The 2025 Supercars season kicked off at Sydney Motorsport Park over the weekend, with three Kiwi drivers securing top-ten finishes across the three races. Let’s take a closer look at how our Kiwis fared in the season opener.
Matthew Payne:
Qualifying: 3rd (R1), 6th (R2), 5th (R3)
Race Results: 4th (R1), 5th (R2), 6th (R3)
Payne kicked things off by qualifying an impressive third position on Friday, and was on track for a podium in the season opener, until Thomas Randle snatched it away on the final lap of the race, leaving Payne to finish fourth in Race 1.
On Saturday, he started in sixth and made an storming start, shooting up to third by the opening corner. A position he held for almost half of the race, with Brown eventually passing the Mustang on Lap 23, Payne would end up finishing fifth, just behind Chaz Mostert after a strategic long run cost him track position.
By Sunday, he continued his strong qualifying streak, starting fifth for the final race. He had a steady start, dropping back behind James Golding’s Camaro on the opening lap, but put in another solid drive to finish in sixth in the final race. Overall, an impressive start to the season for Payne!
Championship Position: 5th
Andre Heimgartner:
Qualifying: 6th (R1), 8th (R2), 18th (R3)
Race Results: 7th (R1), 8th (R2), 16th (R3)
Heimgartner had a much better weekend compared to his last visit to Sydney Motorsport Park. He qualified strong on Friday, securing sixth place on the grid. In the race, he showed good pace, finishing in seventh, just over a tenth of a second behind Brodie Kostecki in sixth.
In Race 2, Heimgartner started in eighth and made a solid start, even running as high as sixth at one point. However, as the car wasn’t quite to his liking, he ultimately finished in eighth place in the thrilling 56-lapper.
For Race 3, things got tougher for him after a challenging qualifying session, where he started in 18th. Unfortunately, during the race, he incurred bent steering on the opening lap, which hampered his progress. Despite this setback, he managed to finish in 16th. Overall, it was a mixed but improved weekend for Heimgartner!
Championship Position: 10th
Jaxon Evans:
Qualifying: 18th (R1), 12th (R2), 19th (R3) *
Race Results: 16th (R1), 10th (R2), 19th (R3)
Jaxon Evans began his second year in Supercars with a solid performance. He started with an 18th place finish in Qualifying on Friday, then moved up to 16th in the opening race.
In Race 2, Evans qualified 12th and fought his way into the Top Ten, finishing in tenth after holding off a late race challenge from James Courtney—securing his second Top Ten finish in Supercars.
In Race 3, he qualified 19th but had a poor start that dropped him to the back. However, he managed to recover to finish 19th. A solid start to proceedings for Evans.
Championship Position: 13th
Ryan Wood:
Qualifying: 7th (R1), 7th (R2), 12th (R3)
Race Results: 11th (R1), 20th (R2), 14th (R3)
It was a promising weekend for young Ryan Wood. He started strong on Friday, qualifying an impressive seventh, just ahead of teammate Mostert. In the opening race, Wood had a tough start, dropping to 10th on the first lap. Although he showed some decent pace, he couldn’t maintain tyre performance, finishing in 11th.
Race 2 was a challenging night for Wood. Despite qualifying seventh again, he stalled at the start but thankfully avoided disaster as the field passed. He then worked his way back up the field but got caught in pitlane drama, making contact with Courtney and receiving a drive through penalty for the clash. Leaving him to finish in 20th.
In Race 3, Wood narrowly missed the Top Ten Shootout, starting in 12th. He struggled again at the start, dropping to 16th by the end of Lap 2, but fought back to finish 14th in the final race. Though it wasn’t the weekend he was hoping for results wise, it is still a massive step forward from last year’s season opener, where the Kiwi failed to score a point over the weekend.
Championship Position: 14th
Richie Stanaway:
Qualifying: 19th (R1), 17th (R2), 23rd (R3)
Race Results: 23rd (R1), DNF (R2), 17th (R3)
It was a weekend to forget for Richie Stanaway, as he faced issues beyond his control. He lined up 19th for the opening race on Friday, but the PremiAir Camaros struggled for pace despite taking four tyres during their stops, with Stanaway finishing in 23rd, right behind his teammate Golding.
Race 2 looked more promising with Stanaway starting 17th. He made a strong start, moving up a couple of spots, but unfortunately, an engine failure on Lap 8 forced him out of the race.
After an overnight engine change, Stanaway was ready to race again on Sunday. In Qualifying, he set a reasonable banker lap, but a throttle sensor issue with the #62 prevented him from returning to the track, leaving him in 23rd. In the race, he made a strong start, moving up four spots on the opening lap and running 19th until his first pit stop. His early stop helped him gain positions, but he lost ground later as fresh tyre runners came through. Ultimately, he finished in 17th, not the debut weekend he had hoped for with the team.
Championship Position: 25th
Supercars will be back in action in just under three weeks at Albert Park in Melbourne supporting the Australian Grand Prix over March 13-16.
Header Image: Supercars
