A Race of Two Fortunes
Ipswich's Race 28 of the Repco Supercars Championship delivered a dramatic twist in the title fight, with both Matt Payne and Chaz Mostert forced out by engine problems while Broc Feeney surged to victory and claimed the 2026 Repco Sprint Cup.
Payne entered the race with a commanding 110-point lead in the championship standings, needing only a 17th-place finish to secure the Sprint Cup and a guaranteed spot in October's finals with 25 bonus points. But on lap 33 of 62, his car lost power, and he was forced to pit lane. His radio message was stark: "I've got no power, I've got no power."
The team initially reported a lost cylinder, but later stated it was an electrical issue. Despite their efforts, they couldn't fix the problem, and Payne retired. Fox Sports reported the failure occurred on lap 32, when the Ford dropped a cylinder entering Turn 3, while The Canberra Times and PerthNow placed the incident on lap 33. The discrepancy aside, the outcome was the same: Payne's day was over.
"It just sucks," Payne said, as quoted by The Canberra Times and PerthNow. "It sounded like an electrical issue, so really gutted. I was looking forward to wrapping up this Sprint Championship, but it is what it is." He added, "It sucks on the day, it sucks for the next few days, it sucks for the next couple of weeks, but everyone around here knows we're in a really good spot at the moment."
Fox Sports quoted Payne telling the broadcast: "It sucks. We did everything right today. Next thing the motor just sounded like it was an electrical issue. Really gutted."
Penrite Racing CEO Brenton Grove expressed disbelief, given the team's reliability record, as reported by Fox Sports.
Feeney's Milestone Triumph
Feeney, in his 150th career start—having also won his 50th and 100th—needed a third-place finish or better to steal the crown. He not only achieved that but won the race outright, with Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown completing the podium. The win marked his second consecutive Sprint Cup title.
Feeney credited his father for keeping his hopes alive. "I've got to give a big credit to my dad because he's been telling me all week it wasn't over," he said, as reported by PerthNow. "Even today he said: 'you've still got a shot at this and you've got to be in it to win it'. I didn't believe it. I was telling him he was dreaming."
He also acknowledged Payne's misfortune: "I know the points go a long way, this trophy's awesome, but we're here for the big picture at the end," he said, according to multiple sources. PerthNow also reported Feeney saying Payne probably deserved the title.
Mostert's Engine Woes
Chaz Mostert, the reigning champion, was also a victim of mechanical failure. Starting fifth, he was changing down gears into Turn 4 on lap 25 when his engine note changed dramatically, as reported by Supercars. He crawled to pit lane, with the Walkinshaw TWG crew retrieving the car. Fox Sports placed the incident on lap 24, describing the upgraded Toyota engine as "off-song." The car was fitted with the new B-spec engine, one of four Supras to have it.
Mostert's retirement was his second DNF of the season, his first since Darwin. Supercars noted that since that Darwin failure, only three drivers had scored more points than him across the Townsville and Perth rounds.
Championship Implications
The race reshaped the standings. Feeney's victory and bonus points have him leading the championship, with Payne second, Kostecki third, followed by Cam Waters and Kai Allen, according to the results published by The Canberra Times and PerthNow. The top 10 finishers were Feeney, Kostecki, Brown, Allen, Golding, De Pasquale, Waters, Gray, Reynolds, and Cameron, as reported by Fox Sports.
Feeney's win also secured his automatic qualification for the finals series, carrying 25 bonus points into the first Elimination Final on the Gold Coast, as noted by Fox Sports.
The next round is the AirTouch 500 at The Bend, scheduled for September 11-13, according to Fox Sports.
Perspectives
Matt Payne: The Penrite Racing driver expressed frustration and disappointment, calling the failure "sucks" and acknowledging the team's strong position despite the setback.
Broc Feeney: The Triple Eight driver celebrated his milestone win and the Sprint Cup, crediting his father's encouragement and looking ahead to the finals, while expressing sympathy for Payne's misfortune.
Penrite Racing CEO Brenton Grove: The team principal voiced disbelief over the engine failure, praising the team's reliability record.