Revealed: Where giant-killer Payne has gone to another level

Matt Payne's resurgence has been one of the stories of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship, with the Kiwi on the cusp of taking second place away from reigning champion Will Brown.

While Broc Feeney has opened up a handy lead off the back of seven wins in nine races, Payne has been a constant fixture of the front, opening the door to suggestions he could be a serious factor for this year's title.

While there's a long way to go, Payne's performance this year has been impressive for a 22-year-old who is going up against the might of Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Through six rounds, Payne has blown his rookie campaign and 2024 season out of the water. More wins, more podiums, more top fives and top 10s, a better race and qualifying average, and greater average gain in races.

They're all key metrics that point towards a driver in form, and a driver who should be in the fight for the championship by the end of the season.

Speaking on the latest episode of Drivers Only, Payne himself admitted he needs to get into the Finals first before considering himself a title contender.

For just the second time in his career, after Adelaide last year, Payne returns to a circuit where he is a previous winner: Townsville, where all three races will be held on the Soft tyre.

When it comes to why he has been so strong in 2025, Payne put it down to unlocking the new-for-2025 Soft tyre, saying: "For me and everyone, it’s been a really good year.

"I think last year, we were a bit disappointed to how we were going, we definitely wanted to improve on the first year of Gen3.

“Kai’s come in, it’s been really cool, he’s a top bloke, nice guy, and he’s fast as well. It helps when they’re fast. I think we’ve been doing a better job with the car.

“For us, the Soft tyre has made a big difference. I think it suits our car really well. There’s still a lot for us to work on.”

The 2025 Supercars season resumes in Townsville on July 11-13. Tickets are on sale now. International viewers can watch the action on SuperView.

Matt Payne: Season-by-season numbers

After six rounds

*Not including abandoned Melbourne Race 7