Payne defies damage to outlast Feeney in Perth epic

Matt Payne has pulled off a miracle victory at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440, defying a flying Broc Feeney and a damaged wheel to claim an all-important victory.

Feeney looked to be in the box seat through the opening half of the race, before Penrite Racing pulled another strategy blinder to vault the #19 Ford into the lead, despite contact with Feeney.

That triggered a heart-in-mouth final stint for Payne and Penrite, as a damaged left rear wheel threatened to derail Payne's afternoon. However, it held on through a 30-lap final stint for an important victory.

Payne now carries a 118-point advantage over Feeney heading into the Repco Sprint Cup finale at Ipswich in August, with Cam Waters also in mathematical contention for the title.

Ryan Wood was shaping as a key contender from fourth on the grid, but the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Toyota would be a non-starter, pulling in after the formation lap with an airbox issue.

The left fourth on the grid vacant for the start, when Waters and Feeney went toe-to-toe off the front row, pole position proving the difference for Feeney has muscled by Waters at the first corner.

Will Brown was also muscling his way through from 19th on the grid, pushing Rylan Gray off at Turn 6 and earning himself a 15-second penalty in the process. Brown then locked horns with Kai Allen exiting Turn 2 on lap 10, Allen surfing through the grass in a wild exchange as he motored on forward from starting 23rd.

Feeney, Waters, and Payne were line astern at the front of the field, Payne putting more pressure on Waters than Waters was on Feeney. On lap 14, Payne nipped up the inside of Waters at the exit of Turn 6, Waters feathering out of the throttle down the back straight and conceding defeat early in the race.

Payne had a 1.8s margin to find on Feeney after the brief battle, as Feeney controlled the opening stint of the race.

Chaz Mostert had carved his way from 12th to sixth in the opening stint, but got caught behind Aaron Cameron as he re-entered the circuit, Cameron taking the Turn 2 kerb and having a huge moment as he tried to avoid the Toyota.

Jack Le Brocq nearly tipped the race on its head when he fired off at Turn 7 while battling Finals bubble rival James Golding, though he got out of the sand and continued on, without the need for a Safety Car.

Feeney started losing big chunks of his lead as he came up to the tail of the field, and pitted on lap 30, with Waters and Brodie Kostecki reacting, and Payne continuing on. Kostecki was stung by a poor fuel flow at his stop.

Payne's first stint ran for another five laps, Penrite Racing bringing the championship leader in on lap 35 as he caught the traffic. Feeney emerged from the cycle with a four second lead.

An angry Kostecki moved by Waters for third, though the true extent of his fuel situation wasn't made apparent until lap 71, when he had to make a third stop just to make it home.

Penrite's strategy worked wonders in the middle stint, Payne motoring into Feeney's lead, which was crushed to three tenths of a second by lap 48.

However, after going for the overcut in the first stop cycle, Payne pulled the undercut card on lap 51, with Feeney responding the next time by.

Feeney rejoined right in front of Payne, who made a brave move down the inside of Turn 3, clattering into the #88 Red Bull Ampol Ford and leaping into the lead.

The move might have come at a cost, however, with Payne then complaining of a vibration in the left rear, with Feeney heaping pressure after he got his tyres up to temperature.

Cameras then focussed on the left rear tyre, which had become partially detached from the rim, but somehow remaining inflated as Payne fought to maintain the lead.

Payne fended off Feeney's initial advances with 20 laps to go, though the gap extended out to six tenths with 13 to go, as the #88 Ford prepared for a final assault for the win.

But try as he might, Feeney couldn't reel in the Kiwi, Payne holding on for 1.2s win, while another inspired strategy from Team 18 saw Anton De Pasquale vault into third over Waters, while Allen starred to go from 23rd to fifth. Mostert finished sixth ahead of Cameron, Jayden Ojeda, David Reynolds, and Thomas Randle rounding out the top 10.

Payne, Feeney, and Waters will fight it out for the Repco Sprint Cup when the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship continues at the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440 from August 21-23.