Mostert hangs on for Darwin win as SVG comes unstuck

Chaz Mostert has made Walkinshaw Andretti United’s recent struggles a distant memory, producing a brilliant drive to win Race 18 at the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

All eyes were on the Shell V-Power Racing Team which had locked out the front row via Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale, but WAU caught its rivals napping.

Mostert started the race sixth and was one of the first to make his compulsory pit stop, taking only two tyres on Lap 9.

The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner made the most of clear air to rattle off a series of quick laps as the top four on the road all ran long.

De Pasquale had led the way after a blistering start to smoke pole-sitter Davison off the line, with the latter right on the #11’s tail from there.

De Pasquale was first of the front-runners to pit on Lap 19, before Cameron Waters pitted from fourth on Lap 21, Shane van Gisbergen from third on Lap 22, and finally Davison the next time around.

All of that quartet took either three or four tyres at their stop and looked destined to reel in Mostert, especially after the field was bunched by a Lap 26 Safety Car.

That intervention was triggered by a collision between Garry Jacobson and Zak Best which left the Tickford Racing wildcard damaged in the run-off at Turn 6. Jacobson was slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident.

The race resumed on Lap 31 of 38, and there was instant drama as van Gisbergen and Davison came together at Turn 1.

Davison dropped a handful of places but the incident was far more costly for van Gisbergen, whose damaged Red Bull Ampol Racing #97 slipped down the order. A 15-second penalty compounded his woes, leaving him to finish 21st.

All the while, De Pasquale was hunting Mostert without ever quite drawing close enough to launch a move.

Mostert would defy his tyre deficit to continue to perfectly position his #25 Mobil 1 Optus Racing ZB Commodore, and he would go on to win by 0.9580s.

De Pasquale was second ahead of Race 17 winner Waters, Davison, Andre Heimgartner and a fading Broc Feeney in sixth.

For Mostert, it’s a special result after WAU endured a dreadful run at Perth and went podium-less at Winton.

He’d further been disqualified twice this weekend, from Practice 2, and controversially losing his fourth place in the Saturday race.

“There’s no worse mentality than going into a Safety Car knowing that everyone has got fresher tyres behind you. Not just two, but four,” Mostert said.

“Ripper effort by the team, we went super aggressive and the Mobil 1 Optus rocket somehow just held on. Obviously temperature plays a big part, I kept Anton just at bay enough but I had nothing left.”

Just 26 cars took to the start with Team 18 unable to complete repairs on Scott Pye’s #20 Nulon Racing entry in time for the 15:25 kick-off (local time), having been caught up in the early Race 17 skirmish.

Another bruising opening stanza left several more drivers out of the running, with Brodie Kostecki and Jayden Ojeda tangling at Turn 1 on the second lap.

Kostecki limped back to the pits with a puncture while Ojeda was left to retire from the last of his six wildcard starts due to broken suspension.

Todd Hazelwood also dropped off the lead lap, a vibration forcing him to visit the lane before the compulsory pit stop window opened, while the rebuilt #5 Tickford Racing Mustang of James Courtney was left worse for wear after being caught up in a concertina.

Courtney would come home 19th after making an additional pit stop during the Safety Car period.

It was better news for his Tickford Racing team-mate Jake Kostecki, who finished eighth, sandwiched between the Holdens of Will Brown and Mark Winterbottom, while Nick Percat rounded out the top 10.

Van Gisbergen’s troublesome race means his championship lead has been slashed to 214 points over De Pasquale.

Meanwhile, the Shell V-Power Racing Team has roared into the lead of the teams’ championship, 14 points clear of Red Bull Ampol Racing.

Next up is the NTI Townsville 500, which will be held across July 8-10.

Results: Race 18, Merlin Darwin Triple Crown

Fastest lap (bonus): Will Davison, 1:07.0532, Lap 25

Drivers’ championship

Teams’ championship