FOR a driver about to start his fifth Repco Supercars Championship round, Matt Payne has been part of the furniture at his team for a fair while now.
The 20-year-old Kiwi signed with Kelly Grove Racing in September 2021, more than a year out from his main game debut at last season’s Bathurst 1000, with his first solo start only coming in March this year.
During that time, Payne has witnessed a complete reshaping of the Braeside organisation, changing the fabric of it from the Kelly Racing of old to the Grove Racing of new.
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The investment, including in key personnel such as team principal David Cauchi and technical director Grant McPherson, has gradually paid off to the point where Grove Racing is currently leading Ford’s charge in the teams’ championship.
“Obviously I started with these guys in 2021; the team is so much different now than what it was back then,” Payne told V8 Sleuth.
“The Kellys still had a share and there was a lot of people there that probably had been doing it for a long time and were maybe a bit burnt out.
“We’ve sort of rekindled the fire I guess you could say for the guys and there’s still quite a few guys that have been here for a long time and they’re feeling the vibe now and everyone is really gelling together better.
“We’re getting better and better each time we go to a race track so it’s only a matter of time before we’ll get a win for the boys.”
On being the top Ford team, Payne noted he’s tried not to get caught up in the ongoing parity debate.
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“I think Erebus is doing a really good job, from where they were last year to now, they certainly have got race-winning cars and Triple Eight are just as they are, very good,” he said.
“We have certainly stepped up from where we were last year and we’re just executing a little bit better than the other teams.
“I’m sure they will catch onto it sooner than later but we have just got to keep doing our job and we’ll stay there.”
Supercars practice at Symmons Plains starts today at 9am AEST, with a three-part qualifying and a 42-lap race to come this afternoon.