Payne feared 'airplane crash' in 'butt-clenching' overtake
Matt Payne labels Sydney overtake "most intense move" in career
Payne passed Nick Percat and Ryan Wood into Sydney's fast Turn 1
Penrite Racing driver went on to finish fourth in the race
Matt Payne has labelled his "butt-clenching” double move on Ryan Wood and Nick Percat at Sydney's super-fast Turn 1 as the "most intense move I've ever had in a race car.”
Payne pulled off a stunning overtake on Wood and Percat into the 200km/h left-hander early in Sunday’s Race 16 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The move generated plenty of reaction online, with Supercars legend and commentator Mark Skaife hailing it the “move of the year.”
It proved critical to Payne’s hopes, with the Penrite Racing driver getting himself into position to charge from 11th and claim a top four finish on the final lap.
Speaking to Supercars.com, Payne said there was contact with Wood as the two Kiwis powered around Turn 1, leading to a heart-in-mouth moment.
"I was a bit surprised with how good the run I had going down the straight,” Payne said.
"I think Woody and Percat were side-drafting each other, and it actually slowed them up so much on the straight that I just got so much momentum.
"I just saw the closing speed was so much and I thought, 'I'm gonna be able to clear Percat by the time I get into Turn 1’. I didn't realise Woody was gonna be so brave and just bowl around the outside.
"He said he didn't even know I was there, he actually touched my right front and he had a bit of a moment. It was probably the most intense move I've ever had in a race car. It was butt-clenching stuff."
The overtake was the catalyst for chaos around the lap, with Wood colliding with David Reynolds with Percat and Brodie Kostecki at Turn 7.
Payne knew he had to pick off both drivers in quick time if he was to have any chance to gaining more ground in the race, which was won by Ford rival Chaz Mostert.
“If I was going to get one, I needed to get the other relatively quickly, and it's good to be able to get both of them in the same move,” Payne added.
“It's one of those things where you just see an opportunity and you just gun for it. I trusted Woody, I always knew it would be hard for him to get back to the apex being out so wide, and having to clear Nick especially.
"So I always knew there was a little bit of margin, but I just carried in so much speed trying to clear Nick that I almost ended up spinning him, and then we would have had an airplane crash.
“It's pretty funny how everyone's talking about it, Skaifey said it was the move of the year. I was pretty stoked on that, it makes me happy."
The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint on August 16-18. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
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