THE Northern Midlands will host Tasmania’s biggest sporting event, round 4 of the 2023 Repco Supercar Championship, on May 19-21 at Symmons Plains Raceway.
For 50 years the crowds have been flocking by the thousands to the venue and while there’s been huge changes in the vehicles, safety, format and technology over the decades, a few things are guaranteed a track that is legendary in the Supercars scene and top notch driving from the best in the country.
Dubbed the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint, all 25 Gen3 Supercars will be competing on the Saturday and Sunday of the event, with a trio of 42-lap sprints headlining the action.
Making a flying visit to Tasmania last week, Aussie Supercars stars David Reynolds and Matt Payne called into the Tasmanian Automobile Museum in Launceston, dropped into Agfest and also the famous Country Club Hotel at Longford.
It has been a rapid rise for Payne, who competed in the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia series.
The 20-year-old Auckland lad is a multiple karting champion and has enjoyed success overseas before focusing on circuit racing. So far this season he’s finished regularly in the top 15, just over a week ago sixth in Perth, WA, demonstrating he’s the rookie to watch.
“I’ve made a few mistakes but it’s nice to get a couple of solid results we’ve proved we’ve got some pace and we can race with the guys up the front,’ he said.
‘It’s encouraging and takes the pressure off a little bit but I’m working towards getting better each round.”
He even had a laugh about throwing up in his helmet during the warmup lap last race a mixture of heat, nerves and eating too much chicken in the leadup the most likely culprits.
Luckily he was able to clean up and change suits during a red flag.
Payne said he was aware that there was a strong karting community in Tasmania and encouraged young drivers to push themselves but keep it fun.
“It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was staring out as a 10 year old, karting on the weekends with my family,” he said.
“It’s hard when the sport is expensive and it’s hard for parents to support their kids but if you’re having fun keep doing it and if you can get the results someone might come along and pick you up, which is what happened to me.”
This year’s Supercars Championship is the first under the new Gen3 ruleset, marking the biggest change to the Australian racing series since the implementation of V8-powered Commodores and Ford Falcons in the 1990s.