Matt Payne has solidified his position as the Supercars leader after dominating the second race of the Townsville 500, securing his third win of the season by a staggering 15.2885 seconds.

The Grove Racing driver, who had been in a drought since the Christchurch Super 440 in April, capitalized on Brodie Kostecki's poor pit stop during the race to reclaim the lead.Anton De Pasquale, starting 11th, executed a remarkable comeback, overtaking multiple competitors to finish second.Kostecki, who had taken the provisional pole, struggled with his pit stop and was overtaken by De Pasquale in a dramatic final lap.Thomas Randle and Cam Waters also performed strongly, with Waters narrowly missing out on a fifth consecutive podium.

The race highlighted intense competition and strategic pit stops, with Payne's victory extending his eight-point lead over Triple Eight Race Engineering.The event at Reid Park Street Circuit underscored the high stakes of Supercars, where every lap and decision can shift the momentum dramatically.