August 14, 2024 • 11 mins
Supercars is back this weekend, wheels hitting the tracks in Tasmania.
Kiwi driver Matt Payne is coming off a successful run, doing no worse than 4th in all of them, and making it to the top of the podium in the second Townsville race.
He joined Mike Hosking ahead of this weekend’s race, telling him that hopefully they can continue that success and finish the year out strong.
Payne admitted that the track in Tasmania isn’t his favourite, preferring slightly longer tracks, but he’s really looking forward to the weekend and aiming to flip last year’s results around to a positive note.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Supercars back this weekend. By the way, one did the
word with Matt Pain at twenty one, he's one of
the sport's big prospects. Another key we flying the flag
very successfully and motorsport internationally. Rookie last year is in
a second season with Penske sits fifth as they head
into Tasmania this weekend. Matt Pain is, well, it's very
good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, good morning, Mike.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you listening? Very well? Now for people who
don't follow supercars that closely, just work us through the
jump because you were previously in Toyota. Eighty six is
beatling round places like Hampton Downs. You've jumped into the
big car. Now, what's the difference from eighty six is
to supercars?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's a very large, large gap you have sort of
asked there eighty six's are obviously it's been a lot
lot different cars to what a supercar is, you know,
supercars to queens your if the pedal box is a
lot different, style of driving is probably a lot different
as well, so you know the characteristics of the car
(00:57):
are completely different. But also the level of competition and
supercars is super high, so it's a big, big step
up going from from an eighty six in New Zealand
all the way across the debts these guys are these
guys are played for keeps.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
How much more confident are you feeling this year from
the learnings that you took out of last year?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I think it's it's a good question. Like last year,
I definitely you know, set it out as a learning
year and trying to gather as much knowledge as I
can and you know, just try and trying to tick
all the boxes. So it's this year has been it's
been okay, you know, like we had a really good
(01:41):
start and you know, the Grand Prix was was really
promising with a couple of podiums and a poll and
New Zealand probably didn't get as much as I wanted
out of that. I think we left a little bit
on the table and then kind of struggled a little
bit through the through the midway of the year with
the car. So things are picking back up again now,
(02:01):
like it's definitely going back into the direction we want.
So yeah, hopefully you know we can continue that and
finish out the year you know, strong and not have
too many Bogue tracks to go back to next year.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I mean if you look, I put modesty aside for
a moment. If you look at your last four races,
you've been on the podium twice for goodness sake, come
back to top on just a moment. But as a
young guy news to this game, you are winning. I mean,
you can't ask for much more than that.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
No, it's pretty good when you know. Obviously Council was
really good for us to sort of come back and
get that when it was we really needed it at
that time. You know, we were struggling a little bit
before that and you know, probably lost our way a
little bit, but to come back and it just gives
(02:48):
you so much confidence, you know, for the rest of
the year. And it was really really important for us
to try and somewhat back it up at Sydney, and
I think we kind of did that. You know, our
qualifying card definitely needs improving, but it's yeah to be fair,
Like I just want to be rent winning races. So
that's that's the goal at the moment.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
See, Taupo was a very good example of what I've
noticed about you. You came forth eventually in the race,
but but you were first in the shootout. In other words,
you you are fast. So what's the difference between qualifying
first and the race itself.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, at the start of the year, we had a
really strong qualifying car. You know, it wasn't wasn't hard,
It wasn't a real stretch for us to be inside
the top five most of the time when it when
it came to qualifying. But it's the race. The race
set up requires a little bit different sort of balance
to the car, and it's probably something we didn't quite
(03:47):
understand at the start of the year and we were
probably a little bit lost. So it's probably why you know,
you see results like like Talpo kind of slip away
and we do all the work to qualify on the
front row, but doesn't really get rewarded for the race
result because the car just wasn't quite in the window
of what we needed. So and it's kind of funny
(04:08):
because now we've kind of flipped that around and now
our qualifying car is not necessarily very strong and we're
just kind of making the top ten, but our race
car has definitely improved. And you know, now even though
we've made some mistakes and we're qualifying tents and eleventh,
(04:28):
but we're still able to race forward. To a possible podium,
which is a really good thing to have, but also
we need to find the right balance to get the
qualifying car back in the window to make our life
easier fast.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Up, which is I suppose one of the most fascinating
things for people who follow supercars. I mean, the gap
at the top of the field is just so minute,
you know, tenths of a second. For goodness sake, these days,
how much mucking around goes on with these cars and
how much of it might work out well versus you know,
it being pure guesswork.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Look, it's really crucial of how you roll out at
the start of a weekend and your first couple of
apps or your first two runs in practice really you know,
sort of tell you how your weekend is going to go.
