Triple Eight continues rare dry spell amid big Penrite Racing statement
Penrite Racing makes big statement on moving championship day
Penrite Racing becomes fourth different team at the top of the points
Matt Payne took drivers' lead away from Broc Feeney
While it’s still early days, Penrite Racing has made an early statement in both championships.
While Matt Payne missed out on victory in Race 4, the Bathurst champion moved past Broc Feeney into the outright drivers’ lead.
Payne raced from fourth to second in Thursday’s race, passing Blanchard Racing Team’s James Golding before picking off Feeney on lap 3.
Remarkably, Payne not only became the third different drivers’ leader in four races, but Penrite Racing became the fourth different team in as many races to lead the points.
BRT were shock leaders after Race 1 in Sydney, before Team 18 took over after Anton De Pasquale’s stunning Race 2 win. Then, Tickford Racing left Sydney as the leaders.
Despite Feeney winning two races, Red Bull Ampol Racing has yet to lead the teams’ points, largely in part due to Will Brown’s rollercoaster start to the season.
Brown left Sydney 15th in the standings after being penalised twice in as many days, finishing outside the top 10 in two of the three races.
Heading into Sydney, Payne leads Feeney by the slender margin of six points, while Penrite Racing leads Red Bull Ampol Racing by three points. Tickford are 14 points behind Penrite Racing, while Team 18 is still only 71 points from the lead.
For what it's worth, Triple Eight took the 2025 teams' lead from Tickford in Melbourne, and weren't headed from there.
If there weren't enough 'what ifs' to contend with, Penrite Racing lost 91 points in the Sydney finale as Kai Allen suffered a late mechanical issue, with Allen also climbing from last to 11th in Thursday's race after being tipped into a spin on lap 1.
However, the early form guide has proved that while getting the orange numbers is one thing, keeping them is another. The Kiwi knows there is no room for complacency.
"It's all about consistency and trying to win some races, that's what's going to get you the most points," said Payne post-race.
"We haven't won one this year, we've had a number of podiums. It's pretty early on, but we need to try and win some races and stay up the front."
The championship picture will likely change again after Friday’s Race 5, which will commence at 5:30pm local time.
