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Grove: We expect Payne to be competitive

24 May 2022
Matt Payne will make his Bathurst debut
2 mins by James Pavey
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Stephen Grove has outlined core expectations for Matt Payne’s Repco Bathurst 1000 debut.

Payne has been confirmed alongside David Reynolds in the #26 Penrite Racing Mustang for October’s Great Race.

The Super2 points leader’s maiden Great Race start will come alongside one of the form drivers on the grid.

Only Shane van Gisbergen has scored more podiums through five rounds than Reynolds’ six.

Matt Campbell will return for a second Bathurst as a Grove driver, this time alongside Lee Holdsworth.

Grove says an advantage for Payne will be the miles aboard his Super2 Altima on the same weekend.

However, the team expects the Kiwi teen to perform, although the main expectation is to “bring the car home”.

“The good thing is [Payne] will do Super2 on the same weekend,” Grove told Supercars.com.

“The expectation is to go out and be relatively competitive and bring the car home.

“Dave will do what Dave does, and that’s push around here.”

Campbell, a factory Porsche ace, will make his fourth Bathurst start.

The 2016 Carrera Cup champion made his Great Race debut with the team under its Kelly Racing guise in 2016.

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A year later, he partnered van Gisbergen and nearly won the race; that race, ironically, was won by Reynolds.

Holdsworth is the reigning Bathurst champion, and is making improvements round by round.

For Grove, the priority is to give Campbell a competitive package.

Payne won his first Super2 race in Perth

“Matty Campbell is a guy who has an enormous amount of experience,” Grove said.

“We’re working really hard to make sure we give him a [competitive] car.

“He raced with us last year, but we probably didn’t give him the car we needed to give him.

“We’ve made a lot of gains with the car, so we’re building for Bathurst.

“He’s a class act.”

This year's Repco Bathurst 1000 will be held on October 6-9.

Payne will carry his Super2 points lead to Townsville in July.

The 2022 Supercars season will resume in Darwin next month. Purchase your tickets now.

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