Payne and Tander were victorious in an epic race that few in the last decade could rival for entertainment.
The race featured a whole host of impressive performances, not least by the race winners who surged from 18th in the #100 Grove Racing Ford Mustang to victory in controversial circumstances.
The car that crossed the line first was in fact the #31 PremiAir Racing Chevrolet Camaro of James Golding and David Russell, who had five seconds added to their race time for that late crash with Erebus Motorsport’s #99 Camaro of Cooper Murray and Jobe Stewart.
Russell was impressive, commanding a portion of the race before handing the reins to Golding who was incredibly quick at the death and threatened a boil over.
Murray and Stewart were equally impressive. Stewart showed he has the mettle to be a full-time and Murray’s speed in the final stanza was rapid and looked like it had pace convincing enough to win.
And what about Team 18? Lee Holdsworth held his own and showed he is a safe pair of hands alongside David Reynolds, who was ultra quick in the closing laps. So quick was Reynolds that he almost spoiled the party for Payne.
Supercars’ ‘Twin Cam’ team, Cameron Hill and Cameron Hill, were the ultimate sleepers. They flew under the radar, finishing a fine fifth.
Broc Feeney and Jamie Whincup were sixth, which was a remarkable result considering their earlier woes when the Sprint Cup winner stuffed it into the tyres at Forrest’s Elbow. Thanks to the ‘Lucky Dog’ rule, Feeney was able to get back onto the lead lap and hustle through.
Aaron Cameron and Zak Best were also impressive, considering the former slapped the wall hard at Griffins Bend and threatened to end their day early. Best was, for lack of a better term, among the best when the rain began.
As for the wildcats, Rylan Gray and Lochie Dalton were solid, if unspectacular. There was nothing flashy about their performance, but finishing the race was an achievement in itself for the Tickford Super2 stars.
Zach Bates and Craig Lowndes could have easily finished in the top five had the race remained dry. Their speed early was strong, but the wet weather caught Bates out at Murray’s Corner. They went on the claim 10th.
And you can’t forget Ryan Wood and Jayden Ojeda. If not for an engine gremlin, they seemed almost to be among the contenders come Lap 161. Ojeda was especially strong during his stints in the wet, up against some of the full-timers and more experienced co-drivers.
In this week’s Pirtek Poll, we ask who impressed you the most in the 2025 Bathurst 1000.
Discussion about this post