A divergence in strategy proved pivotal in Chaz Mostert claiming victory for Mobil1 Optus Racing from third on the grid at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The team opted for a two-stop strategy and short-filled to beat early race leader Thomas Randle out of the pit lane, setting his best laps of the race in clear air.

Mostert made the most of fresher tyres and chased down one-stopper Matt Payne with four laps to go to take the lead.

“I’ll have to review the whole race. It’s a long old slog out here, 50-odd laps,” said Mostert.

“I was thinking when they told me Matty Payne was right up the road, I’m like, I know the pace the car can do, I just hope his [tyres] deg[rade] at the pace that he was doing.

“I think he was probably the man-of-the-match on looking after his tyres but our team was man-of-the-match for having a super fast car today.

“We had to work hard for it at the start in those stints and build gaps but it was a lot of fun.”

THE LIGHTS ARE ON AND WE ARE RACING IN SYDNEY!

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Initially, it was front-row starter Randle who got the jump in his #55 Castrol Racing Ford Mustang on his Tickford Racing teammate Cameron Waters in the #6 Monster Energy Racing entry to lead into turn one.

Behind them, DeWalt Racing’s Mark Winterbottom lost control of his #18 car under brakes into turn two and veered into the side of the Pizza Hut Racing entry of Macauley Jones in the #96. Winterbottom pitted for repairs but would finish last.

Initially, it was Randle who led leads teammate Waters, Mostert, and Shell V-Power Racing Team duo Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison.

Payne was sixth ahead of the two Red Bull Ampol Racing cars of Broc Feeney and Will Brown while Bendix Racing’s Nick Percat and James Golding of PremiAir Nulon Racing rounded out the top 10.

After Jones’ drama, his Brad Jones Racing teammate Bryce Fullwood spun on his own at turn two. Penrite Racing’s Richie Stanaway and SS Signs-backed Erebus Motorsport driver Brodie Kostecki avoided the spinning #14, narrowly avoiding the Middy’s Racing entry.

A pivotal pass came on lap 10 when Mostert got by Waters out of Corporate Hill. Their battle, albeit brief, gave Randle a handy lead to the tune of more than two seconds.

Kostecki was the first to stop on lap 12 with reports of a vibration, but that was remedied with a new set of tyres.

Pit stops continued in earnest and the key moment came on lap 17 when Randle, Mostert, and Feeney pitted.

Walkinshaw Andretti United short-filled the #25 entry to undercut Randle in another decisive call. Any hopes Randle had of using the fuel advantage were dashed as he lost time to the preceding car.

Payne ran long and eventually pitted on lap 23, just short of half-way, and committed to a one-stop strategy. He dropped to 22nd but got those places back when the second round of pit stops began later in the race.

Payne wasn’t the only one to run long. Supaglass Racing driver Cameron Hill pitted on the halfway mark.

There was drama on lap 27 when Tradie Beer Racing driver David Reynolds spun on his own as he tried to pass Feeney.

Feeney and Reynolds clash, leaving the #20 turned around 😱

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After Hill’s pit stop on lap 26, the second round of stops began immediately thereafter with top 10 runners coming to the pits.

Mostert came to the lane on lap 33 and a lap later Randle did the same followed by Brown.

Once the field cleansed and the field completed its pitstops, Payne led the race to the tune of 15 seconds with 15 laps to go.

That margin continued to diminish lap after lap. With 12 laps to go, it dipped under 10 seconds and that became five seconds with eight laps to go.

Chaz completes the hunt on Payne to take the lead!

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With four laps to go, the decisive move for the lead came. Mostert caught Payne and at turn six poked his nose down the inside.

Payne settled for second and ultimately held on while Randle scored his first podium of the season.

Davison was a quiet achiever in fourth, improving two places on where he started. His teammate De Pasquale was fifth.

Brown was the leading Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of pole sitter Waters, Percat, Feeney, and Brodie Kostecki who improved from 18th with an undercut.

While there were smiles for Kostecki, his Erebus Motorsport teammate Jack Le Brocq endured one of his worst races of the season.

He copped a 15-second pit lane penalty for an unsafe release after he was sent into the path of R&J Batteries Racing driver Andre Heimgartner. The pair made contact and Le Brocq was pinged.

At the end of the race, Le Brocq’s engine let go. That send smoke signals across Sydney Motorsport Park and he ultimately retired to the pit lane.

JLB smokes up with 3 to go!

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Hill’s one-stop strategy brought him home in 11th for Matt Stone Racing.

Sunday’s format is mirrors Saturday’s with qualifying at 12:05pm AEST, the top 10 shootout at 1:40pm, and another 51-lap race at 4:05pm.

Results: Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight, Race 15