Matt inflicts more Payne on Feeney in Perth

Championship leader Matt Payne once again emerged on top in his season-long battle with Broc Feeney after a dramatic Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440 that delivered three gripping races and reinforced the Grove Racing Mustang driver’s status as the man to beat in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship.

While Feeney (Triple Eight Mustang) ensured the fight remained alive by snatching victory in Saturday afternoon’s second race, Payne ultimately claimed the greater prize by taking two race wins from the weekend and extending his championship lead to 118 points as he now has one hand on the Sprint Cup trophy heading into the finale at Queensland Raceway later this month.

Payne laid the foundations for his successful weekend by dominating Saturday morning’s opening race after converting pole position into a commanding victory. The Kiwi controlled proceedings from the front, leading home fellow New Zealander Ryan Wood (TWG Toyota) and Anton De Pasquale (Team 18 Chevrolet), while Feeney recovered from 13th on the grid to finish seventh.

Feeney responded in race two with one of his strongest performances of the season. The Triple Eight driver capitalised during the pit stop cycle when Payne was delayed by traffic, making a decisive pass on lap 28 before resisting sustained pressure to record his fifth victory of 2026. Payne settled for second, while his teammate Kai Allen (Grove Racing Mustang) completed a strong day for Grove Racing in third.

The decisive moment of the weekend came in Sunday’s 200-kilometre finale.

After Feeney started from pole, the championship rivals found themselves locked in another fierce battle following the final pit stops. Payne attacked as Feeney rejoined the circuit, the pair making wheel-to-wheel contact as they fought for the lead. The clash damaged Payne’s left rear tyre, leaving it partially off the rim, yet the Grove Racing driver somehow nursed the wounded car through the remaining laps despite relentless pressure from Feeney. Anton De Pasquale completed the podium after another consistent performance.

“I knew Broc was going to be quick,” Payne told Foxtel’s Jess Yates after securing the victory.

“I saw him come out, and I knew that I had a good run. I just went for a gap that was there. We got side by side, a little bit of bumping, but we ran the strategy we set out to, and it worked.”

Payne also praised the respectful nature of the duel despite the heavy contact.

“Credit to Broc. He raced me really clean… big respect to him.”

Feeney admitted finishing second was frustrating despite Red Bull Ampol Racing making significant gains during the weekend.

“They’re the benchmark at the moment,” Feeney said.

“We have made a huge jump as a team… but the racer in me wants to win.”

More than 40,000 fans attended the three-day event at Wanneroo Raceway, witnessing one of the closest championship battles of the season. With Payne now holding a 118-point advantage over Feeney, the rivalry heads to the Century Batteries Ipswich Super 440, where the Sprint Cup title and valuable bonus points for the Supercars Finals will be on the line.