Supercars News: Matt Payne wins race 1 in Perth Grove Racing’s Matt Payne continued his dominant form in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, converting pole position into a commanding victory in Race 23 of the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super440 at Wanneroo Raceway. The 23-year-old Aucklander led home fellow Kiwi Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw TWG Racing) by just over three seconds, with Anton De Pasquale (Team 18) completing the podium after a strong charge from ninth on the grid. –by Mark Cipolloni– Payne had set the tone on Friday by topping practice and then claimed Boost Mobile poles for both of Saturday’s 50-lap sprint races. He made it look relatively straightforward once the race settled, but the opening contest was far from processional and featured plenty of contact, strategy plays, and a decisive late Safety Car. Race Action Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) got the better launch from the outside of the front row and seized the lead into Turn 1, with Wood also making a strong start to slot into third ahead of Thomas Randle. Payne quickly recovered and seized the lead from Waters into the final corner on Lap 5, with Wood following him through into second. The two Kiwis then began to edge clear. Further back, the midfield was lively. Kai Allen (Grove Racing) benefited when Randle got loose at Turn 1, while Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) had work to do after starting 13th. Pit stop strategy became pivotal around the mid-race mark. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) was the first of the frontrunners to stop (three tyres from sixth on Lap 19). Allen and Randle followed soon after for four tyres, and Kostecki briefly undercut them before Mostert’s two-tyre strategy delivered a strong undercut of his own. Payne and Wood pitted from the lead around Laps 27-28 (four