Tander, Groves building Payne back up after Bathurst crash
Garth Tander, Groves building Matt Payne back up after Bathurst crash
Payne crashed out of Repco Bathurst 1000 late in the day
Payne/Tander the only DNF of record-breaking Great Race
Rebuilding Matt Payne’s confidence was part of Penrite Racing’s Bathurst debrief following the Kiwi’s late-race crash, says Garth Tander.
Payne will arrive at this weekend’s Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 fresh off a rollercoaster Repco Bathurst 1000 weekend, which began with provisional pole and ended in the wall.
The New Zealander crashed out of a comfortable top 10 position at The Cutting with 30 laps to go, with the Payne/Tander car the only retirement of the race.
The accident came after nearly five hours of green flag running, with drivers and teams pushing the limits of Mount Panorama for laps on end.
Unfortunately for Penrite Racing, Payne was the victim of an exhausting race, with Tander saying it was all part of the Bathurst learning curve for the 22-year-old.
“The intensity was huge, because we went so long without a Safety Car or Full Course Yellow,” Tander said on Fox Sports’ MotoGP coverage.
“Yes it was our car with Matty driving that caused the only Safety Car of the race.
“I said to our guys leading into the race, it’s not going to be physical fatigue that gets you in this race, it's going to be mental fatigue because of that intensity.
“That’s sort of what caught Matty out a little bit. It’s just part of the journey of understanding that race, and understanding that race track, and when it’s time to really turn it on.
“He got caught out, and who hasn’t been caught out by Mount Panorama. That’s been a bit of our debrief, sort of get our arm around him a little bit, build him back up.”
Payne owned the accident after the race, saying a "missed downshift" was behind the crash. Crucially, he dropped to sixth in the points, while Penrite Racing fell behind Matt Stone Racing in the teams’ championship.
Tander, who recently re-signed with the Grove team, expects the Ford squad to bounce back at a circuit that delivered victory 12 months ago.
David Reynolds won the Sunday race at Surfers Paradise last year, with Payne also scoring his first front row start, setting the tone for a famous win in Adelaide.
“Our team had a really strong run at the Gold Coast last year, with Dave Reynolds winning on Sunday for Penrite Racing,” Tander said.
"You couldn't get two more different race tracks, two more different events, different car set-ups. But there’s a lot of walls, and they’re a lot closer on the Gold Coast.
The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 25-27. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
Live coverage can be found on Foxtel, with live streaming available on Kayo. The Seven Network will take free to air coverage. International viewers can follow all the action on Superview.
