Kiwi takes honours at Supercars Taupo
- Dave Worsley
- Apr 12
- 1 min read
New Zealand Supercars drivers have dominated the opening 37-lap race of the Taupo Super 440.
Penrite Racing's Matthew Payne claimed the victory from pole at Taupo International Motorsport Park on Saturday, while 21-year-old Wellingtonian Ryan Wood earned his first podium with a third after a late charge.
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The Auckland 22-year-old was consistent from start to finish in the race to take the chequered flag and his third career victory, 4.102 seconds ahead of Cam Waters.
Wood crossed in third after overtaking Australian Anton De Pasquale on the penultimate lap.
Of the other New Zealand drivers, Andre Heimgartner, Jaxon Evans and Richie Stanaway were eighth, 17th and 18th, respectively.
In Saturday's second 37-lap race, Payne finished just off the podium in fourth, after qualifying seventh, while Heimgartner was eighth and Wood ninth, both starting outside the top-10. Stanaway qualified 13th but finished 21st, and Evans remained 19th.
Australian series leader Will Brown moved up from 13th on the grid to finish fifth in Race 8, while he crossed in seventh in Race 9.
Qualifying for Sunday's 61-lap feature race starts at 10.35am, with the top-10 shootout from 12.50pm, with the green flag dropping at 3.05pm.
