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Chaz Mostert was left wondering after a mystery tyre drama in Race 21 at the NTI Townsville SuperSprint.
The Mobil 1 Appliances Online Racing driver began the race from 10th and rose to sixth as others ahead of him made their pit stops.
Mostert pitted on Lap 19 and duly fell down the order but was dealt a blow when he was forced to make a second pit stop with a deflating right rear tyre.
After his second stop, Mostert fell to 24th where he would remain for the remainder of the 39-lap affair.
Strangely, the tyre reinflated once it was pulled off of the #25 Holden ZB Commodore. However, Mostert said he wouldn’t have been able to continue on it.
“It was just a weird one,” said Mostert of the failure.
“I had a similar out lap to the one I had in the race before, kind of a similar tyre strategy except a used right rear.
“I’m not too sure what’s happened. (The tyre) lost pressure on the out lap, it tried to fence me a couple of times and I decided I had to pit.
“I felt like I had a flat or something had broken. Lucky not to keep running around, but disappointed to be 24th.
“It’s obviously lost pressure but it’s obviously resealed itself.
“I don’t know what’s going on, it’s obviously popped itself off the bead, lost a bit of air then resealed itself, there’s no way I could’ve kept going.
“It’s all good, we got a couple of these gold things,” he said of his trophies, “So we’ll come back next week and get a couple more.”
Mostert said he was happy to come away with two podium finishes but was ultimately left disappointed to miss out on three strong points finishes.
Despite the drama, the Walkinshaw Andretti United driver has retained third in the drivers’ championship.
“I just can’t get a break, unfortunately,” said Mostert.
“Obviously I’ve got so much great luck to get two trophies, but I feel disappointed with that third race. Even if we finished 12th or 13th, it would’ve been a great bank of points.”
Mostert will have three more opportunities to find success at the Reid Park Street Circuit with the Robson Civil Projects Townsville SuperSprint on September 5-6.
