Matt Payne of Penrite Racing wheeled the No. 19 Ford Mustang GT to a rebound win in Race 14 of the 2024 Supercars Championship at the 2024 NTI Townsville 500. In fact, he outran fellow Blue Oval drivers Cam Waters and Chaz Mostert on his way to the checkered flag. Payne’s team utilized a three-stop pit strategy to get him ahead of the competition, and he was able to celebrate in Victory Lane as the seventh different winner in the 2024 season.
“Awesome, unbelievable, we’ve had a tough couple of rounds lately,” Payne said after the race. “I knew we had a good race car yesterday, my final stint pace was really strong, so to put it all together today and try and replicate that with a different strategy from the team was absolutely wicked.”
He added, “I can’t thank them enough, they gave me an awesome car, and I’m just happy to put it where it belongs. There was no backing off, with our strategy we were pushing the whole way. Tough work, but very rewarding.”
After a stunning Saturday, Townsville delivered again on Sunday with an enthralling strategy thriller 🧠
What caught your eye at Reid Park? #RepcoSC #Supercarshttps://t.co/iUrRMJ4e2P
— Supercars (@supercars) July 7, 2024
On the final stop, which took place on Lap 62 of 88, Payne charged back out onto the track seven seconds ahead of Waters’ No. 06 Mustang. Jack Le Brocq, driver of the No. 09 Chevy Camaro, tailed them in third, while Mostert’s No. 25 Mustang lurked in fourth. While Le Brocq put up a fight trying to hold off Mostert for the podium, he ultimately fell victim to the faster Ford racer in the closing laps and settled for a fourth-place result.
Once he’d picked of Le Brocq, Mostert drew a bead on Waters in the runner-up spot with 10 laps left. The ensuing battle mirrored their race-long battle for the lead during Race 13 at Townsville as they went at it for P2. However, their fight held them up and allowed Payne to get away with a 6.0575 second margin of victory, while Waters bested Mostert for the runner-up spot.
Overall, Townsville was a fantastic weekend for The Blue Oval in the Supercars Championship, but they still tail the No. 87 Camaro of Will Brown, who retains the points lead, followed by Broc Feeney’s No. 88 Camaro. Mostert currently holds down third, while Waters and Payne slot in fourth and fifth, respectively.
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