Supercars News: Payne leads Grove Racing 1-2 in Christchurch Super 440

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — New Zealand’s Matt Payne turned pole position into a dominant victory in the 61-lap, 200-kilometer feature race to close out the inaugural ITM Christchurch Super 440, leading home Grove Racing teammate Kai Allen in a breakthrough one-two finish for the Ford squad in Ruapuna.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Payne was virtually untouchable from the front of the grid at Ruapuna Raceway, controlling the race from start to finish and securing back-to-back wins to cap a memorable weekend on New Zealand soil. For sophomore Allen, second place marked another strong result in his young career and delivered Grove Racing its first-ever 1-2 in the Repco Supercars Championship.

Broc Feeney rounded out the podium in third for Triple Eight Race Engineering. While the Red Bull Ampol Racing driver didn’t stand atop the podium, his consistent points haul across the Taupō and Christchurch events earned him the coveted Jason Richards Memorial Trophy—and the outright lead of the 2026 drivers’ championship.

The race delivered high drama in the closing stages. Local hero Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw TWG Racing) was running strongly and looked a strong contender for the JR Trophy until his Toyota engine expired with just six laps remaining. The retirement brought out a Safety Car, resetting the field and intensifying the battle for the trophy.

On the restart, a fierce battle between Brodie Kostecki and Chaz Mostert turned ugly when contact at Turn 2 sent Kostecki spinning wildly across the track. Stewards hit Mostert with a 30-second penalty for avoidable contact, dropping the Walkinshaw driver from a potential strong finish to 17th and handing Feeney clear air to seal the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

The chaotic finish capped a hugely successful first Supercars visit to New Zealand’s South Island. Saturday and Sunday sell-outs helped the weekend draw a record crowd of 65,806 fans to Mike Pero Motorsport Park, proving the appetite for top-tier touring car racing in Christchurch.

After two intense weekends in Taupō and Christchurch, the Repco Supercars Championship now returns to Australia for the remainder of its 14-event season.

ITM Christchurch Super 440 Feature Race – 61 Laps

*Mostert received a 30-second time penalty for avoidable contact with Kostecki.

The result moves Feeney into the championship lead, with Grove Racing’s strong showing in New Zealand confirming the team’s growing status as a genuine title threat in 2026.