Payne explains big picture moment in crucial Gold Coast fightback
Payne qualified for Sandown Semi Final with finishes of 10th, fourth
Penrite Ford was in the thick of a late podium battle with Feeney, Heimgartner, Waters
Move on Heimgartner in closing laps a "little bit risky" for conservative Payne
As the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 reached its conclusion in a wild four-lap sprint to the line on Sunday, Matt Payne was eyeing off a podium finish after a determined charge through the field.
Heimgartner was the best of the non-Finals Drivers across the Gold Coast weekend, finishing fifth for the round. Such was the Brad Jones Racing spearhead's weekend, that had he qualified for The Finals, he would've secured a Semi Final berth.
Sure enough, as Chaz Mostert and Broc Feeney engaged in heavy-duty combat for the win, Heimgartner, Payne, and Cam Waters all launched onto the back of the Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro.
In that moment, Payne had a decision to make: does he decide to play it safe with the knowledge that his Semi Final berth was secure, or did he put it all on the line like so many others did over the weekend?
The 23-year-old decided that discretion was the better part of valour, especially as Heimgartner attempted to pinch second off Feeney after his bold, if ultimately unsuccessful, move on Mostert at Turn 11.
"It's tough, obviously Andre's not in The Finals, so he was really going to put it all on the line," said Payne post-race.
"I knew he was really going to fight for it, fight for the podium, so I knew he was going to make it difficult to pass.
"He made a few mistakes towards the end, and I looked for a move but it looked a little bit risky for me.
"I was comfortable with the position I was in, Waters was obviously comfortable as well."
Having entered the weekend second in the standings, Payne slipped to third after a weekend that presented challenges for both he and Penrite Racing.
After qualifying third for the opening race of the weekend, an unsafe release penalty in a Safety Car pit lane scramble saw the Bathurst winner consigned to a finish of 10th.
It was a fortune reversal on Sunday, a kerb strike in the Top Ten Shootout seeing him start ninth — virtue of a shortcut for Richie Stanaway — before the #19 Mustang worked its way forward through the race.
"I'd already put on some pretty good moves I thought during the race, so I was pretty happy with those," Payne said.
"But still, fourth is really good for us after coming from ninth."
Both Payne and teammate Kai Allen secured Semi Final berths, Allen starring with a podium in his first ever race on the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit.
Allen's path was cleared courtesy of a stunning podium on Saturday, before he survived a clash with Thomas Randle to claim another top 10 on Sunday.
The 2025 Repco Supercars Finals Series continues at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 from November 14-16. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
