Pukekohe Supercars driver Matthew Payne has had a brilliant weekend ruined after twice being taken out of the lead of a race at the Australian Grand Prix round in Melbourne over the weekend.
Payne drove superbly in the first two races of the weekend to bank a pair of third-place finishes to boost his championship standings.
But he went better on Saturday, qualifying on the front row for the last two races of the weekend.
He was out in front on Saturday when he came together with Cam Waters in a controversial scenario where both drivers had to take some blame.
Stewards opted not to punish either competitor as both were unable to finish due to the damage sustained.
But Sunday’s finale was an even more bitter pill to swallow for Payne.
He made a brilliant start to lead at the first corner and looked in control of the race before Chaz Mostert made a mistake, locked his brakes and slid into Payne, pushing him off the track.
To compound matters, Payne was then spun by Bryce Fullwood moments later and dropped to the rear of the field.
While the results will show only two podium finishes, Payne’s speed should give the youngster plenty of confidence that he can consistently challenge for race wins in 2024.
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