You can sometimes we've rolled out and it's been in
the top three, and you know we're going to make
you know, two or three set up tweaks, but not
(05:22):
massive things during practice, and that's kind of all it
needs sometimes And then other times you roll out in
your sixteenth and you're kind of like, oh, it feels okay,
but five tenths off the leader, we definitely need something.
So then you're kind of just working on what you
need and trying to achieve that and you know, probably
taking bigger swings at it then you would have if
(05:45):
it just needed a little bit of a tweak when
you try to find that margin. So yeah, sometimes you
can roll out and be really strong and not have
to think too hard about it and just go and
drive it. And then sometimes you roll out and you're
slow and you're sort of scratching your head and you think, wow,
this is it's going to be a long weekend.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Let's talk about some of the names legends of the
sport in your side, Garth Tender, Couchy, Alista McVeigh. These
are legends. How useful are they to somebody like you?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's been huge getting these people, and you know, I've
worked with with Couchy and Now and even gas Now
for a couple of years, and it was it was
really exciting at the start when this whole kind of
project was coming together with this team that you know,
they obviously sid out to get the right people. So
(06:36):
it's been really good to work with them and obviously
they know what it takes to get it done and
and just sort of been learning from the knowledge of
of what they know and trying to sort of craft
myself into being you know, the best kind of all
rounder for a racing driver has been has been really important.
(06:58):
Like Garth is a little bit older and anything around
for a long time, so he's really he was in
that period where the races were they were really hard core,
you know, so probably a little bit harder than what
we are now in these days. But it's it's interesting,
you know, learning from him, and then he goes about
(07:18):
things in a slightly different way, which is really interesting.
And and yeah, just just you know, having having those
people around and the persona they carry is important for
the rest of the team exactly.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And you're very lucky right to this weekend Matt Tasmania
does does the track bother you? By the way? I
mean some small tracks A funny little trick, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, looks to be to be honest, Like, it's probably
not my most favorite on the calendar. It's only really
got three corners if you think about it, for three
opportunities to kind of get it right. So it's tough,
you know, it makes things difficult when you're when you're
trying to get you know, the right set up and
(07:59):
trying to get a lap out of it when the
times are, you know, the closest they probably will be
all year, So I probably prefer, you know, to go
out slightly longer tracks like I don't know that the
Bend or Battles or you know, even Taupo and things
like that. Slightly longer tracks are probably more my style.
But in saying that, like last year, we weren't particularly
(08:23):
strong at Tasmania, but we weren't particularly strong at Sydney
and we went really well this year, So it's really
a track that I want to look forward to coming
to and I really like Tasmania. It's the cool place.
It's a little bit different to the rest of Australia.
So it's I'm really looking forward to this week in
(08:45):
and trying to sort of flip around last year's result
to a positive note.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
And past this weekend. Are you aiming for thinking about
Bethhurst yet or not?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Ah, Yeah, definitely now that the injury season's coming up,
it's it's not far away. It's really it's the perfect
opportunity to get big points and make you a bit
of a move in the championship, so it's it's important
we've got Garth on board and co driving with him
is going to be really good. He's he's always pretty
much falls when it comes to the two races. So
(09:16):
we're definitely you know, eyes onto it at the moment,
trying to focus on that. But we've got to focus
on getting Tasmania out of the lay first and sort
of gorowing good points here as well, because it's you
don't and so easily you know, turn upside down when
you just don't have car quite right and you're battling
and outside that top ten, it makes life pretty hard.
(09:37):
So we've got a job to do here first, but then
we'll be full focused on the on the standown and past.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
So your fifth currently, what's a good year? I mean,
obviously winning is a great year, but but but realistically,
what would you be happy with?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, I think, you know, being I really want to
stay inside the top five in the championship and and
you know, fourth camp camps not far away, only fifty
points away, so I think there's a possibility to get forth.
But we're really going to need to be on top
of our game if we want to try and you know,
start making moves to towards the front. Guys we need
(10:12):
to be in the top three every single race, so
that's that's pretty tough. The competition is obviously very high,
but yeah it's in the top five for the Chemish,
but I think for me would would be a good
the dissolved and trying to just you know, get the
get the team's championships, get them as high as we
can as well, because that's that's important for us.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
You're still pinching yourself or you know, living the dream
where you're sort of a hard bit and old vet.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Now I feel like I'm a little bit of a hard,
old old guy, you know, just being in it the
second year. But no, it's obviously pretty cool to be
doing what I'm doing and you know, get get to
call this my job technically, but even though it still
doesn't feel like a job. So I'm not sure if
that day will ever come where I feel like it's
(11:00):
so it's worse, But I'm just enjoying it at the
moment and trying to do the best thing I can
to move forward each day and just trying to get
more wins and then get a better results.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well go, well, well, good to have you on the program.
