Nick Percat has claimed his first Supercars win in four years in Melbourne as rookie Matt Payne’s nightmare weekend continued.

As Percat outpaced championship leaders Broc Feeney and Will Brown to claim the chequered flag at Albert Park, front-row starter Payne was sent to the back of the grid after a series of unfortunate events on Sunday.

The Grove Racing driver, desperate for redemption after crashing out on Saturday afternoon, blitzed pole-sitter Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) and looked certain to storm home victorious.

Instead, Payne was made to settle for a finish in 14th after being hit twice.

The young New Zealander was first sent through the grass at turn 10 on lap three when the Walkinshaw Andretti United driver, locking his left-hand front, clipped the back of his Ford Mustang, before a hit by Bryce Fullwood sent him spiralling again in lap four.

Mostert was slapped with a five-second penalty and dropped from fourth to fifth as a result.

Percat was able to snare the lead on lap three amid the commotion and held on to claim his fifth career win and first with Matt Stone Racing after leaving Mostert’s team in the off-season.

“It’s unbelievable,” Percat said.

“I wanted to quit and now round two, we’ve won a race.

“The last 18 months I hated every second of that mob (Walkinshaw Andretti United) … it’s a bit surreal.”

The disastrous outing for Payne comes less than 24 hours after the 21-year-old crashed himself and Cam Waters out of race five.

Waters, sharing the front row with the rookie for the 14-lap race, won the starting-grid battle but Payne snatched the lead by using the inside at turn 11 on Saturday.

The Tickford Racing driver pulled off a similar manoeuvre to reclaim the lead but his ascendancy was short-lived.

Payne, under pressure with Feeney behind, moved across the track and made contact with the side of Waters’ Mustang to send his rival into the wall.

Losing control following the impact, Payne then spiralled into the barrier to bring an end to his own race, too.

The tough weekend also continued for Anton De Pasquale (Dick Johnson Racing) who did not start Sunday’s race because of a loose wheel and Erebus’s Jack Le Brocq who left the track on lap two.

RACE SIX RESULTS:

1. Nick Percat (Matt Stone Racing)

2. Will Brown (Triple Eight)

3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)

4. Tom Randle (Tickford Racing)

5. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1. Will Brown (Triple Eight) 575 points

2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 558

3. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 478

4. Nick Percat (Matt Stone Racing) 405

5. David Reynolds (Team 18) 358