Kiwi Rising Stars Clash in Qualifying Drama at Darwin Triple Crown

During the Boost Mobile Qualifying session at Hidden Valley Raceway, Kiwi rising stars Matthew Payne and Ryan Wood found themselves embroiled in a Qualifying run-in at the Darwin Triple Crown.

Wood’s session took a hit as he struggled to 23rd place, with a mishap at Turn 1 causing him to run off the track, raising concerns of impeding Payne’s #19 Penrite Racing Mustang between Turn 5 and Turn 10.

A request for investigation by Penrite Racing to the Deputy Race Director and Driving Standards Advisor led to a review, ultimately concluding that there was insufficient evidence to prove Wood had impeded Payne, thus avoiding a penalty for the alleged incident.

In a similar incident in Perth, Wood had received a grid penalty for impeding Mark Winterbottom and Macauley Jones, making this latest run-in a narrowly averted second penalty.

Meanwhile, fellow rookie Aaron Love of the Blanchard Racing Team faced a $500 fine after being caught speeding in the pit lane during Practice 1, further adding to the drama surrounding the rising stars in the Supercars Championship.

Track activities for the Darwin Triple Crown are scheduled to resume with Practice 2 followed by the highly anticipated Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout, setting the stage for the intense battles that await in the weekend’s races.

The first race of the weekend, Race 11, will see the drivers take on 48 laps around Hidden Valley Raceway in what promises to be a thrilling showcase of talent and competition among the Supercars field.