Andre Heimgartner secures his first victory of 2026 in Race 15 of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship in Tasmania.
Securing back to back victories for Toyota, Heimgartner held off a charging Broc Feeney after claiming his first pole since 2023. Behind the, Matt Payne rounded out the podium in third.
Heimgartner Back on Pole
Toyota continued its impressive start to life in the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship as Chaz Mostert and Andre Heimgartner shared the pole positions in a chaotic qualifying morning at Symmons Plains for Race 14 and Race 15.
The second qualifying session proved even more dramatic than Race 14’s. Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner stormed to pole for Race 15, claiming Toyota’s fourth pole of the year and his first since switching to the Supra. The Kiwi will share the front row with fellow New Zealander Matt Payne after another tightly contested session.
One of the biggest stories of the morning was Kai Allen’s heavy crash at the final corner during Qualifying. The Penrite Racing driver lost the rear in slippery conditions before sliding into the outside wall, leaving Grove Racing scrambling to repair the damaged Mustang before the afternoon’s racing. Allen will start deep in the field after qualifying 22nd for Race 14 and 17th for Race 15.
Green Flags for Race 15
It was Heimgartner who led the field away for the first time since 2023. Broc Feeney got the best of Payne, stealing second in the opening corners. While the front runners got away quickly, it was Zach Bates and Kai Allen who came together during the start. With Bates being sent spinning to the back of the field, the Stewards decided to investigate the contact post race.
By Lap 3, Feeney was all over Heimgartner, attemting to pass down the inside of the Turn 4 Hairpin. Matt Payne was able to close in on the pair in third, with Ryan Wood slotting back into fourth. BRT’s James Golding and Aaron Cameron had the best starts, each making up four and five places respectively.
As the sky grew darker, the field continued to bunch together, with five seconds separating the top nine. On Lap 15, Mostert sent Ojeda spinning off track. While Ojeda was able to recover, Mostert received a 15 second time penalty. One lap later, De Pasquale and Allen made their pitstops, aiming to overcoat the field.
Damage for Kostecki
With Wood and Kostecki in a tightly contested battle for fourth, Payne was able to espcape towards Heingartner and Feeney. On Lap 23, Reynolds made contract with the rear of Kostecki who then edged Wood off track. Kostecki suffered a damaged rear bumper, sparks and damage to the tyre. Reynolds received a 15 second time penalty following the incident, which will be applied post race. Their jostling will also bring De Pasquale into the mix after the pitstops, with the Team 18 driver now in clean air.
Following his pitstop on Lap 25, Kostecki dropped to the back of the field, alongside Thomas Randle and both BRT cars. As the laps continued to tick in Symmons Plains, it was Feeney who pitted ahead of Heimgartner. One lap later, Heimgartner and Payne pitted, with Payne exiting ahead of Feeney, who dropped to third. De Pasquale’s early pitstop closed the gap with the top three to one second.
By Lap 34, Feeney was all over Payne’s rear. While Feeney got the better exit at the hairpin, it was Payne who was able to hold him off. Their battle for second, allowed Heimgartner to escape two seconds up the road. One lap later, the two Mustangs traded places, before Declan Fraser was sent off track by Cameron.
While Feeney was able to chase Heimgartner for the lead, De Pasquale pressured Payne for the final podium place. Down in seventh, Allen started to pressure Will Brown. The Penrite Racing Driver, who claimed his first victory earlier in the season, was up 11 positions.
Heimgartner Dominant in Tassie
With five laps to go, it was Heimgartner who was over three and a half seconds ahead. The Brad Jones Racing Driver was on track for his first Supercars victory since early 2024. While positions continued to trade further back in the field, Feeney increased his gap to Payne by over two seconds, securing his eight podium of the season. Behind, it was De Pasquale who pressured Payne in the final laps.
However as the checkered flag flew, Payne was able to hold onto third as De Pasquale locked up and ran off the road at Turn 6. Payne’s podium moved him into second past Kostecki in the Championship Standings. The Chevrolet driver was forced back behind Brown in fifth. Allen’s overtaking masterclass continued as the Penrite Racing Driver edged out Waters for sixth. Fellow Toyota drivers, Ryan Wood and Cameron Hill had to settle for eighth and ninth. While Thomas Randle slotted into tenth.
Outside of the Top Ten, Bates and Ojeda held on to secure 13th and 14th respectively. While Finals contenders Mostert and Kostecki finished at the back of the field in 20th and 24th.
Final Supercars Race 15 classification and results from Tasmania
- Heimgartner
- Feeney
- Payne
- Brown
- De Pasquale
- Allen
- Waters
- Wood
- Hill
- Randle
- Le Brocq
- Golding
- Bates
- Ojeda
- Cameron
- Gray
- Reynolds
- Murray
- Jones
- Mostert
- Walls
- Stewart
- Fraser
- Kostecki
The 2026 Supercars Championship will return on Sunday at 11:35am AEST (GMT+10) for Race 16’s Qualifying ahead of the Top Ten Shootout and the 200km Race.
