![\"Payne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/019-Payne-EV-08-26-JM1_3390.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMatt Payne won Race 1 of the Perth Super440 at Wanneroo Raceway.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMatt Payne won Race 1 of the Perth Super440 at Wanneroo Raceway.<\/p>\n
Payne survived a late-race restart at Wanneroo Raceway to beat Walkinshaw TWG Racing\u2019s Ryan Wood and hard charger Anton De Pasquale for Team 18.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s never nice when you have about eight laps to go and you\u2019re going to be in a train again,\u201d said Payne.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, the #19 Penrite Racing Mustang was so fast today.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been good all qualifying and managed to get Cam early at the start and press on for the victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wood was happy to come away with a podium finish from fourth on the grid but conceded he couldn\u2019t match Payne\u2019s pace.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made it hard for myself,\u201d said Wood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a few brake dramas going on, but man, that [Payne Mustang] is on another level.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s so fast at the moment. I gave it my all. The next race will be hard from 11th, but I\u2019m super proud of our guys and girls because yesterday we were a second off.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo come back and fine-tune this car and put us in a podium position is a really proud moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
De Pasquale was an impressive third from ninth.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur car was quite good this morning on this tyre, we just mismanaged tyres and didn\u2019t have a green set for the last run,\u201d said the Team 18 drive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought we were a little bit out of position. But the race went our way, the car was really good, obviously not as good as a couple in front, but I was able to move forward, a few things went my way, so happy days.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the front row, Tickford Racing driver Cameron Waters got the jump from the cleaner side of the road and the holeshot into Turn 1. The same was true for Wood, who beat Thomas Randle into the first turn.<\/p>\n
The other top 10 starters \u2013 Kai Allen, Andre Heimgartner, Rylan Gray, Brodie Kostecki, Anton De Pasquale and Cameron Hill \u2013 maintained position at the end of Lap 1.<\/p>\n
The top five left Heimgartner to battle over sixth with Gray. The Brad Jones Racing Supra lost out to the Dick Johnson Racing Mustangs on Lap 4 and continued to haemorrhage position to De Pasquale and Hill on Lap 5.<\/p>\n
Big, aggressive moves to start Race 23 in Perth!!<\/p>\n
Catch all the action on the Live Feed: https:\/\/t.co\/7dJ4PB7Dba<\/a> #RepcoSC<\/a> #Supercars<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/M1lHOCmvwn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Supercars (@supercars) August 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n At the front of the field, Payne made his move on Waters for the lead into the final turn on Lap 5. Wood followed Payne through to take second.<\/p>\n With such a strong exit, Wood nearly got by Payne \u2013 though the Grove Mustang covered aggressively on the run to the first turn.<\/p>\n Randle gifted third place to Allen when the Tickford Mustang got loose entering Turn 1.<\/p>\n By Lap 10, Payne and Wood skipped away from Waters. Kostecki was sixth and six seconds off the lead, heading a gaggle of cars that included De Pasquale, Mostert, Gray and Hill.<\/p>\n Having passed his teammate just a few laps prior, Feeney found himself in strife on Lap 18 when he got loose at Turn 5 and lost places to Brown and Reynolds.\u00a0On the same lap, Allen passed Waters for third.<\/p>\n Kostecki was the first of the top 10 runners to pit out of sixth for three tyres on Lap 19.<\/p>\n By Lap 20, Payne led Wood to the tune of two seconds with Allen another two seconds back.<\/p>\n On Lap 21, Allen pitted and was followed in by Randle \u2013 each taking four tyres. Kostecki undercut Randle and rattled the rear dumper of Allen on the out-lap.<\/p>\n With warmer tyres, Kostecki got the better exit out of the final turn to take the position on Lap 24 entering Turn 1.<\/p>\n Mostert elected to take two tyres and executed a massive undercut on Kostecki to sit a projected third.<\/p>\n Wood pitted out of second on Lap 27 for four tyres. Payne and Waters responded a lap later to take tyres.<\/p>\n It was a brutal stop for Waters, who had an issue on the right rear wheels and lost positions hand over fist.<\/p>\n Once the pit stops cycled through, it was Payne who led Wood, Mostert, Kostecki, Allen, Randle, De Pasquale, Le Brocq, Heimgartner and Waters.<\/p>\n Allen struggled to make the most of his tyre advantage over Kostecki. Attack soon turned to defence as Randle put pressure on the Grove Mustang. That gave Kostecki a much-needed reprieve, albeit only brief.<\/p>\n Their battle brought De Pasquale into the picture. Over three laps they traded places, though it was De Pasquale who ultimately prevailed.<\/p>\n The battle between Kostecki and Allen finally came to a head on Lap 39 when the two Mustangs collided at Turn 1. Kostecki spun and got buried in the gravel trap, which brought out the Safety Car.<\/p>\n Allen gets into Kostecki and we have a Safety Car!!<\/p>\n Follow the Race 23 Live Feed here: https:\/\/t.co\/Z3HQkmssbO<\/a> #RepcoSC<\/a> #Supercars<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Gl0OhgWBzn<\/a><\/p>\n