Driver manager Michael Patrizi praises Matt Payne
Kiwi leading championship despite off-track noise
Payne starring in face of speculation, blocked NASCAR debut
Former racer turned manager Michael Patrizi has hailed Matt Payne’s ability to block outside noise amid a rollercoaster year for the Supercars points leader.
Payne delivered one of his finest performances in Sunday’s Perth finale, fighting past arch-rival Broc Feeney and hanging on with a damaged car to win his fifth race of the season.
On track, Payne has firmly established himself as one Supercars’ elite, and is currently in the box seat to take out the Repco Sprint Cup.
Off track, noise around Payne’s future has been one of the key storylines of the season, with the Bathurst champion being courted by General Motors. Just weeks ago, Payne made a decisive statement on his future, saying he will see out his contract with Penrite Racing.
At the centre of it has been Patrizi, formerly a Supercars racer himself, who is Payne’s manager.
Racer turned talent spotter Patrizi started with Payne in 2016. With Patrizicorse, Payne went to the KZ2 World Cup in 2019. COVID denied Payne a European karting shot in 2020.
Payne returned to New Zealand, and duly won the Toyota Racing Series, finishing third behind Shane van Gisbergen in the NZ Grand Prix. Things moved fast from there, Payne jumping into Carrera Cup before being picked up by the Groves and thrown into Super2. He made his Bathurst debut in 2022, before rising to the main game in 2023.
Patrizi, a West Aussie, was a race fan on Sunday, and couldn’t believe what his young star managed to achieve.
“It’s pretty cool. He's operating at another level at the moment,” Patrizi said on Supercars’ Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast.
“I think Broc is too. To watch those two go at it, both with damage, I think is pretty special for the sport. Those two are just driving so hard.”
Given the ongoing tension away from the track, Patrizi couldn’t sideline his own emotions as he watched Payne and Feeney go to battle.
“There's a lot of emotion. I had my fingers crossed,” Patrizi continued.
“I was watching the race with [Penrite co-drivers] Timmy Slade and Will Davison, and we're all just sitting there going, ‘How are these boys doing this?’ But yeah, a lot of emotion.
“It's been an interesting season on and off the track, right? But look, we're all bigger people, and everyone's pushing forward and it's just great to see what these drivers are doing.”
Earlier this year, it emerged that Payne had a GM NASCAR Cup Series cameo blocked by Penrite Racing. Patrizi made a statement of his own, claiming Payne had been deprived of a golden opportunity.
That came weeks after Payne broke his wrist in a mountain bike accident.
Through it all, Payne has remained his typical languid self, and his on track performance has arguably improved in the weeks since.
“I think that's the most impressive thing of Matty. He's letting us do our job, and it's not nice, what's being said is being said,” Patrizi continued.
“He’s just got a great filter. Stuff comes in, he blocks it out, and his job is just to drive, and that's what we've instilled in from the start. He's got Heath [Meldrum, trainer] with him full-time and a good group of people around him that he's just able to do his job.
“And I’ve got to say, the team's doing a cracker job. Those guys down there are doing a great job and giving him the tools to do what he does. So credit to them.”
Payne leads Feeney by 118 points heading to Ipswich on August 21-23.
