Matt Payne picked up another pole position of the 2026 Supercars Championship in Qualifying at the 2026 ITM Christchurch Super 440. The Christchurch local converting strong pace across both sessions into a Shootout pole. Behind him, Anton De Pasquale and Ryan Wood and the leading contenders that will start Race 13 from the front rows.
So far this weekend…
Matt Payne claimed a historic pole position in Christchurch, edging out a charging Brodie Kostecki. and Ryan Wood. While in Race 10, Kai Allen has picked up his maiden Supercars victory. In one of the closest finishes of the season, Brodie Kostecki had to settle for second, while Ryan Wood claimed third.
In Qualifying, Kostecki and Wood both secured pole positions in Race 11 and 12. Kostecki claimed his fifth victory of the season in Race 11 ahead of Allen and Wood. In Race 12, Payne secured victory at home, finishing ahead of Broc Feeney and James Golding.
Heading into the final day at Christchurch, Wood leads the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, while Kostecki is ahead of the Championship Standings.
Wood and Payne set the pace
Sunday’s qualifying at Christchurch saw the field split across two sessions, with Kiwi drivers Payne and Wood again at the forefront. After his first victory of 2026 yesterday, Payne ensured a Penrite Racing presence at the front once again. The Christchurch local backed up his earlier pace across the weekend. Brodie Kostecki slotted into third ahead of Kai Allen as the usual front-runners remained firmly in contention.
Anton De Pasquale led the Chevrolet charge in fifth, with Broc Feeney close behind. With the margins tight across the top 10, it was Chaz Mostert, who failed to break into the Shootout.
Payne on Provisional Pole
With the second half of the grid set, the fight for Shootout positions proved highly competitive. Less than a second covering the leading runners, as Wood and Payne continued to trade benchmark times. Wood’s benchmark lap proved decisive, as he failed to place ahead of eight. Payne and Golding ensured they would have prime shooter positions, while Kostecki finished the session in third.
Will Brown maintained strong form to secure a place in the Shootout, alongside Feeney and De Pasquale. Additionally, Allen, Aaron Cameron and Cam Waters rounded out the top 10 contenders.
Payne delivers to seal Shootout pole
Payne converted provisional pace into pole position with a commanding lap in the Top 10 Shootout. The New Zealander delivered a 1:20.9824s to secure his second pole of the weekend.
Anton De Pasquale emerged as a surprise front-row starter, using a smart tyre strategy to climb to second. Ryan Wood, the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy leader was narrowly edged out of the front row into third.
Behind them, Will Brown and Broc Feeney filled out the top five, with Kai Allen sixth. However, mistakes proved costly for several contenders, with Brodie Kostecki running wide and relegated to seventh. James Golding’s lap unravelled after a lock-up and off-track excursion, leaving him 10th on the grid. Golding’s BRT teammate Cameron will start Race 13 from ninth.
Payne’s performance capped a dominant qualifying display in front of a home crowd, positioning him strongly for the race as momentum swung back in his favour.
Final Supercars Qualifying classification and results from Christchurch
- Payne
- De Pasquale
- Wood
- Brown
- Feeney
- Allen
- Kostecki
- Waters
- Cameron
- Golding
- Mostert
- Bates
- Le Brocq
- Murray
- Stewart
- Randle
- Ojeda
- Walls
- Gray
- Heimgartner
- Reynolds
- Jones
- Fraser
- Hill