We'll talk again. Matt Payne, who's part of the supercar
crowd this coming weekend in Tasmania. Another great key. We're
doing very well internationally. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Supercars back this weekend. By the way, one did the
word with Matt Pain at twenty one, he's one of
the sport's big prospects. Another key we flying the flag
very successfully and motorsport internationally. Rookie last year is in
a second season with Penske sits fifth as they head
into Tasmania this weekend. Matt Pain is, well, it's very
good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Yeah, good morning, Mike.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
How are you listening? Very well? Now for people who
don't follow supercars that closely, just work us through the
jump because you were previously in Toyota. Eighty six is
beatling round places like Hampton Downs. You've jumped into the
big car. Now, what's the difference from eighty six is
to supercars?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's a very large, large gap you have sort of
asked there eighty six's are obviously it's been a lot
lot different cars to what a supercar is, you know,
supercars to queens your if the pedal box is a
lot different, style of driving is probably a lot different
as well, so you know the characteristics of the car
(00:57):
are completely different. But also the level of competition and
supercars is super high, so it's a big, big step
up going from from an eighty six in New Zealand
all the way across the debts these guys are these
guys are played for keeps.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
How much more confident are you feeling this year from
the learnings that you took out of last year?
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I think it's it's a good question. Like last year,
I definitely you know, set it out as a learning
year and trying to gather as much knowledge as I
can and you know, just try and trying to tick
all the boxes. So it's this year has been it's
been okay, you know, like we had a really good
(01:41):
start and you know, the Grand Prix was was really
promising with a couple of podiums and a poll and
New Zealand probably didn't get as much as I wanted
out of that. I think we left a little bit
on the table and then kind of struggled a little
bit through the through the midway of the year with
the car. So things are picking back up again now,
(02:01):
like it's definitely going back into the direction we want.
So yeah, hopefully you know we can continue that and
finish out the year you know, strong and not have
too many Bogue tracks to go back to next year.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I mean if you look, I put modesty aside for
a moment. If you look at your last four races,
you've been on the podium twice for goodness sake, come
back to top on just a moment. But as a
young guy news to this game, you are winning. I mean,
you can't ask for much more than that.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
No, it's pretty good when you know. Obviously Council was
really good for us to sort of come back and
get that when it was we really needed it at
that time. You know, we were struggling a little bit
before that and you know, probably lost our way a
little bit, but to come back and it just gives
(02:48):
you so much confidence, you know, for the rest of
the year. And it was really really important for us
to try and somewhat back it up at Sydney, and
I think we kind of did that. You know, our
qualifying card definitely needs improving, but it's yeah to be fair,
Like I just want to be rent winning races. So
that's that's the goal at the moment.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
See, Taupo was a very good example of what I've
noticed about you. You came forth eventually in the race,
but but you were first in the shootout. In other words,
you you are fast. So what's the difference between qualifying
first and the race itself.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, at the start of the year, we had a
really strong qualifying car. You know, it wasn't wasn't hard,
It wasn't a real stretch for us to be inside
the top five most of the time when it when
it came to qualifying. But it's the race. The race
set up requires a little bit different sort of balance
to the car, and it's probably something we didn't quite
(03:47):
understand at the start of the year and we were
probably a little bit lost. So it's probably why you know,
you see results like like Talpo kind of slip away
and we do all the work to qualify on the
front row, but doesn't really get rewarded for the race
result because the car just wasn't quite in the window
of what we needed. So and it's kind of funny
(04:08):
because now we've kind of flipped that around and now
our qualifying car is not necessarily very strong and we're
just kind of making the top ten, but our race
car has definitely improved. And you know, now even though
we've made some mistakes and we're qualifying tents and eleventh,
(04:28):
but we're still able to race forward. To a possible podium,
which is a really good thing to have, but also
we need to find the right balance to get the
qualifying car back in the window to make our life
easier fast.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Up, which is I suppose one of the most fascinating
things for people who follow supercars. I mean, the gap
at the top of the field is just so minute,
you know, tenths of a second. For goodness sake, these days,
how much mucking around goes on with these cars and
how much of it might work out well versus you know,
it being pure guesswork.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Look, it's really crucial of how you roll out at
the start of a weekend and your first couple of
apps or your first two runs in practice really you know,
sort of tell you how your weekend is going to go.
You can sometimes we've rolled out and it's been in
the top three, and you know we're going to make
you know, two or three set up tweaks, but not
(05:22):
massive things during practice, and that's kind of all it
needs sometimes And then other times you roll out in
your sixteenth and you're kind of like, oh, it feels okay,
but five tenths off the leader, we definitely need something.
