Grove addresses statement amid Payne speculation
"Nothing has changed" for team amid noise, says CEO Brenton Grove
Matt Payne released statement, committing to Penrite Racing for 2027
Penrite squad seized teams' points lead, claimed win for Kai Allen
Penrite Racing CEO Brenton Grove insists "nothing has changed" within his team's four walls amid speculation on Matt Payne's future, which was parked last week with a decisive statement.
Payne's future has been a hot topic since last year, with Team 18 and General Motors known to be chasing the Bathurst champion's services.
Payne remained tight-lipped on the topic earlier this year, with the Grove camp declaring Payne is committed to his contract, which ties him to the Ford team until the end of 2027.
The story took another twist in the lead-up to Darwin, when it emerged that Grove blocked an offer from GM to hand Payne a surprise NASCAR Cup Series cameo in Sonoma.
On the eve of the Darwin round, Payne released a statement, intended to put a full stop on the speculation, saying: “I have a contract with Grove Racing and I expect to be driving with the team to the end of 2027."
While it stopped short at what lies beyond 2027, the statement was a clear move to halt speculation over the Kiwi's future, and allow both driver and team to focus on the goal of winning this year's championship.
Speaking after Sunday's race, Grove maintained that his team and Payne have "always been on the same page," while insisting the "external noise" wasn't a distraction.
Backing up Grove's comments, the Ford squad won through Kai Allen on Saturday, Payne claimed two podiums, and Penrite Racing seized the teams' championship lead from Triple Eight.
“We signed Matt because we knew his potential and we want him driving our race car," Grove told the media at Hidden Valley.
“[The statement] was nice to quieten you guys [in the media] up more than anything, but internally nothing has changed.
“You see the performances we’re putting in, I don’t think it’s determined anything this year.
“Hopefully the external noise quietens down because there’s nothing to see, but internally it didn’t make any difference for us.”
Payne, however, remained focused on the task at hand when asked about his ambitions beyond Supercars.
“I’m just focused on what I’m doing at the moment,” Payne said.
“Trying to win races this year, and win the championship. That’s really what I'm focused on at the moment."
Payne is just 15 points behind leader Broc Feeney heading to the NTI Townsville 500 on July 10-12.
