Mostert goes back-to-back in TCR thriller

Chaz Mostert has overcome Audi team-mate Luke King to win Race 2 of Round 2 of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series at Phillip Island.

While he dominated Race 1 in wet conditions, Mostert was made to work for his second victory in TCR under sunnier skies at the Victorian circuit.

King led for much of the opening 12-and-a-bit laps but had to settle for second in the end, albeit less than a second behind his team-mate at the chequered flag after being 32 seconds in arrears a day earlier.

Mostert also takes over the series lead with what was a second straight Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia one-two, his cause helped due to drama on the grid for the man who had previously held sway on the points table, Lee Holdsworth.

Wall Racing Hondas finished the 15-lapper third and fourth, John Martin 11 seconds behind King but a touch under one ahead of Tony D’Alberto, while Jason Bargwanna took fifth in a Garry Rogers Motorsport Peugeot.

Mostert led the field away but found himself second as they approached the Turn 4 Hairpin for the first time, after Aaron Cameron (Peugeot) quickly passed both of the front row starting Audis.

Holdsworth, on the other hand, plummeted from third on the grid to the very back of the 20-car field due to his Alfa Romeo stalling before the red lights had gone out.

Mostert struggled for pace initially, passed on the opening lap at MG by King, who would then nab the lead from Cameron as they ran into Doohan Corner at the start of Lap 2.

Cameron briefly got back ahead of the Race 1 runner-up but could not match the speed of the #2 Audi down Gardner Straight, falling behind for good at the beginning of Lap 3.

The GRM driver than had Mostert on his case, and while he resisted a big dive at MG on Lap 3, and something reminiscent of a speedway slide job at Doohan Corner on Lap 4, the Audi pilot got the job done when they braked for the Hairpin a few corners later.

What followed was a private battle between the Audi RS 3 duo at the head of the field.

Mostert had several looks at Car #2, including one especially wild moment when he got loose with two wheels on the grass as they approached the speed trap at the end of Gardner Straight.

However, the Bathurst 1000 winner finally got the job done when he stuck outside of Cameron through Southern Loop and Stoner Corner on Lap 13, giving him the line for the hard stop at the Hairpin.

Mostert skipped six tenths clear in the rest of that lap and ultimately won by 0.97s after two more laps.

Martin and D’Alberto prevailed in a dice with Cameron, who slipped to seventh in the end, behind Jason Bargwanna and Michael Clemente (Honda).

Rounding out the top 10 were Zac Soutar (Honda), Ben Bargwanna (Peugeot), and Nathan Morcom (Hyundai), with Holdsworth finishing a lap down in 16th.

The Round 2 finale, scheduled for 15 laps, starts this afternoon at 14:25 local time/AEDT.

Results: Race 2