Matt Payne Holds Off Anton De Pasquale at Sandown to Lock In Supercars Final Four

Matt Payne has fended off a relentless charge from Anton De Pasquale at Sandown, claiming victory in the second race of the weekend and locking in the championship contenders for the Adelaide season decider.

Payne took the chequered flag at the conclusion of 79 intense laps, keeping his Grove Racing machine ahead of De Pasquale by just seven-tenths of a second. The result ended De Pasquale's hopes of qualifying for the championship shootout, as the Team 18 driver required an outright win to advance.

speedcafe.com: Matt Payne denied Anton De Pasquale victory in the second race of the Sandown 500. Image: InSyde Media

High Tension in the Closing Laps

The race came down to a tactical pursuit after the final pit cycle. De Pasquale pressed hard to close the margin, forcing Payne to navigate heavy backmarker traffic in the closing stages.

"I couldn’t tell you how high the heart rate was for the last five laps, just seeing the train of lapped cars," Payne said after the race. "I was talking to Jack [Bell, race engineer] and was like, 'well, if they start battling, they’re going to be a problem'. I managed to get through a couple of them. Man, credit to Anton and his team. They put together a pretty good car today and he was certainly challenging me."

Payne admitted the margin was razor-thin in the dying stages: "We didn’t have much left at the end but managed to just hold on by the skin of my teeth. Pretty stoked."

Adelaide Grand Final Four Confirmed

By securing the Sandown victory, Payne enters the Adelaide finale as the top seed. He will battle three other drivers for the championship crown: Brodie Kostecki, Broc Feeney, and Chaz Mostert.

Kostecki guaranteed his spot with a race win on the opening day at Sandown, despite enduring a difficult Sunday where a drive-through penalty for shutting his engine off before his grid box dropped him from fourth to 23rd on Lap 11.

Mid-Race Drama Across the Field

Payne seized early control off the start line, utilising the inside line to capture the holeshot over De Pasquale. Strategic pit stops began early, with Payne's teammate Kai Allen stopping on Lap 13 before tyre wear saw him slip from fourth down to seventh.

De Pasquale made his move on Lap 25 to undercut a three-second gap, prompting Grove Racing to pit Payne on the subsequent lap to protect the lead.

Elsewhere, Cameron Waters endured a chaotic opening stint for Tickford Racing. Waters battled a failure of his helmet cooling system and a loose rear-view mirror, which he eventually wrenched free from its mount inside the cockpit before the crew removed it entirely during his first service.