Saturday, 7 March 2026

First Lap crash leaves Matt Payne last at Albert Park

Credit to Supercars
 Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Oils Ford) finished last after a 2-car crash at Albert Park. The finish was the 4th of his career and came in his 96th start.

Matt Payne is in his 4th full-time season, and has run all season with Grove Racing. Despite 5 wins last year, Payne didn’t race in the Grand Final after a late-race crash with Cameron Waters. Payne has been a championship contender this year. Four podiums, and three consecutive 2nd places finishes.

Payne was 10th in Practice 1. He rose to 7th in Practice 2. He stayed 7th in Qualifying.

Ryan Wood (#2 Truck Assist Toyota) started last after a qualifying miscue.

The first incident happened when Cameron Hill (#14 Dare Chevrolet) bumped Zach Bates (#10 Bendix Chevrolet) into Jayden Ojeda (#31 Mr. Umami/Nulon Chevrolet).

The contact spun Ojeda out, briefly leaving him last.

The second incident happened out of Turn 2. Matt Payne (#19 Penrite Oils Ford) and James Golding (#7 Cooldrive Distribution Ford) made contact. Both cars fired into the fence, terminally damaging Payne’s car. Payne’s car limped to Turn 4. This triggered the Safety Car.

More carnage later that lap. Will Brown (#888 Red Bull/Ampol Ford) bumped Jack LeBrocq (#4 Sherrin Rentals Chevrolet) into Cooper Murray (#99 Total Energies Chevrolet).

The contact sent Murray into the sand.

Secondary contact between LeBrocq and Murray damaged the steering on Murray’s car, losing 3 laps in repairs.

The lap after the restart, Ryan Wood (#2 Truck Assist/Mobil 1 Toyota) bumped Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Ford) into the fence at Turn 7.

The incident terminally damaged Randle’s car.

It also led to a second safety car.

On lap 11 at Turn 4, Will Brown (#888 Red Bull/Ampol Ford) spun into Aaron Cameron (#3 Cooldrive Distribution Ford), sending both cars to pit road. Both drivers lost a lap in repairs.

 

 

The Bottom Five

Matt Payne

0 Laps

Crash

Thomas Randle

7 Laps

Crash

Cooper Murray

12 Laps

Running

Will Brown

14 Laps

Running

Aaron Cameron

14 Laps

Running

 

Driver’s Championship

Pos

Driver

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Cooper Murray

1

3

4

2

Aaron Cameron

1

1

2

3T

Chaz Mostert

1

1

1

3T

James Golding

1

1

1

3T

Jackson Walls

1

1

1

3T

Matt Payne

1

1

1

7T

Macauley Jones

0

3

4

7T

Jobe Stewart

0

3

4

9T

Andre Heimgartner

0

1

1

9T

Kai Allen

0

1

1

9T

Thomas Randle

0

1

1

12T

Rylan Gray

0

0

2

12T

Will Brown

0

0

2

14T

Jayden Ojeda

0

0

1

14T

Ryan Wood

0

0

1

14T

Declan Fraser

0

0

1

 

Team’s Championship

Pos

Driver

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Blanchard Racing Team

2

2/2

3/2

4/2

2

Erebus Motorsports

2

1/2

6/2

8/2

3

Walkinshaw Andretti United

2

1/2

1/2

2/2

4

Overdrive/RBR Racing

2

1/2

1/2

1/2

5

Grove Racing

2

1/2

2/2

2/2

6

Brad Jones Racing

3

1/3

3/3

5/3

7

Premair Racing

2

0

2/2

3/2

8

Tickford Racing

2

0

1/2

2/2

9

Red Bull Racing

2

0

0

2/2

10

Dick Johnson Racing

2

0

0

1/2

 

Manufacturer’s Championship

Pos

Manufacturer

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Ford

11

3/11

6/11

8/11

2

Chevrolet

8

2/8

10/8

15/8

3

Toyota

5

1/5

3/5

5/5

 

 

Friday, 6 March 2026

Defending Champion last after mid-race crash at Albert Park

Credit: Supercars

The defending last-place champion Aaron Cameron (#3 Liqui Moly Blahst Ford) finished last at Albert Park for the 6th time in his career. He finished 2 laps down after exhaust damage. The finish came in Cameron’s 40th start.

