The catch was that RCR runs Chevrolet Camaros in NASCAR while Grove Racing, Payne’s current Supercars team, is part of the Ford Racing family.
The deal was unsurprisingly blocked by Grove Racing. And under normal circumstances there wouldn’t be much else to say on the matter.
However the story has been amplified by the fascinating tug of war over Payne’s immediate future, playing out between Grove Racing (and by extension Ford) and Team 18/General Motors.
It is well known in the paddock that Payne is central to GM’s Supercars plans in its post-Triple Eight era.
It has identified Payne as its star of the future and is working towards planting him at factory squad Team 18 as soon as possible.
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As it stands that will be in 2028 given Payne is contracted to Grove Racing until the end of next season.
However it is understood that work on a potential early exit for the 2027 season is ongoing.
International opportunities have underpinned GM’s pitch to Payne, meaning the concept of the Kiwi racing in NASCAR makes perfect sense. It is only the timing that has ruffled feathers.
So what role did GM itself play in this bid to get a Ford driver in a Camaro on the other side of the world?
Exact clarity on that is difficult to ascertain however there have been some fascinating details come to light in recent days.
One is that Payne embarked on a trip to the US immediately after the Christchurch Supercars event, which clearly set the wheels in motion.
There he took part in a development camp with renowned US performance coach and advisor Josh Wise, who has an existing relationship with Payne’s manager Michael Patrizi.
Wise, through his business Wise Optimisation, does work closely with GM in North America and it is possible that sim work or other activities completed during the camp involved GM facilities.
That has raised questions here in Australia about whether the trip could be seen as any sort of contract breach.
That would be a valid question had the trip been paid for and directly facilitated by GM, however it appears it was effectively a self-funded personal development endeavour that happened to cross paths with GM facilities.
Then there is the matter of whether any GM funding was involved in the proposed NASCAR deal.
Complicating that picture is the revelation that before the RCR Cup Series deal was on the table, Payne had requested clearance from the Groves to race in the second-tier O’Reilly Series, something that is understood to have been more directly connected to GM.
That request was also denied.
The Cup Series deal, however, is thought to have been in the regular RCR entry left vacant by the tragic passing of Kyle Busch.
Compared to a wildcard start that needs to be ground-up funded, racing the Busch car would have fit in with existing commercial arrangements for the entry.
That would of course include GM funding via the team, but wouldn’t have been the sort of sensational, one-off spend from the manufacturer had it been trying to facilitate a wildcard outing for Payne to woo him across the divide.
Regardless, there are clear signs from this situation that GM is dedicated to landing Payne’s signature, and doing so as soon as possible.
It remains too early to call whether he is able to sign next year or has to wait another 12 months, however this is the most public flashpoint yet in the Payne/GM/Grove love triangle.
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