Mostert's happy surprise from Perth victory
Chaz Mostert helps new engineer to first Supercars win
Sam Scaffidi joined WAU from Tickford Racing
Scaffidi was previously a data engineer for Mostert
Chaz Mostert may have claimed his 22nd career win in Perth, but for the man on the other end of the headphones, it was No. 1 — which was a surprise to the driver himself.
Walkinshaw Andretti United star Mostert converted from pole position on Saturday, winning Race 9 at the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint.
It wasn't just a breakthrough for Mostert and WAU, with the two-time Bathurst winner’s new engineer Sam Scaffidi claiming his first victory in charge.
Scaffidi was in the hot seat as WAU gambled on a two-tyre stop compared to their rivals, but it paid dividends as Ryan Wood fought Will Brown and Cam Waters to give Mostert a gap.
The veteran engineer replaced the decorated Adam De Borre, who stepped away from the main game in 2024. Scaffidi joined WAU from Tickford Racing, and previously worked as Mostert’s data engineer.
However, Scaffidi — who would later engineer the likes of Jack Le Brocq and James Courtney at Tickford — finally broke through as a Lead Engineer, something that came as a surprise and honour to Mostert.
“He said [it was his first Supercars win],” Mostert said.
“It was a surprise — I didn't even think that far ahead. He has done a fantastic job. He's brought in a bit different structure than what I've been used to with Adam.
"The biggest thing I see differently is he's pushing me to a whole new level, too, looking back a bit more into my driving.”
Mostert added how Scaffidi has pushed him to new heights, with the star driver remaining third in the championship behind Triple Eight duo Will Brown and Broc Feeney.
“Adam and me were together so long, we probably believed in each other a little bit too much. Especially probably Adam towards me about my driving, and stuff like that,” Mostert added.
“But Sam sees something in the data that I can be doing better. He’s not scared to tell me. That's pretty nice, especially when you're trying to perform at the highest level in Supercars.
“I'm really enjoying that partnership. It's awesome for him to see get his first win. I hope we have many more together and try and chase [Brown] with his orange numbers for the rest of the year.”
Supercars will return to the track on Sunday for the short Practice 3 at 9:40am AWST/11:40am AEST, followed by knockout Boost Mobile Qualifying at 12:00pm AWST/2:00pm AEST.
The event will conclude with the second 55-lap race of the weekend, Race 10, which will commence at 3:45pm AWST/5:45pm AEST.
International viewers can follow all the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint action on Superview.
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