The Blanchard Racing Team drafted Aaron Cameron to replace Aaron Love after the first round of the 2025 Supercars season. Winning the 2023 S5000 Australian and Tasman series and taking second in the Super 2 Championship shows his strong racing record. He was Aaron Love’s co-driver in 2024, where they finished 17th at Sandown and 23rd at Bathurst. Several last-place finishes marked his rookie campaign. Cameron finished last in Adelaide, crashing from contention nine laps into the race. This crash secured his last-place championship.

Since then, the Blanchard Racing Team gained a technical alliance with Red Bull Racing.

The first race of 2026 saw Aaron Cameron finish on the podium.

Unfortunately, incidents have left Aaron Cameron without the results to back up his speed.

He was 20th in Practice 1, then soared to fastest in Practice 2. He would qualify 8th.

Rylan Grey (#38 Shell V-Power Ford) started the race last after disqualification from qualifying.

Two incidents happened at the same time. Jobe Stewart (#9 Solo Chevrolet) spun Macauley Jones (#96 Alpha Theta Toyota) at Turn 3.

While that happened, Jayden Ojeda (#31 Mr. Umamji Chevrolet) spun Zach Bates (#10 Bendix Chevrolet).

The double incident left Jones last and Bates 23rd. Later that lap, Will Brown (#888 Red Bull/Ampol Ford) would lock up at Turn 11 and run Cooper Murray (#99 Total Energy Chevrolet) off the road. Stewards penalised Brown 15 seconds for the incident, leaving Brown in the bottom five.

On Lap 11, Jones would relegate Jackson Walls (#11 Objective Ford) to last.

A Lap 14 incident would seal the last-place battle.

Battling for the 4th place at Turn 14, Broc Feeney (#88 Red Bull/Ampol Ford) bumped Aaron Cameron (#3 Cooldrive Distribution Ford) wide.

Cameron would immediately bump Feeney in retaliation.

Immediately after, Kai Allen (#26 Penrite Oils Ford) would dive under Cameron, spinning both out.

Allen would recover to 5th. Cameron pitted with exhaust damage and lost 2 laps. This relegated Cameron to last.

Damage, penalties, and incidents would mark much of the bottom five.

A late race pit stop would leave Cooper Murray in 23rd. A last lap suspension issue left Jobe Stewart (#9 Solo Chevrolet) in 22nd. Will Brown (#888 Red Bull/Ampol Ford) finished 21st.

After David (#20 Snowy River Caravans Chevrolet) bumped Jobe Stewart (#9 Solo Chevrolet) into Macauley Jones (#96 Alpha Theta Toyotas), Jones would finish 20th.

 

The Bottom Five

Aaron Cameron

17 Laps

Running

Cooper Murray

18 Laps

Running

Jobe Stewart

19 Laps

Running

Will Brown

19 Laps

Running

Macauley Jones

19 Laps

Running

 

Driver’s Championship

Pos

Driver

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Cooper Murray

1

2

3

2T

Chaz Mostert

1

1

1

2T

James Golding

1

1

1

2T

Jackson Walls

1

1

1

2T

Aaron Cameron

1

1

1

6T

Macauley Jones

0

3

4

6T

Jobe Stewart

0

3

4

8T

Andre Heimgartner

0

1

1

8T

Kai Allen

0

1

1

8T

Aaron Cameron

0

1

1

11

Rylan Gray

0

0

2

11T

Jayden Ojeda

0

0

1

11T

Ryan Wood

0

0

1

11T

Declan Fraser

0

0

1

11T

Will Brown

0

0

1

 

Team’s Championship

Pos

Driver

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Blanchard Racing Team

2

2/2

3/2

3/2

2

Erebus Motorsports

2

1/2

5/2

7/2

3

Walkinshaw Andretti United

2

1/2

1/2

2/2

4

Overdrive/RBR Racing

2

1/2

1/2

1/2

5

Brad Jones Racing

3

1/3

3/3

5/3

6

Premair Racing

2

0

2/2

3/2

7

Grove Racing

2

0

1/2

1/2

8

Dick Johnson Racing

2

0

0

2/2

9

Red Bull Racing

2

0

0

1/2

 

Manufacturer’s Championship

Pos

Manufacturer

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Chevrolet

8

2/8

9/8

13/8

2

Toyota

5

1/5

3/5

5/5

3

Ford

11

2/11

4/11

5/11