Matthew Payne aims to build on his success at Taupō when racing in Tasmania this weekend. Photo / Photosport
Matthew Payne aims to build on his success at Taupō when racing in Tasmania this weekend. Photo / Photosport
Kiwi Supercars’ driver Matthew Payne is looking forward to building on his good form from the last round at Taupō when the action hits Symmons Plains, Tasmania, this weekend.
Payne left the New Zealand round of the championship with the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy after winning two races and clinching a fourth place.
“Taupō was certainly pretty good,” Payne told the Weekend Herald. “It was obviously an incredible weekend in New Zealand to get two wins and a pole.
“To be able to pick up the Jason Richards trophy was incredibly special for myself and the team.
“It’s been good for the team and me to be able to relax a bit and focus on this weekend. Taupō [success] for sure will help this weekend and we’ll be putting a lot of effort in to make sure we stay consistent, unlike last year.
“We know what is required and now it’s about executing.”
The 22-year-old sits third in the title race after three rounds on 605 points behind Cam Waters (617) and series leader Will Brown (651) and ahead of Broc Feeney (590) and Chaz Mostert (565).
Matthew Payne won Sunday's race in the last Supercars round at Taupō to claim the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. Photo / Photosport
Consistency is the key to a championship and while Payne is aware it’s early in the race for title, if he can keep the momentum going, he should be in the championship hunt at the pointy end of the season.
The competition, though, is getting more intense and a slip-up at any of the next few tracks will have a lasting impact on any title aspirations Payne may have.
“I think we are starting to build a good platform now [to maybe challenge for a title]. For us, it’s about these next few tracks [starting this weekend] some of which we really struggled at.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how we’re going to turn it around [inconsistency] and if we do it’ll help with a strong year starting here this weekend. There’s a lot riding on this weekend and the team has done a really good job with preparation and what is required to go fast here.
“With the new format [two sprint races on Saturday and feature race on Sunday] you can’t afford to make any mistakes, and you have to be as consistent as you can.
“It is tough, but it’s just the game now and will prove who is the best and who will come out on top at the end of it.
“Consistency is the key to everything, and you saw last year that Will [Brown] was the most consistent of all of us and he won the championship. You can’t be up and down,” he said.
The Tasmania track situated outside Launceston has been a bogey circuit for a number of drivers in the past, including Payne. He’s struggled around there previously because the track is hard to pass on, tricky to navigate and has complex braking zones where the car doesn’t rotate well.
Matt Payne (in Penrite Grove Mustang) sits third in the title race with 605 points, behind Cam Waters and Will Brown.
The track may only have seven corners, however, it has three quite distinct sections, so stitching a fast, complete lap together requires a good car set-up and good driving technique.
“It’s a tough little track that’s for sure. It has not been our best friend in the past. It’s just so short with not many corners. It’s quite difficult to make a difference as a driver and that makes it harder to get the set-up right.
“It’s challenging but that’s all right; that’s our sport and why we do it. Like every track you want to roll out really strong. Here it’s a bit more difficult as the car and set-up is quite different from last year, so if we can roll out strong here it could bode well for some of the other tracks later on in the series we’ve struggled at in the past.
