Source: Radio New Zealand
Matt Payne celebrates his win in race 12 of the Supercars championship at Ruapuna Raceway, Christchurch. Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographic
A loose wheel upended Matt Payne’s chance of victory in Supercars race 11, but he proved dominant in race 12.
The Auckland driver won by 11.6 seconds from Broc Feeney, with James Golding third.
It was 23-year-old Payne’s third win in Supercars events in New Zealand, after two wins in Taupō last year.
Compatriot Ryan Wood, who finished third in race 11, followed up with a fourth place in the next race, just missing out on a fifth straight podium appearance.
Brodie Kostecki, who won race 11, was fifth.
Payne was in contention for victory in race 11, but a mistake by his team in the pits saw a wheel come loose.
Kostecki’s lead over Broc Feeney in the overall championship narrowed to 61 points, with Payne 73 points back in third, with Wood breathing down his neck, eight points back.
Wood has a 33 point lead in the battle for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, which commemorates a talented Kiwi racing driver. The final race for the trophy, which is awarded on the basis of points from the Taupō and Christchurch, is over 200km at Ruapuna on Sunday.
That race begins at 3.05pm.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/04/18/matt-payne-cruises-in-for-supercars-victory-in-christchurch/