Wet and Wild on Day 2 of the ITM Taupo Super400

Day 2 at the ITM Taupo Super400 was a mixed bag of highs, lows, and plenty of rain for Penrite Racing. Matt Payne started the day strong, securing provisional pole position in Boost Mobile Qualifying to the delight of local fans. Meanwhile, Richie Stanaway faced a tougher start, landing at P23 on the grid.

Reflecting on his provisional pole position, Payne shared, “It was pretty hectic. The track was pretty dicey in some places. Like, on the new surface, you couldn’t really tell if it was dry or not. So, it was tough to sort of pick out the right line to use. But, yeah, we got there in the end, managed to do a good time when it mattered.”

The Top 10 Shootout posed unexpected challenges as heavy rain set in, hindering Payne’s fastest lap attempt and pushing him to P8 to start Race 7 at Taupo International Motorsport Park.

Race 7 of the Repco Supercars Championship started with a bang but quickly turned chaotic. Following a collision between Tim Slade and pole-sitter Cam Waters, the BP Charge Safety Car was deployed immediately. This triggered another clash, causing Payne to spin out and plummet to the back of the pack in the early stages of the race.

As the conditions worsened, complaints of aquaplaning spread across the track. Meanwhile, Payne and Stanaway faced further complications in the pit lane, getting caught in congestion. Both drivers were double stacked, causing them to lose valuable time.

Despite facing an early setback, Payne staged a recovery but ultimately finished in P13, falling short of his hopes. On the other hand, Stanaway made a bold statement with aggressive maneuvers, securing P6. This 17-place leap highlighted his expertise in wet weather driving, moving him to 4th in the drivers’ championship.

“There was a lot of chaos out there, so it was a patience game, the car felt really good, full wet set up on there,” Stanaway commented. “Happy with the result but we need to try to turn around our qualifying result for tomorrow.”

As the weekend’s racing continues, excitement builds for tomorrow’s second 60-lap race at 3:05pm NZST/1:05pm AEST. Join us to see how Matt and Richie conclude their weekend in Taupo. Don’t miss the action!