He\u2019s the highest scoring driver of the last three rounds, during which time he\u2019s scored a field-best average of 97.6 points per race and 227.7 points per weekend.<\/p>\n
Drivers championship, previous three rounds<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1759535888_361_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
1. Matt Payne: 683 points<\/p>\n
2. Cam Waters: 658 points<\/p>\n
3. Brodie Kostecki: 654 points<\/p>\n
4. Broc Feeney: 644 points<\/p>\n
5. Will Brown: 639 points<\/p>\n
So while focus on the Bathurst battle centres on defending winner Brodie Kostecki and championship leader Feeney, shouldn\u2019t Payne be considered among the favourites?<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, 100 per cent,\u201d he tells foxsports.com.au. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason not to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Payne\u2019s statement of intent comes off the back of what\u2019s been the best season of his young career.<\/p>\n
Matthew Payne driver of the #19 Penrite Racing Ford Mustang GT during The Bend Enduro, part of the 2025 Supercars Championship.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
His maiden campaign ended with 14th place but a portentous maiden victory and podium at the final race in Adelaide.<\/p>\n
He improved to fifth last year in a season that quadrupled his number of rostrum appearances.<\/p>\n
This year he\u2019s up to second in the standings with three wins and five other podiums and has collected an already career-high 1972 points.<\/p>\n
Payne arrived in the sport with great potential, but his rate of development has been impressive, with the Kiwi a threat not just for Bathurst glory but for title leader Feeney too.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously it\u2019s been a big improvement from where we were last year,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m really happy with the progress we\u2019ve made.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s a little bit of natural improvement there, but I also think the rate of improvement has changes a lot with how much you work and your work ethic and what you are doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it comes down to pre-event stuff, just understanding a lot \u2014 about the tracks, the car set up, racing. There\u2019s a lot of different areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
His rise has also mirrored the arrival of Grove as a consistent frontrunning force.<\/p>\n
Grove is second in the teams championship and three times has been the highest scoring Ford team this season, and it\u2019s on average the second-fastest car in qualifying trim.<\/p>\n
Average gap to fastest, top five teams<\/p>\n
1. Triple Eight: +0.130 seconds<\/p>\n
2. Grove: +0.260 seconds<\/p>\n
3. Dick Johnson Racing: +0.261 seconds<\/p>\n
4. Tickford: +0.265 seconds<\/p>\n
5. Walkinshaw Andretti United: +0.304 seconds<\/p>\n
Paynes\u2019s rise has mirrored the arrival of Grove as a consistent frontrunning forceSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this year we\u2019ve definitely got ourselves in a bit of a routine with what we\u2019re doing preparing for each event,\u201d Payne explains. \u201cI think it\u2019s been working well.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur car\u2019s definitely been a bit more consistent this year. We\u2019ve changed our bad days from being outside the 10 and being in the bottom half of the teens to now being in the 10 and having a seventh and eight or something like that. There\u2019s a massive difference in points when that\u2019s the case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the other guys just probably haven\u2019t quite had the consistency and have had those average days \u2014 they seem to be having a couple of DNFs or penalties here, and they sort of get shifted back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Payne has the equal second most top-10 appearances, with 22 \u2014 the same as Feeney and only one fewer than reigning champion Will Brown. The next best is Cam Waters, with 19 finishes in the top 10.<\/p>\n
That sort of consistency is apparent when it comes to car speed too. Averaging the gap between each team\u2019s fastest and slowest qualifying performances each round shows Grove to the second most solid team on the grid.<\/p>\n
Consistency of average gap to fastest, top five teams<\/p>\n
1. Walkinshaw Andretti United: \u00b10.149 seconds<\/p>\n
2. Grove: \u00b10.150 seconds<\/p>\n
3. Triple Eight: \u00b10.151 seconds<\/p>\n
4. Tickford: \u00b10.217 seconds<\/p>\n
5. Dick Johnson Racing: \u00b10.228 seconds<\/p>\n
How to beat Bathurst’s hidden dangers! | 04:42<\/p>\n
\u201cI think our consistency is what\u2019s showing us good points,\u201d Payne says. \u201cWe\u2019re definitely taking the opportunities when they\u2019re here.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut needless to say, there\u2019s always more stuff you can be doing, so we\u2019re always trying to find the next thing that\u2019s going to help us go faster.\u201d<\/p>\n
BATHURST IS DIFFERENT<\/p>\n
But sprint rounds \u2014 where so much of the tone of the season was set \u2014 and even the opening endurance round in Tailem Bend are different to Bathurst.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just that it\u2019s far and away the longest race of the season. The pressure that comes with the prestige is significantly higher. It\u2019s the showpiece race. The Bend is a curtain-raiser for the main event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s good that it sits up on a bit of a pedestal,\u201d Payne says. \u201cIt\u2019s probably fair to say it should be. I think the enduro aspect of our championship is a lot different to the normal sprint weekends or your long-race weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally really enjoy the enduro weekends. I like having two drivers and it being a little bit more of a team game or between the two drivers you\u2019re working together to build this set-up and things like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really, really enjoy the aspect of it, and I think it\u2019s going to be interesting to see how it goes for a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Payne has an advantage when it comes to sharing his car. His co-driver is five-time Bathurst 1000 winner and 2007 champion Garth Tander.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously Garth\u2019s knowledge is superb and it\u2019s superior when it comes to people on the grid and co-drivers available,\u201d Payne says. \u201cHe\u2019s certainly brought a level up for the team, the last few years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re certainly a lot more prepared this year than we were last year. He always works pretty hard.<\/p>\n