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Australian standout Matt Payne barred from NASCAR debut by his Supercars team
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- Australian standout Matt Payne barred from NASCAR debut by his Supercars team
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Matt Payne's unexpected chance to debut in the NASCAR Cup Series has been blocked by his own Supercars team.
The Grove Racing driver was reportedly being lined up for a General Motors-backed outing with Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma. The move would have put the Ford-contracted Kiwi in a Chevrolet for one of NASCAR's highest-profile road course races.
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That manufacturer conflict proved decisive. Grove Racing refused to approve the one-off drive, keeping Payne focused on his Supercars commitments and his long-term deal with the Ford-aligned team.
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Grove Racing blocked the proposed Chevrolet NASCAR drive
The opportunity came to light during an episode of SPEED with Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton. Buxton explained that Chevrolet wanted to place Payne with RCR for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma.
Payne remains under contract with Grove Racing until the end of the 2027 Supercars season. That gave the team the power to reject any drive it believed conflicted with its Ford relationship or commercial position.
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"Grove Racing confirms that it did not approve Matt Payne's request to participate in a NASCAR race for General Motors.
"Matt is contracted to Grove Racing until the end of the 2027 season, and during that period, he is not permitted to participate in any driving opportunity that conflicts with his contractual obligations to Grove Racing.
"Grove Racing takes its commercial and technical relationship with Ford Racing seriously and at no time would look to jeopardise that for a one off NASCAR drive with a competing manufacturer. Matt has recently returned from a significant wrist injury.
"Grove Racing's priority is to ensure Matt is managed responsibly, protects his recovery, and remains fully focused on his commitments with the team.
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"Matt is a central part of Grove Racing's program, and we do not consider it appropriate or commercially responsible to expose him to additional physical risk in an unfamiliar racing environment, particularly one that carries no direct benefit to Grove Racing's championship objectives."
The decision is understandable from Grove's perspective, especially given the manufacturer ties and Payne's recent injury recovery. Approving a one-off Chevrolet appearance was always unlikely while Payne remained central to a Ford-aligned programme.
The decision adds heat to the Ford and GM battle for Payne
Payne has become one of the key names in the Supercars silly season. General Motors has reportedly been pushing hard to lure him away from Grove, while Ford and the Groves still hold his current contract.
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That context makes the blocked NASCAR debut more than a simple scheduling dispute. It reads as another front in the broader manufacturer fight for Payne's future.
Grove also questioned why GM looked outside its own aligned Supercars teams for the opportunity. That criticism pointed towards Team 18, Erebus, MSR and PremiAir as potential alternatives with clearer Chevrolet links.
"We are also surprised that General Motors would look beyond its own substantial stable of talented Supercars drivers in Australia and instead approach a contracted driver from a competing manufacturer.
"GM has access to a deep pool of capable Australian drivers with direct manufacturer alignment, and the ability to represent its program without interfering with another team's contractual position.
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"Given Matt has not previously raced in NASCAR or at the relevant circuit, it is difficult to understand why General Motors would seek to involve a contracted Grove Racing driver rather than one of its own aligned drivers. Grove Racing looks forward to the next Supercars round in Darwin next weekend."
While the proposed NASCAR appearance was only set to be a one-off, Grove's reaction shows how valuable Payne has become. It also underlines how seriously both manufacturers are now fighting for his future.
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