Mostert's extra motivation to snap NZ drought

Chaz Mostert may be in the thick of a championship battle, but heads to New Zealand with personal incentive to get to victory lane.

The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver is 97 points behind championship leader Will Brown heading to the ITM Taupō Super400 after a solid start to 2024, and continues his search for his first win since Adelaide 2022.

Mostert currently owns the unwanted standing as the driver with the most podiums in New Zealand without a win, adding extra weighting to his trip across the Tasman.

The two-time Bathurst winner, who recently became a first-time father, was a force in races at Pukekohe, which has been replaced by Taupo as New Zealand’s new home of Supercars.

A 22-year-old Mostert scored two podiums on his first visit to Pukekohe in 2014, and after missing the 2015 round with injury, added another podium in 2016.

After missing out in 2017, Mostert finished third in the first 2018 race, and crossed the line third in the 2019 finale.

Pukekohe returned after a three-year hiatus in 2022, and Mostert raced to second behind Shane van Gisbergen in the second race of the weekend.

All told, the WAU star has 12 top 10s in 17 starts on New Zealand soil. Only Jamie Whincup, van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, Garth Tander and Mark Winterbottom have more podiums in New Zealand.

Most podiums in New Zealand without a win

6: Chaz Mostert

5: Cam Waters

4: James Courtney, Craig Lowndes

2: Russell Ingall, Lee Holdsworth, Scott Pye, Andre Heimgartner

1: Steven Richards, Steven Johnson, Michael Caruso, Fabian Coulthard

Podium finishers between 1960 and 2008 were recognised as the top three finishers for the round, and have been the top three finishers for each race since 2009.

For reference, Kiwi legend Greg Murphy has five podiums, but recorded 13 top three race finishes in 21 starts at Pukekohe alone.

When it comes to top three finishes in New Zealand, Craig Lowndes started 51 races — equal most with Tander — in New Zealand, but was record to crack a single win.

Lowndes managed just five top three race finishes in New Zealand — four at Pukekohe, one at Hamilton — while Mostert’s former teammate Cam Waters has five podiums without a win.

Mostert will get extra seat time ahead of New Zealand, with the veteran set to race a Ferrari at this weekend's Phillip Island GT World Challenge Australia round.

Most all-time podiums in New Zealand

17: Jamie Whincup

16: Shane van Gisbergen

11: Scott McLaughlin

8: Garth Tander, Mark Winterbottom

6: Chaz Mostert

5: Greg Murphy, Will Davison, Cam Waters

4: Jason Bright, James Courtney, Craig Lowndes, Marcos Ambrose

3: Mark Skaife, David Reynolds, Todd Kelly

2: Rick Kelly, Russell Ingall, Lee Holdsworth, Scott Pye, Andre Heimgartner

1: Steven Richards, Steven Johnson, Michael Caruso, Fabian Coulthard