Matt Payne has not made a decision about his Supercars future and is open to leaving in 2028. The New Zealand driver admits he is still weighing options amid General Motors' persistent interest.
Payne's future has been under question since late 2025, when it emerged that GM was courting the Grove Racing Ford star. GM is understood to have chased Payne for 2027, attempting to lure him to its Supercars homologation squad Team 18 with the carrot of international opportunities. A trip to a US-based, GM-affiliated driver training program was followed by an apparent offer to race a Chevrolet NASCAR in June, which was blocked by Grove.
The parties subsequently came to a public truce with Payne declaring an intention to see out his Grove contract through to the end of 2027. While it's widely believed Payne's GM move has simply been pushed back to 2028, the driver insists no decisions have been made. "No, I haven't decided," Payne told Speedcafe ahead of the Bathurst 1000 of 2028. "I'd leave that chapter open, but no decisions have been made at the moment."
Asked if it's a given he'll be on the Supercars grid in 2028, Payne added: "I don't even know if I'm really sure of that at the moment." This statement fuels speculation that he might leave the series sooner than expected.
Payne's manager Michael Patrizi has made no secret of his belief that Payne is an international level talent. Whether that involves making a full-time move overseas or simply cameos supporting a Supercars program remains to be seen. "There's plenty of different racing categories that I've wanted to compete in all around the world," Payne added. "I wouldn't say we've specifically taken aim at anything in particular at the moment. But I wouldn't put anything off the table at this stage, though. Just assessing our options at the moment."
Payne's declaration that he'll stay at Grove next year took much of the heat out of the Supercars silly season. Team 18 is thought likely to extend its incumbent veteran David Reynolds for another year, leaving the door open for a potential Payne arrival in 2028. Asked if there's a timeline on when he'll make a call on 2028 and beyond, Payne said: "Not at this stage. I really want to focus on trying to get this championship done. I'm trying to win that, trying to win Bathurst if we can and then see the year out, focus on going into next year and having another crack at it. There's no timeline at the moment."
Grove Racing declared in July it has contingency plans in place should Payne leave the team in 2028. The Melbourne-based squad brought Payne through Super2 and into Supercars in 2023, with the combination currently leading both the drivers' and teams' standings. With his impressive performances, Payne is a target for many teams, and his decision could reshape the Supercars landscape.
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