The Ford Mustang GT absolutely dominated at Taupo, New Zealand, April 13th, 2025 – in fact, six different Supercars Ford drivers across four teams dominated the podium in each of the weekend’s three rounds.
Matt Payne was the talk of the grid in New Zealand. The young driver of the No. 19 Supercars Ford Mustang beat the field to the line not once, but twice, earning the victories in Race 8 and Race 10 of the 2025 Australian Supercars season. Payne’s wins bookended Chaz Mostert’s own, when he brought the No. 25 Mustang home first in Race 9.
Not only did Payne walk away with a pair of first-place trophies, he laid claim to the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, which is named in honor of a New Zealand racer who died at age 35 from cancer. Payne was thrilled with the honors, saying, “That’s probably the one I wanted most. I probably spent most of the day thinking about it. Finally getting that in our hands is super-special.”
Payne moves to third in the overall points standings. He tails fellow Supercars Ford driver Cam Waters, whose No. 6 Mustang had a quiet weekend in New Zealand. Will Brown, driver of the No. 88 Chevy, maintains the series lead.
Both podiums in Saturday’s twin 31-lap sprints belonged to the Supercars Ford teams with Payne, Waters, and Ryan Wood up front in Race 8; Mostert, Will Davison, and Brodie Kostecki brought their Mustangs to the podium in Race 9. On Sunday, with Payne again up front, the all-Ford podium attempt was spoiled by the second-place Chevy of Cameron Hill, who beat Mostert across the line for the runner-up spot.
Kostecki is a recent addition to the Supercars Ford stable, joining Dick Johnson Racing this year. He was thrilled to be doing battle near the front of the pack again in New Zealand, saying, “A lot has gone into this. And this is just the start.”
Ford is off to a strong start in the 2025 season, when Waters went three-for-three in Sydney.
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