# Matt Payne Supercars championship surge

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/matt-payne-supercars-championship-surge
> Updated: 2026-08-01T02:33:40.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

In mid‑July, New Zealand driver Matt Payne posted the fastest time in qualifying to take provisional pole for the Townsville 500, signalling his strong form in the Supercars series.

By early August, Payne built on that momentum at the Perth Supercars weekend. He secured pole position for both races at Wanneroo Raceway, converted the front‑row start into a victory in Race 1, and finished second in Race 2, widening his lead in the championship standings.

Further details from the same Perth event confirm that Payne entered the final race with a 107‑point advantage over rival Broc Feeney. Although Feeney overtook Payne on lap 28 of Race 2 to claim his fifth win of the season, Payne’s win‑and‑second finish still extended his championship lead to 107 points.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-01: Matt Payne extends championship lead at Perth Supercars weekend

Matt Payne won race one and placed second in race two at Perth Supercars, extending his lead, while Broc Feeney took pole and won race two, ending a winless streak.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/matt-payne-dominates-perth-supercars-weekend-clinches-pole-and-race-win

### 2026-07-12: Matt Payne takes provisional pole at Townsville 500

Matt Payne claimed provisional pole with a 1:12.8435 lap at the Townsville 500, extending his championship lead as the race approaches the final top‑10 shootout.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/matt-payne-takes-provisional-pole-at-townsville-500

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Cite as: Matt Payne Supercars championship surge. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/matt-payne-supercars-championship-surge