Another Podium Finish for Penrite Racing at the Australian Grand Prix

On the second day of the Australian Grand Prix, Penrite Racing continued its impressive streak with yet another podium finish. After Matt Payne clinched a podium victory in Race 3 of the Repco Supercars Championship the previous day, anticipation was high for the team’s performance in the day’s sole race. Originally scheduled as a 19-lap event at Albert Park, it was shortened to 17 laps to accommodate Formula One practice sessions.

Starting from P5 and P10, drivers Matt Payne and Richie Stanaway aimed to deliver a strong performance. Despite a brief setback with Matt slipping to P7, he quickly regained momentum, demonstrating remarkable skill and determination on the track. A key moment occurred when Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney made an error, dropping from second to fourth in the race’s closing stages. Seizing the opportunity, Matt surged ahead to secure P3, despite sustaining wheel damage during the opening lap skirmish.

Matt Payne shared his insights on the race, stating, “It was pretty hard in the end there, then Broc went wide – I didn’t actually realise it was Broc. I thought it was Will. I thought I was racing him the whole time. There’s just battles everywhere. The track is so wide that you just have so many people looking for opportunity. It does make for some really hard racing. It’s bad if you’re on the wrong end of it but I enjoyed it.”

Meanwhile, Richie Stanaway delivered a solid performance, finishing in P13 after a fiercely contested race. Richie Stanaway added, “It was a tough race out there today. Finishing in P13 wasn’t my target, but I’ll learn from today’s experiences and return stronger tomorrow. The team’s spirit is high, and we’re prepared to tackle whatever comes our way in the upcoming races.”

Following these results, Matt Payne advances to 4th place in the overall championship standings, with Richie closely behind in 6th. Additionally, Penrite Racing maintains a solid 2nd place in the team championship.

Penrite Racing will return to the circuit for back-to-back sudden-death qualifying sessions at 9 am (AEDT) and 9:25 am on Saturday, before race 5 starts at 5:40 pm. The team’s consistent performance and determination have solidified their position as formidable contenders in the Repco Supercars Championship.