How Payne, Penrite Racing masterminded Tassie ambush

Matt Payne’s 'tyre whisperer' smarts, engineering leadership and belief all proved pivotal in Penrite Racing pulling off its stunning Tasmania heist, says Penrite Racing boss David Cauchi.

Payne came from the clouds to win Race 13 from 11th on the grid, courtesy of a bold call to take a second compulsory story under an early Safefy Car.

The Kiwi managed his tyres for over 40 laps to deny a rapid Broc Feeney, with the Triple Eight driver coming up short by 0.05s in what proved the third closest competitive margin in championship history.

It was an extraordinary and unexpected result, orchestrated by Penrite Racing’s engineering group and delivered on track by 22-year-old Payne.

The result left Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup seething, Whincup particularly suspecting ex-Triple Eight engineer turned Penrite Racing technical boss Grant McPherson had played a significant role.

Penrite Racing Team Principal Cauchi, also formerly of Triple Eight, told Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast that they had to lean into the uncertainty of their gamble.

“Yeah, we definitely believed that we were in the race. We weren't 100% sure at that point whether we were gonna win the race,” Cauchi explained.

“When we saw that [Feeney] was on the alternate strategy, we knew he was gonna be bolting and we knew how fast that car's been all weekend. He was always gonna be the biggest threat.

“So no, we didn't know that we had the win. We thought we were on for a podium, but we also didn't know whether the tyre was gonna hang on for that long.

Cauchi hailed the impact of Payne’s tyre-saving skills, which have seen the New Zealander compared to countryman Shane van Gisbergen.

“I think he's just understanding how to look after the tyre whilst not losing lap time,” Cauchi said of Payne.

“He's sort of cracked the Da Vinci code there…. I’m not gonna tell you how to do it. He's really sort of been able to execute in these sort of strategy races.

“He's either had to go really long or really short. He's been able to do both. He's really excelled in that area for sure.”

The Ford squad’s boss also praised the influence of Payne’s young engineer Jack Bell, as well as the leadership of McPherson, adding: “Young Jack Bell is doing a great job. Him and Matt, I think their age combined is still less than my total age.

“They're killing it, they're working really well together. They're communicating really well together. And obviously, there's a broader team around them.

“They're led by Grant McPherson and they've got Alistair McVean there, some really experienced heads. That group is just working exceptionally well together. So full credit to them.”