced an entertaining sprint to the finish, with Cam Waters charging back to fourth after a slow pit stop and Chaz Mostert rounding out the top five.
Saturday’s second race delivered a different result as Broc Feeney ended a frustrating 69-day run without victory.
Payne again looked in complete control during the opening stint, but the race turned during the pit cycle when traffic delayed the championship leader.
Feeney capitalised, sweeping past Payne on the pit straight before setting the fastest lap and pulling clear to claim his fifth win of the season.
Kai Allen continued an impressive weekend with third place, while Mostert held off Will Brown and Kostecki in a fierce battle for fourth.
The victory allowed Feeney to trim Payne’s championship lead heading into Sunday’s finale.
The final race of the weekend produced the most dramatic finish of all.
Payne reclaimed the advantage through strategy before a hard-fought battle with Feeney culminated in wheel-to-wheel contact as the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver rejoined the circuit.
The clash damaged Payne’s left rear tyre, leaving him to nurse the wounded Ford across the remaining laps with Feeney applying relentless pressure.
Despite the tyre partially rolling off the rim, Payne held firm to secure his second victory of the weekend, with De Pasquale collecting another podium in third.
Waters finished fourth, while Allen produced one of the drives of the weekend by charging from 23rd on the grid to fifth.
The event attracted a three-day crowd of 40,213 spectators, the largest at Wanneroo Raceway in a decade.
Payne now holds a 118-point championship lead over Feeney ahead of the next round at Queensland Raceway later this month from 21-23 August, where the Repco Sprint Cup will be decided.
