HE wasn’t able to wrap up the Repco Sprint Cup just yet, but Matt Payne is officially the first driver to qualify for the 2026 Supercars finals series.
Payne entered today’s second race with a chance to put the Sprint Cup win beyond doubt, only for things to unravel late in the piece.
From holding second with just teammate Kai Allen ahead, Payne dropped back to sixth in a hectic run to the chequered flag while his last remaining threat Broc Feeney climbed to third.
That means the margin between the duo is now 110 points, with up to 145 available in tomorrow’s Ipswich Super440 finale.
Therefore, 17th place in Race 28 would be enough for Payne to seal the silverware, no matter what Feeney does.
Either way, Payne’s playoffs berth is already secured.
That’s because he is more than 745 points clear of ninth-placed Ryan Wood.
There are three ways to absolutely guarantee a finals ticket: win the Sprint Cup, win the Enduro Cup, or be top eight in the season standings at the end of Bathurst.
With 745 points in play across tomorrow, The Bend 500 and Bathurst 1000, Payne is safe – i.e. he could sit out all three races and still finish the ‘regular season’ no worse than eighth.