Chaz Mostert is in “probably one of my best mindsets” in years ahead of his first season with Walkinshaw Andretti United.
Mostert had spent his entire Virgin Australia Supercars Championship career to date with Tickford Racing, but for his rookie season in 2013 when the Campbellfield team loaned him to Dick Johnson Racing.
His move is also a key element of the significant change taking place at WAU, which will have two new full-time drivers having also signed 2019 Dunlop Super2 Series winner Bryce Fullwood.
“2020 for me’s been probably one of my best mindsets going racing for the last couple of years,” Mostert told Speedcafe.com.
“I’m really pumped about a change and excited to just get amongst it and just (experience a) different environment.
“You never know if it’s going to be good, better, worse, or whatever, but just change is exciting and I’m feeling refreshed for it.”
Mostert visited the base of one of the parties behind the WAU partnership, Andretti Autosport, while he was in the United States as part of his 24 Hours of Daytona drive.
The 27-year-old likened himself to an excited schoolgirl at the chance to see Andretti’s facility firsthand.
“Obviously after the Roar that I did, the testing for Daytona, I took the opportunity to go to Indianapolis and really go out and check their operation out there,” recalled Mostert.
“It was an amazing experience. It was like I was a bit like a schoolgirl going to checking out something that I’ve always wanted to go check out, and to see how they operate there is awesome.
“They’re really passionate about what we’re doing here and racing for them, and it’s going to be really interesting to see how we go with all that kind of stuff.
“For me it was really good cementing that they’re really committed to what we’re doing here and want to help out where they can.”
WAU’s off-season recruitment means that two good friends will drive together at the Clayton team.
Fullwood has already told Speedcafe.com that he is eager to lean on the 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner’s experience but Mostert believes that the 21-year-old will be a major contributor to the team himself.
“(I’m) Obviously super excited to work with Bryce,” said Mostert.
“Been watching him for the last couple of years; he’s definitely a talent of the future and I’m excited to get pushed by him too.
“He’s going to bring a lot to the team, being young, and he’s just got a really good engineering mind as well, so I’m pumped.
“We race RC (remote control) cars when we can together. He’s a gun at that, so, looking forward to race him in RC cars on a Friday night and also racing against him on a race weekend.
“He gets on top of me in the RC cars; hopefully I get on top of him in the Supercars.”
Mostert’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour weekend came to a premature end when Walkenhorst Motorsport team-mate Nicky Catsburg hit a kangaroo approximately three hours into the race, damaging the BMW M6 GT3 and ultimately causing its retirement with resulting overheating issues.
Mostert will start his first season with WAU in a new ZB Commodore carrying #25, with a shakedown set down for February 12 followed by the BP Ultimate SuperTest at The Bend on February 18.
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