The engines are set to roar at Mount Panorama tomorrow afternoon for the Bathurst 1000 race, and Kiwi driver Matt Payne will be one to watch as he looks to turn heartbreak into triumph.
The 23-year-old Aucklander arrived at Bathurst this week after a standout Supercars season, where he currently sits second in the standings behind Broc Feeney.
But a difficult qualifying leaves Payne and Australian co-driver Garth Tander starting tomorrow's race back in 18th.
"Not the qualifying we were hoping for." Payne posted to Instagram post-qualifying.
"We will start the great race in P18. Two more practice sessions tomorrow to focus on making a fast race car."
With Bathurst’s history of chaotic races and comeback drives, including Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris’ famous 2014 win from the back of the grid, the Penrite Racing duo can’t be ruled out from a come-from-behind victory.
Last year, Payne’s race ended in heartbreak when a downshifting issue sent him into the wall with under 30 laps to go, ending a promising top 10 run.
"A simple mistake around here has major consequences, which everyone knows and there's just no room for it," Payne told media.
For New Zealand drivers, Bathurst has long been a proving ground. Kiwi greats have won the famous race 19 times.
Jim Richards still stands as the most successful of them all with seven victories, while four-time winner Greg Murphy’s 2003 "Lap of the Gods" qualifying lap remains a defining moment.
Scott McLaughlin broke through for his win in 2019, and Shane van Gisbergen dominated the early 2020s with three titles after an engine failure in 2014 saw him lose the race lead with less than a dozen laps to go.
Payne will be eager to join the long list of successful Kiwis at Bathurst, even if his 161-lap path to the front this weekend is a steep one.
The Bathurst 1000 begins at 1:45pm NZT on Sunday.
SHARE ME