Mostert wins wet-dry Sydney epic, takes points lead

Chaz Mostert has claimed the championship lead with victory in a wet-dry Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight thriller.

Mostert emerged atop a strategic 300km epic, with pole man Brodie Kostecki and Anton De Pasquale filling the podium.

The 77-lap race featured three BP Safety Car deployments, with scattered showers wreaking havoc through the field.

It marked Mostert’s first win in Sydney since 2015, and the first at Sydney Motorsport Park for a Walkinshaw car in 14 years.

It also helped Mostert into the championship lead for the first time in his career.

Additionally, it marked the first time in six years that a non-Triple Eight or Dick Johnson Racing driver leads the championship.

"I never thought I'd have an orange number on my car," said Mostert, who finished third on Saturday.

"Driving up and seeing this [championship leader] board is pretty cool.

"It's cool to tick that box off the list... I don't know where to start. What a race, what a weekend for us.

"Super stoked for the whole team."

Saturday winner Shane van Gisbergen finished sixth despite starting 21st, spinning early, suffering a slow stop and dropping a lap.

Five drivers began the race on Super Softs; Kostecki, Broc Feeney, Lee Holdsworth, Chris Pither and Will Brown.

De Pasquale made the most of a poor Kostecki start to lead through Turn 1.

Later around the lap, Macauley Jones and David Reynolds suffered punctures amid a Turn 4 melee.

Kostecki quickly made light work of De Pasquale and was followed by Feeney.

Through six laps, Brown and van Gisbergen were the big winners, gaining 12 and nine places respectively.

However, the rain arrived; van Gisbergen fell off the road at the final corner and immediately took on wet tyres.

The passing shower brought De Pasquale and Mostert to the Kostecki-Feeney battle; by lap 12, the quartet was covered by just 1.8s.

As the shower dissipated, van Gisbergen was brought in for Soft tyres, having been lapped by the leaders.

It got even worse for the #97, with Red Bull Ampol Racing mechanics battling to fasten the left rear.

Kostecki began to edge away from Feeney, who in turn dropped De Pasquale and Mostert. By lap 19, Kostecki’s lead was 3.1s.

Brown, having gained a staggering 16 positions, stopped for Softs from seventh on lap 20.

Scott Pye, who started 14, stopped for Softs of his own from fifth four laps later, as did Nick Percat.

De Pasquale pitted on lap 25, was fitted with Super Softs and took on 20 seconds of fuel.

Kostecki stopped on the following lap, took on 16 seconds of fuel, and reverted to Softs.

Will Davison and Cam Waters took on Super Softs on lap 27; on the following lap, Feeney took on 20 seconds of fuel and Softs.

As the order cleansed, Brown led from Mark Winterbottom, who pitted when the Safety Car was deployed for the stranded cars of Jake Kostecki and Garry Jacobson.

Jacobson ground to a halt exiting Turn 3, with Tickford recruit Kostecki stalling his engine after a spin at the final corner.

Brown led Kostecki, Pye, De Pasquale, Feeney and Davison when the race restarted on lap 35.

The Erebus teammates swapped positions, with De Pasquale clearing Brown and Pye.

Feeney and Davison engaged in a spirited battle behind Brown and Pye; by lap 40, Feeney had been passed by both Davison and Waters.

Davison and Waters pushed each other along; all the while, a cat-and-mouse battle between Kostecki and De Pasquale emerged, the latter on softer rubber and with a fuel advantage.

Brown and Feeney were among a throng of drivers to stop when a stranded Percat triggered the Safety Car for the second time on lap 47.

Replays showed Percat making an overtake attempt on Pye at Turn 7, with the #2 Mobil 1 NTI Commodore ending up stuck in the gravel.

De Pasquale followed Kostecki in, but the order remained the same following their respective stops.

James Courtney and Holdsworth led the train on the lap 51 restart, but the effective top six was Kostecki, De Pasquale, Mostert, Slade, Winterbottom and Andre Heimgartner.

Super Soft-shod Mostert and Heimgartner powered towards the front; however, while Mostert was able to take the lead, De Pasquale prevented Heimgartner’s advances.

Slade pushed Heimgartner down to fifth and chased after the leaders; all the while, Le Brocq earned a slap over the wrists after pit straight contact with Feeney.

The heavens opened with 14 laps remaining; at the time, Mostert held a 5.6s lead with Kostecki, De Pasquale and Slade covered by three seconds.

Kostecki, Slade, Winterbottom and van Gisbergen switched to wets on lap 65; Mostert and De Pasquale took on wets on lap 66.

Matt Stone Racing gambled and left Le Brocq out on dry tyres; however, Le Brocq fired off at Turn 3 and triggered the Safety Car for a third time.

Mostert led the field away on the lap 75 restart, with Waters pressuring De Pasquale for the final podium position.

The Bathurst winner streaked away and sealed victory by 2.7s.

The drama didn't end there, with Winterbottom and Todd Hazelwood firing off at Turn 1 after the flag.

Mostert will carry a 12-point lead over De Pasquale to Tasmania, with van Gisbergen 27 points from the new championship leader.

The season will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.

CLICK HERE to purchase your NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint tickets.