New Zealand’s Matt Payne has extended his stellar Supercars run on home soil by winning the action-packed Taupo 440 finale.

Grove driver Payne secured his second win of the round – and fourth of his career -on Sunday after early chaos in the 61-lap race foiled pole-sitter Brodie Kostecki’s campaign at Taupo International Motorsport Park.

Payne leaves New Zealand sitting third in the championship, with the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy in hand after claiming two of the weekend’s three races.

He trails second-placed Tickford star Cam Waters in the series standings, with defending champion Will Brown still atop.

Matt Stone Racing’s Cam Hill was second in Sunday’s 200km sprint, and Chaz Mostert followed in third after winning a dog-fight with fourth-placed Kostecki.

Walkinshaw Andretti United star Mostert had also won a duel with Kostecki to claim the second sprint in Taupo.

Kostecki, after setting a lap record of 1m 25.630s on his way to claiming back-to-back poles, lost his lead after an aggressive Ryan Wood nudged him onto the grass at turn eight in the opening lap.

He recovered only to lose control at the following turn, finding himself seventh after a brief trip on the grass.

Kiwi driver Wood, who finished 11th after starting in fourth, was slapped with a five-second penalty for making contact with Kostecki.

Anton De Pasquale also endured a nightmare start just seconds into the first lap, dropping from his front-row spot next to Kostecki to sixth after running wide at turn one.

Somewhere in the mayhem, Grove rookie Kai Allen dropped to the back of the grid from seventh after being nudged into a spin.

Allen managed to finish 18th out of the 24 cars, while Team 18’s De Pasquale settled for 16th.

Triple Eight stars Brown and Broc Feeney impressed behind the wheels of their Chevrolet Camaros to finish in the top-10 despite poor qualifying performances.

Series leader Brown finished eighth after starting in 12th, while a determined Feeney recovered from 20th to place seventh.

Waters, second in the standings, was 12th after qualifying in 18th.

RACE 10 RESULTS:

1. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)

2. Cam Hill (Matt Stone Racing)

3. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)

4. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing)

5. Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1. Will Brown (Triple Eight Race Engineering)

2. Cam Waters (Tickford)

3. Matt Payne (Grove)

4. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)

5. Chaz Mostert (WAU)