So then you're kind of just working on what you
need and trying to achieve that and you know, probably
taking bigger swings at it then you would have if
(05:45):
it just needed a little bit of a tweak when
you try to find that margin. So yeah, sometimes you
can roll out and be really strong and not have
to think too hard about it and just go and
drive it. And then sometimes you roll out and you're
slow and you're sort of scratching your head and you think, wow,
this is it's going to be a long weekend.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Let's talk about some of the names legends of the
sport in your side, Garth Tender, Couchy, Alista McVeigh. These
are legends. How useful are they to somebody like you?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It's been huge getting these people, and you know, I've
worked with with Couchy and Now and even gas Now
for a couple of years, and it was it was
really exciting at the start when this whole kind of
project was coming together with this team that you know,
they obviously sid out to get the right people. So
(06:36):
it's been really good to work with them and obviously
they know what it takes to get it done and
and just sort of been learning from the knowledge of
of what they know and trying to sort of craft
myself into being you know, the best kind of all
rounder for a racing driver has been has been really important.
(06:58):
Like Garth is a little bit older and anything around
for a long time, so he's really he was in
that period where the races were they were really hard core,
you know, so probably a little bit harder than what
we are now in these days. But it's it's interesting,
you know, learning from him, and then he goes about
(07:18):
things in a slightly different way, which is really interesting.
And and yeah, just just you know, having having those
people around and the persona they carry is important for
the rest of the team exactly.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
And you're very lucky right to this weekend Matt Tasmania
does does the track bother you? By the way? I
mean some small tracks A funny little trick, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
Yeah, looks to be to be honest, Like, it's probably
not my most favorite on the calendar. It's only really
got three corners if you think about it, for three
opportunities to kind of get it right. So it's tough,
you know, it makes things difficult when you're when you're
trying to get you know, the right set up and
(07:59):
trying to get a lap out of it when the
times are, you know, the closest they probably will be
all year, So I probably prefer, you know, to go
out slightly longer tracks like I don't know that the
Bend or Battles or you know, even Taupo and things
like that. Slightly longer tracks are probably more my style.
But in saying that, like last year, we weren't particularly
(08:23):
strong at Tasmania, but we weren't particularly strong at Sydney
and we went really well this year, So it's really
a track that I want to look forward to coming
to and I really like Tasmania. It's the cool place.
It's a little bit different to the rest of Australia.
So it's I'm really looking forward to this week in
(08:45):
and trying to sort of flip around last year's result
to a positive note.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
And past this weekend. Are you aiming for thinking about
Bethhurst yet or not?
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Ah, Yeah, definitely now that the injury season's coming up,
it's it's not far away. It's really it's the perfect
opportunity to get big points and make you a bit
of a move in the championship, so it's it's important
we've got Garth on board and co driving with him
is going to be really good. He's he's always pretty
much falls when it comes to the two races. So
(09:16):
we're definitely you know, eyes onto it at the moment,
trying to focus on that. But we've got to focus
on getting Tasmania out of the lay first and sort
of gorowing good points here as well, because it's you
don't and so easily you know, turn upside down when
you just don't have car quite right and you're battling
and outside that top ten, it makes life pretty hard.
(09:37):
So we've got a job to do here first, but then
we'll be full focused on the on the standown and past.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
So your fifth currently, what's a good year? I mean,
obviously winning is a great year, but but but realistically,
what would you be happy with?
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, I think, you know, being I really want to
stay inside the top five in the championship and and
you know, fourth camp camps not far away, only fifty
points away, so I think there's a possibility to get forth.
But we're really going to need to be on top
of our game if we want to try and you know,
start making moves to towards the front. Guys we need
(10:12):
to be in the top three every single race, so
that's that's pretty tough. The competition is obviously very high,
but yeah it's in the top five for the Chemish,
but I think for me would would be a good
the dissolved and trying to just you know, get the
get the team's championships, get them as high as we
can as well, because that's that's important for us.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
You're still pinching yourself or you know, living the dream
where you're sort of a hard bit and old vet.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Now I feel like I'm a little bit of a hard,
old old guy, you know, just being in it the
second year. But no, it's obviously pretty cool to be
doing what I'm doing and you know, get get to
call this my job technically, but even though it still
doesn't feel like a job. So I'm not sure if
that day will ever come where I feel like it's
(11:00):
so it's worse, But I'm just enjoying it at the
moment and trying to do the best thing I can
to move forward each day and just trying to get
more wins and then get a better results.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Well go, well, well, good to have you on the program.
We'll talk again. Matt Payne, who's part of the supercar
crowd this coming weekend in Tasmania. Another great key. We're
doing very well internationally. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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