Bathurst 2026 isn't Ford's to lose, says Matt Payne
Last year, Payne delivered Ford's first Bathurst win since 2019
Ford has dominated in 2026, winning 23 of 29 races to date
Defending Bathurst winner Matt Payne maintains this weekend's Great Race isn't Ford's to lose, after what has been a banner year for the Blue Oval.
Ford clinched the Champion Manufacturer title at Wanneroo in August, in a mark of just how dominant the Mustangs cavalry has been this year.
Payne's Penrite Racing has won nine races, Shell V-Power Racing Team seven courtesy of Brodie Kostecki, Red Bull Ampol Racing six, and Tickford Racing two.
It begs the question: is this the best Ford has ever been placed heading to Bathurst? Perhaps, and while questions remain over driver and team performance, reliability, and parity, it would come as a shock to many if a Ford didn't end Sunday on top, ending a 12-year drought of back-to-back wins.
Payne has already thrown down the gauntlet to Chevrolet, claiming the General Motors camp has welcomed the underdog tag. It came before Supercars confirmed a ballast change to the Camaro after centre of gravity testing.
Payne, meanwhile, is also intrigued by the performance of the new Toyota Supra. Fans, meanwhile, have tipped Chaz Mostert and Fabian Coulthard to pull off a win for the Supra.
However, when asked by Supercars.com if it was Ford’s race to lose, Payne said: "Not really. I think it's everyone's race to lose.
“Bathurst is a race that if it presents conditions like it did last year, it is anyone's game. Anyone that minimises the most mistakes."
Payne continued: “We've had a great year with Ford, and the cars have been very, very quick.
"With Brodie getting pole last year, he's obviously gonna be super strong as well. You can count on him always turning up and delivering when it comes to Bathurst.
"So yeah, it's gonna be tough for everyone. I think everyone's gonna be pretty quick. We have to make sure we're focusing on our program and trying to get the most speed out of our cars.
"I know when we focus on that, and we're hitting our marks and doing the right things, we can be fast too. It's gonna be a good test for us going back there 12 months later, after a weekend where we really, really struggled for pace.”
Payne's closing comments are pertinent, given he qualified a disastrous 18th for the race. Rain and drama opened the door for Payne and Garth Tander to charge through and battle for the win.
It wasn't as simple a day for Payne's teammate Kai Allen, who was beaten from pillar to post after he also qualified well down the order in 21st.
Allen, though, wasn't drawn into the Ford debate, instead putting energy into ensuring he has a fast car from Thursday practice onwards.
“Everyone's talking about it. I don't really know. I just go out and drive. I don't get too caught up in that,” Allen said.
"There’s a lot smarter people that are employed to do that job and figure all that out in the team. So I give them the feedback what I'm feeling to the car, and then they can make those decisions.
“It's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out. I'm just excited for us to go there and do the best of what we've got."
Track action at the Mountain commences on Thursday.
