Matt Payne has claimed back to back victories in Race 13 of the 2026 Supercars Championship at the 2026 ITM Christchurch Super 440. Kai Allen finished second to give Penrite Racing their first ever 1-2. While Broc Feeney secured third and the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy in a dramatic ending to the NZ double header.
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.
Payne secured another pole position for Race 13 after converting strong pace across both sessions into a Shootout pole. Behind him, Anton De Pasquale and Ryan Wood will start the race from second and third.
Drama before the Start
Cam Waters’ race was almost over before the start. The Tickford driver was forced to begin from pit lane after failing to get underway on the formation lap.
Once started, the race descended into chaos almost immediately after the start. A messy sequence of incidents through the opening corners left multiple cars damaged. Initial contact between David Reynolds and Macauley Jones triggered a chain reaction that also caught Cameron Hill, while further back Aaron Cameron was among those collected as the pack concertinaed with nowhere to go.
Confusion only added to the drama, with mixed safety car signals leaving drivers uncertain whether to slow or continue racing, creating a disjointed and frantic opening lap. As cars limped away with damage and others scrambled to avoid the unfolding incidents, the race was effectively neutralised before it had a chance to properly settle.
Early stuff
After the chaotic opening lap and Safety Car intervention, Payne executed the restart cleanly and immediately reasserted control at the front. The Penrite Racing driver wasted no time building a margin, stretching his lead beyond a second as he looked to break the slipstream and dictate the pace.
Behind him, Allen settled into second but was briefly held up in traffic, most notably by Will Brown, whose defensive driving slowed Allen’s progress and allowed the chasing pack to close in. That moment proved crucial in bringing Feeney into the fight, with the Triple Eight driver rapidly closing the gap and emerging as a genuine threat for second.
Further back, the race remained tightly contested as drivers recovered from the early incidents. Wood continued to feature prominently near the front group, maintaining track position and keeping himself in contention for both a strong result and the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy. Around him, Brown and the leading Chevrolet runners were locked in a fierce midfield battle, trading positions as they fought to move forward.
As the stint progressed, the field began to compress, with tyre life and race pace starting to shape the order. Feeney’s pressure on Allen continued to build, while Payne remained composed out front, controlling the race and responding when needed as the stage was set for the late-race drama.
Heartbreak for Wood
While Payne continues to extend his lead over the field, it was Feeney who began to close in on Allen. Behind them, Wood looked to pick up additional points as he closed in on Brown. With less than ten laps to go in Race 13, it was a fight for the lead Chevrolet as Le Borcq and De Pasquale traded places around Ruapuna. While there was drama on the main straight as Ryan Wood came to a stop. The leader of the Jason Richards Trophy, Wood brought out a Safety Car, ultimately loosing out on the prized NZ Trophy. With Wood now out of contention, Feeney and Kostecki were tied on points with only five laps to go.
David Reynolds was the first to pit under the Safety Car, Macauley Jones and Jayden Ojeda followed him in as the field backed up. With the two Penrite cars qiven clear instructions not to fight, the safety car ended with three laps to go.
With the green flags waving, Feeney was quick onto Allen before Mostert pressured the Mustang. Payne was quick to pull away from the field, building over a second gap after the first lap. After trying to pass for fourth, Mostert sent Kostecki was sent flying across the dirt, leaving him out of contention for the JR Trophy. Mostert picked up a thirty second time penalty, dropping him down to 17th, Golding will now finish the race in fourth.
However, it was elation at the front of the field as Payne secures back to back victories at home. Allen secures a 1-2 for Penrite, their best result of the season so far. Feeney rounds out the Race 13 podium in third with the Jason Richards Trophy. Kostecki’s day goes from bad to worse, after loosing out on the Championship lead, Feeney now has a 23 gap to the field as the Supercars Championship looks to Tasmania.
Final Supercars Race 13 classification and results from Christchurch
- Payne
- Allen
- Feeney
- Golding
- Waters
- Brown
- Le Brocq
- Heimgartner
- Murray
- Fraser
- De Pasquale
- Hill
- Reynolds
- Ojeda
- Bates
- Jones
- Mostert
- Kostecki
- Randle
- Stewart
- Walls
- Wood
- Cameron
- Gray
