Matt Payne/Garth Tander reign supreme in Bathurst 1000 for the ages
Race featured seven Safety Cars, ran for nearly seven hours amid trying conditions
2025 Finals field set, Kai Allen pips Cameron Hill to 10th by three points
Matt Payne/Garth Tander have delivered Ford a win for the ages in an incident-packed, rain-hit Repco Bathurst 1000.
In a race dominated by wet weather and seven bp pulse Safety Car periods, the battle for the Peter Brock Trophy boiled down to a stunning final run to the chequered flag.
Cooper Murray led late on, only for James Golding to clatter into the Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet. Payne got through, and with a penalty for Golding, Payne needed only cross the line within reach to win.
Golding crossed the line first for PremiAir after making a move on Payne on the final lap, with Payne then left to fend off the advances of David Reynolds as Golding muscled his way through.
Payne/Tander started from 18th, with Penrite Racing claiming its first Bathurst win, and Ford its first since 2019. David Reynolds/Lee Holdsworth claimed a remarkable runner-up finish, 0.9s behind, with Golding/David Russell reclassified third.
It was also a sixth Bathurst victory for 48-year-old Tander, who drew level with Mark Skaife and Larry Perkins. Only Peter Brock, Jim Richards and Craig Lowndes have more Bathurst wins.
"It's absolutely insane, that last stint in the wet when I got back in the car it felt like forever," said Payne in Pirtek Victory Lane.
"We kept getting Safety Cars and it kept stalling our race, and then I saw Jimmy get into the side of Cooper and I kind of predicted that was going to happen, and just managed to get through.
"I felt like I ran out of tyres a bit at the end, but a win's a win, we'll take it. It's just so, so good for the guys, they've worked so hard, so cool."
It was a race of headaches for favourites, with Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood, Cam Waters/Mark Winterbottom, Broc Feeney/Jamie Whincup, Will Brown/Scott Pye, Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard and Ryan Wood/Jayden Ojeda all suffering disasters.
Brown and Feeney both crashed, as did Winterbottom, Mostert and Wood suffered engine dramas, and Kostecki was cruelled by a myriad of mechanical dramas and incidents through the day.
Erebus Motorsport and PremiAir Racing both threatened to pull off stunning upsets, but the Golding/Murray clash opened the door for Penrite Racing to deliver a brilliant win, as stressful and unlikely as it seemed.
Wood was left in tears after a late engine issue wiped the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Ford out of contention into the final 30 laps.
Wood led Golding to green on lap 128, whilst James Courtney was forced to dive into pit lane from a strong seventh with a gearbox drama, in what could potentially be his final Bathurst start.
Wood, Golding, and Payne all cleared away at the head of the field, but it was the #31 Camaro that came to life off the restart, with Golding putting all kinds of pressure on the 21-year-old Kiwi. After getting close to having a look at The Chase, the Victorian scythed up the inside at the exit of Griffins Bend, and stormed into the lead on lap 129.
Jaxon Evans also backed into the wall at Sulman Park in the SCT Camaro, dragging his car back into the pits with heavy damage to the rear bodywork. Back in the pack, Brown barrelled into the side of Kai Allen at The Chase, before the recovering Allen was then sent down the Murray's Corner escape road by Jack Le Brocq.
Both Camaro drivers picked up five second penalties for their troubles, however Brown's day was about to get a whole heap more difficult when he ploughed into the wall at Griffins Bend, plucking the bonnet and wing off the #1.
That brought out the fifth Safety Car of the day, and all of the leaders pitted. Golding and Payne put four stone cold, fresh wet tyres on, whilst Wood only put working side tyres on his Mustang. However, replays showed Wood clouting the wall at The Cutting, with the wheels changed at the stop.
Golding led the field to green with 25 laps remaining. However, a poor run out of Murray's Corner and a mistake at Hell Corner opened the door for Wood to take the lead back. Behind them, Murray picked off Reynolds at The Chase for fourth.
Just as Wood fired off at The Chase, handing the lead back to Golding, Richie Stanaway sent Macauley Jones into the wall at Forrest's Elbow, triggering the sixth Safety Car. Payne was in line to pick off Wood, but baulked as yellow flags flew. However, just one lap into the Safety Car period, Wood's Ford slowed, turning the race on its head once again, and promoting Murray to third.
With 21 to go, Golding, Payne and Murray held the top three spots, followed by Reynolds, Andre Heimgartner and Thomas Randle, who was carrying a penalty. Murray rounded up Payne on the run to Hell Corner, and picked off Golding into Griffins Bend. Behind them, Reynolds bowled a wide at Murray's Corner, helping Heimgartner, Aaron Cameron, Randle and Stanaway through.
The Safety Car made a seventh appearance when Stanaway crashed at The Cutting, putting the heat back on the leaders. Murray took the green flag with 15 to go, and Payne immediately picked off Golding, who denied a racy Heimgartner into Griffins Bend.
Payne attacked Murray at Forrest's Elbow on lap 150, with Murray hanging on. With nine to go, Payne tried again, and the two ran line astern through The Chase. Payne caught the grass and surfed through the grass, Murray taking back the lead and Golding creeping into second.
A slide through Hell Corner on lap 155 encouraged Golding again, with Golding having a crack at The Cutting. On lap 156, Golding showed the nose at Forrest's Elbow, and Murray again held on. However, on lap 157, Golding made his move, only to send Murray into the barriers at Griffins Bend, revealing Payne in the lead. Stewards wasted no time hitting Golding with a five-second penalty.
Golding got by through The Chase, setting up an almighty final lap. Golding bowled a wide into Griffins Bend, and Payne refused to buy in. Reynolds did, the former teammates running side-by-side out of The Cutting. Try as he might, Reynolds didn't have enough, nor did Golding, with Payne victorious by the official margin of 0.958s.
The 2025 Repco Supercars Finals Series commences at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 on October 24-26. Tickets are on sale.

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