Matt Payne eager to hold top Supercars Finals seeding
Penrite Racing star just five points clear of Broc Feeney
Gold Coast 500 set to be impacted by wet weather
Repco Supercars Championship leader Matt Payne has declared that he fully intends to maintain the top seeding through what threatens to be a chaotic opening to the Finals.
Payne enters the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 in a slightly unusual position, leading the points standings despite not collecting any of the bonus points as Sprint or Enduro Cup winner.
Clinching his Finals berth at Ipswich allowed Payne a free hit at the enduros, but despite having the pace to challenge for wins at both The Bend and Bathurst, luck fell against him and Will Davison.
Now, it's all eyes on the championship chase, but the first challenge could be the most challenging of the lot, at a sodden Surfers Paradise.
"Obviously it's going to be a pretty testing weekend with the weather and everything that's going to play out," Payne told media.
"Hopefully we can get through, and head to Sandown hopefully in the best spot in first, and just try and have a clean weekend."
Should either of the two races be rain-effected, as is expected, it would mark just the second time a Gen3 street race has been hit by rain, following the shortened Friday sprint race in Adelaide last year.
While the early running at The Bend was marred by torrential downpours and barely survivable track conditions, a wet Surfers Paradise Street Circuit will throw up a whole range of new challenges.
With painted lines, the crowning of the road, oils and debris from commuter traffic, all combined with heavy rainfall both before and during the event, just keeping out of trouble could be pivotal in the title race.
The last wet race on the Gold Coast was in 2018. Of the 24 drivers set to tackle the 2026 Gold Coast 500, only eight were on the grid back in 2018.
"It's obviously interesting. It's all public roads, so it's going to test how good the water drains are, but hopefully we can get out and experience it," added Payne.
"I remember watching it quite a few years ago when it was pouring down, and it certainly looked entertaining. It's going to be tough, but definitely excited."
The Gold Coast hasn't been the happiest of hunting grounds for the Kiwi, who is yet to stand on the podium in six starts, finishing fourth twice in both 2023 and 2024.
However, Payne enters with a handy 111-point buffer over the cut-line, though that could easily turn into a deficit should he hit trouble on Saturday.
Regardless, Payne still wants to tick off a maiden Gold Coast win, which would automatically book his place at the Semi Final in Sandown.
"For sure, I think if you're down the points ladder a little bit, this is a make or break weekend for your year," Payne said of the Finals jeopardy.
"Certainly in the position I'm in it makes it a little bit easier, but for sure we wanna still try and definitely win and you're in, that's the best way to do it."
On-track action in Surfers Paradise begins on Friday.
