Chaz Mostert’s sole focus is on this weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour rather than basking in any afterglow from winning his class in Daytona less than a week ago.
Mostert combined with John Edwards, Augusto Farfus, and Jesse Krohn, to take out the GT Le Mans class of the 24 Hours of Daytona in a BMW M8 GTE, an achievement he likened to winning the 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Barely more than four days after the chequered flag flew at Daytona Beach, Mostert is set to share a Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 with Farfus and Nicky Catsburg on practice day at Mount Panorama.
However, he says that there are no thoughts of the events of last weekend, except perhaps the omen of driving another black BMW.
“My mentality is that when you go for back-to-back race weekends, the sole focus is on the next race weekend; you’re always looking forward,” Mostert told Speedcafe.com.
“When we get away from this weekend and go home, I’m sure it’ll start to sink in, what we achieved last weekend, but I’m just so pumped for this weekend to be get called back here representing BMW again, and to be racing with Walkenhorst this year.
“I must say, the car absolutely looks awesome. It’s really kind of close to the (number) 24 car we raced in GT Le Mans on the weekend, so we’re hoping that it can give us a little bit of the edge we need to have a good weekend.”
On whether he at least takes some sort of confidence bounce to Mount Panorama, Mostert replied, “Not really, because every weekend is different.
“For me, last weekend was last weekend and this weekend’s a new weekend.
“I’ve got the confidence in the team, and I’ve got the confidence in the manufacturer, and I’ve got the confidence in my two superstar team-mates to be able to have the package together to try and do the job.
“But there’s always something else out there. We’ve got to get out there and practice and see how we’re cracking along and qualifying.”
One benefit will, however, be a commonality in how to drive the M8 GTE and the M6 GT3.
“I’m very lucky to be doing the M8 GT Le Mans stuff,” explained Mostert.
“Even though the cars are completely different, it’s the same mindset how to try and attract lap time the same way.
“No doubt when we get through this weekend and I go back to the Supercar, I’ll be a bit rusty in the Supercar for a few laps; there’s always the changeover period.
“But, I’m hoping last weekend’s stuff can really give us a bit of an edge this weekend too, driving a GT car and how the aero works and all that kind of stuff.”
Mostert is not only racing with Farfus for the second weekend in a row, but also took on Mount Panorama with the Brazilian in 2018 and 2019.
On those occasions, however, they drove for BMW Team Schnitzer, which has been tasked with development of the M4 GT3 and racing in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (nee: VLN) this year.
Asked about where the two BMW factory teams differ, Mostert said, “I think both teams are at the absolute top of their game.
“Obviously it’s pretty early in the weekend, so I haven’t really worked out the differences.
“But we’re lucky enough that last year both teams worked extremely close, so you’ve kind of got that mentality that they’re both on the same pedigree in what they do.”
The #34 Walkenhorst BMW is likely to hit the track for the first time in Practice 2, which is open to drivers of all rankings, from 09:15 local time/AEDT.
That sessions immediately follows Practice 1 for drivers below Gold ranking from 08:40.
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