Supercars Adelaide: Matt Payne wins finale as Chaz Mostert t...

Matt Payne took a strong win in the final Supercars race of the season on the streets of Adelaide, but all eyes were on the battle for the championship, which was ultimately taken by Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert.

Payne and his Grove Racing Ford Mustang dominated what was a dramatic race for seemingly everyone but him. He took the lead from the front row of the grid and simply drove away from the field, in much the same manner as his breakthrough first win at this very track two years ago.

“I don’t know what it is about Sunday, we just seem to keep performing,” said Payne after his fifth win of the season.

“A really good start, I was really happy to get that. Woody was putting a lot of pressure on me, the car was super-fast today, and I just had to bring it home.”

After an action-packed Saturday, Mostert was immaculate on Sunday. He started fourth and settled in second place and, even if he did not close the 5.9s margin to the leader, was more than pleased to be runner-up on the day.

“I can’t believe it. You start to doubt it year after year and I have always believed I can do it,” Mostert said after taking his first Supercars title in his 12th season at the top level. “Thank God for the finals, eh?

“They [the WAU team] kept me focused, the last 38 laps were a blur, to be honest. I just kept looking at the laps to go.

“It’s amazing to win with Ford, I started with Ford early in my career. I looked up to people like Marcos Ambrose, who is here today. To join the list of champions to win this with a Ford is fantastic.”

Matthew Payne, Grove Racing Ford Mustang GT

Photo by: Edge Photographics

In his last drive in a Triple Eight Chevrolet Camaro, Will Brown finished third – a good result from eighth on the grid for the 2024 champion, but one that probably meant little to his team, given the circumstances on the other side of the garage.

“It was great to get third, to be honest,” he said. “It opens up the game to next season. Chaz has done a fantastic job, he is a deserving champion.”

Broc Feeney has been the man to beat and title favourite since March, but on the final day of the season, things could hardly have gone worse. From his 19th pole position of the season, on the opening lap the second-placed Triple Eight Chevrolet was hit at the entry of Turn 6, Ryan Wood searching for a way through in his WAU Ford. In a flash, Feeney had to spin-turn his way back into the field, now in 21st position, and he was facing a Brown-like recovery drive.

At the same time, Jack Le Brocq suffered contact in the Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet, prompting a safety car. This seemed to save Feeney’s day, leaving him just 8s from the leader.

Then from the mid-point of the race, Feeney reported an intermittent engine misfire – for the second race in a row and, ironically, in the team’s final race with KRE-prepared Chevrolet motors.

He soldiered on but the car had little pace, and by the chequered flag he was back in 20th place and lapped by the leaders.

“It’s been a phenomenal year, something I will be proud of for the rest of my life,” he said through tears. “It’s the new [finals] system, you can have a great year and then it all goes away in the last race of the year.”

Kai Allen completed a great day for Grove Racing in fourth place, underlining his place in the finals system and completing what has been an impressive rookie season. Anton De Pasquale took fifth for Team 18 and Brodie Kostecki was sixth in the Dick Johnson Racing Ford, ahead of Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing Chevrolet), Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing Ford) and Cameron Hill (Matt Stone Racing Chevrolet).