Matt Payne secures pole for Sandown race after wet qualifying drama

Matt Payne will start the opening race at Sandown from pole position after posting a 1:09.025 lap in the Top Ten Shootout on Saturday. Payne, who also led the second phase of qualifying, will be joined on the front row by Cam Waters, with Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown and Broc Feeney completing the top five starters.

Eight of the past twelve Sandown winners have begun from pole, giving championship leader Payne a favorable chance to extend his lead over rivals Feeney and Kostecki. The qualifying sessions were affected by wet track conditions, prompting teams to experiment with tyre choices. Drivers including Kai Allen and Chaz Mostert ran off at Turn 2 in the opening phase, and standing water made it difficult to maintain the racing line.

All seven championship finalists progressed safely through the first qualifying session and secured places in the Top Ten Shootout. In the shootout, the slippery surface caused further incidents; Mostert again lost control and fell off the track, resulting in a tenth-place grid start.

Payne’s pole position positions him strongly for the Sandown 500, while the starting grid lists Cam Waters second, Brodie Kostecki third, Will Brown fourth and Broc Feeney fifth.