Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500: Matt Payne Reflects on Record-Setting Victory

The Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 delivered a weekend of thrilling action and memorable moments, culminating in a historic victory for Kiwi driver Matt Payne. The 21-year-old became the youngest-ever winner on the streets of Townsville, further cementing his place in the annals of Supercars history.

As North Queensland’s largest annual sporting event, the Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 attracted a massive weekend attendance of 126,618, showcasing the event’s immense popularity and significance.

Historic Victory for Matt Payne

On Sunday, Matt Payne achieved a remarkable milestone by winning the Supercars race at the Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500. At just 21 years old, Payne’s victory marks him as the youngest-ever winner in Townsville, a feat accomplished in the 40th Supercars race at the Reid Park circuit. This win also positions Payne as the seventh different race winner in the last nine Supercars races, highlighting the competitive nature of the 2024 season.

Starting from 10th on the grid, Payne executed a flawless three pit-stop strategy in Sunday’s 250-kilometre race. His aggressive approach saw him driving flat out for all 88 laps, outpacing front runners like Saturday’s race winner Cam Waters, who opted for a more conservative two-stop strategy.

Reflecting on the Victory

Speaking to the media on Monday morning in Townsville, Payne expressed his elation and gratitude for the support he has received. “It’s an incredible feeling to win here in Townsville. The team did a fantastic job with the strategy, and everything just clicked into place. This win means a lot to me, and I hope to carry this momentum forward,” Payne said.

The victory at the Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 is Payne’s second career win, following his breakthrough triumph in the final race of his rookie season last year at the Adelaide 500. With this win, Payne has surged to fifth place in the Supercars championship standings as the 2024 season reaches its halfway point.

Event Highlights and Attendance

The Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500, celebrating its 15th anniversary, proved to be a resounding success. The event welcomed a record weekend crowd of 126,618, reinforcing its status as North Queensland’s largest annual sporting event.

The NTI Townsville 500 is proudly supported by the Townsville City Council and the Queensland Government, through the Tourism and Events Queensland Major Events Program.

Championship Implications

Triple Eight’s Will Brown, who started the weekend as the championship leader, faced a challenging race on Sunday at the Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500. Brown’s early crash on Lap 1 saw him finish 24th, reducing his championship lead over teammate Broc Feeney to just 78 points. As the season progresses, the battle for the championship title intensifies, promising more exciting races ahead.

Looking Ahead: Sydney SuperNight

The Repco Supercars Championship returns on 19 July with the Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight, featuring the only night races of the 2024 campaign. The event will include two 200-kilometre Supercars races at the Sydney Motorsport Park, marking the seventh event on the 2024 calendar. Fans can catch all the action on Foxtel, with live streaming available on Kayo.

Interviews and Race Results

Stay tuned for exclusive audio interviews with Grove Racing driver Matt Payne and Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 event manager Matt Ramsden. These interviews provide deeper insights into Payne’s historic win and the event’s success. This audio is courtesy of Supercars Media, who shared it with Driver Digest SA personally.

Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 Race Results

Here is a table of the race results:

Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 – Race 13
Pos	Driver/Team	Race time	Laps	Pts
1	06 Cam Waters Monster Castrol Racing	1:54:21	88	150
2	25 Chaz Mostert Mobil1 Optus Racing	1:54:23	88	138
3	87 Will Brown Red Bull Ampol Racing	1:54:26	88	129
4	19 Matthew Payne Penrite Racing	1:54:27	88	120
5	55 Thomas Randle Monster Castrol Racing	1:54:30	88	111
6	09 Jack Le Brocq Erebus Motorsport	1:54:31	88	102
7	88 Broc Feeney Red Bull Ampol Racing	1:54:31	88	96
8	17 Will Davison Shell V-Power Racing	1:54:36	88	90
9	08 Andre Heimgartner R&J Batteries Racing	1:54:55	88	84
10	04 Cameron Hill Team PPQ Racing	1:54:56	88	78
11	14 Bryce Fullwood Middy’s Racing	1:55:01	88	72
12	07 James Courtney Snowy River Racing	1:55:03	88	69
13	18 Mark Winterbottom DEWALT Racing	1:55:06	88	66
14	26 Richie Stanaway Penrite Racing	1:55:07	88	63
15	20 David Reynolds Tradie Beer Racing	1:55:13	88	60
16	31 James Golding PremiAir Nulon Racing	1:55:15	88	57
17	02 Ryan Wood Mobil1 Truck Assist Racing	1:55:31	88	54
18	96 Macauley Jones Pizza Hut Racing	1:54:36	87	51
19	01 Brodie Kostecki Erebus Motorsport	1:55:17	87	48
20	03 Aaron Love CoolDrive Racing	1:55:36	87	45
21	10 Nick Percat Bendix Racing	1:54:24	75	42
22	12 Jaxon Evans SCT Motorsport	1:55:21	75	39
23	23 Tim Slade PremiAir Nulon Racing	1:54:53	66	36
NC	11 Anton De Pasquale Shell V-Power Racing	18:28.000	3	0

Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 – Race 14
Pos	Driver/Team	Race time	Laps	Pts
1	19Matthew Payne Penrite Racing	1:54:22	88	150
2	06Cam Waters Monster Castrol Racing	1:54:28	88	138
3	25Chaz Mostert Mobil1 Optus Racing	1:54:30	88	129
4	09Jack Le Brocq Erebus Motorsport	1:54:37	88	120
5	55Thomas Randle Monster Castrol Racing	1:54:38	88	111
6	02Ryan Wood Mobil1 Truck Assist Racing	1:54:48	88	102
7	88Broc Feeney Red Bull Ampol Racing	1:54:49	88	96
8	18Mark Winterbottom DEWALT Racing	1:54:58	88	90
9	04Cameron Hill Team PPQ Racing	1:54:59	88	84
10	31James Golding PremiAir Nulon Racing	1:55:00	88	78
11	08Andre Heimgartner R&J Batteries Racing	1:55:05	88	72
12	17Will Davison Shell V-Power Racing	1:55:07	88	69
13	11Anton De Pasquale Shell V-Power Racing	1:55:07	88	66
14	26Richie Stanaway Penrite Racing	1:55:09	88	63
15	14Bryce Fullwood Middy’s Racing	1:55:13	88	60
16	07James Courtney Snowy River Racing	1:55:18	88	57
17	23Tim Slade PremiAir Nulon Racing	1:55:19	88	54
18	01Brodie Kostecki Erebus Motorsport	1:55:28	88	51
19	96Macauley Jones Pizza Hut Racing	1:55:28	88	48
20	10Nick Percat Bendix Racing	1:55:29	88	45
21	12Jaxon Evans SCT Motorsport	1:55:32	88	42
22	20David Reynolds Tradie Beer Racing	1:54:22	87	39
23	03Aaron Love CoolDrive Racing	1:55:04	87	36
24	87Will Brown Red Bull Ampol Racing	1:54:36	85	33

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Did You Enjoy The Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500?

The Supercars 2024 NTI Townsville 500 will be remembered as a landmark event, with Matt Payne’s record-setting victory capturing the spirit of competition and excellence in motorsport. As the championship continues, fans can look forward to more high-octane action and memorable moments.