Skaife in Mostert's sights at Sandown
Chaz Mostert has returned to form and is on a run that could see him climb the podium ladder, and past a former legend from his team in the process.
Mostert claimed his 86th and 87th career podiums at the OTR SuperSprint, where he finished second and third in the first two sprints.
The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver heads to the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 just one podium behind Holden Racing Team legend Mark Skaife.
Skaife retired in 2011 with his 88th and final podium visit at that year’s Bathurst 1000, when he raced to second with Craig Lowndes.
The racer turned commentator pulled up stumps on his full-time career in 2008, but raced in the enduros between 2009 and 2011, and struck up a dominant partnership with Lowndes.
The Lowndes/Skaife combo won both Phillip Island 500s (2010 and 2011) and the 2010 Bathurst 1000, before missing out on another Bathurst win by just 0.3s in 2011.
Only seven other drivers have scored more podiums than Mostert — Jamie Whincup (237), Shane van Gisbergen (174), Lowndes (169), Mark Winterbottom (118), Scott McLaughlin (106) Peter Brock and Garth Tander (both 100).
Podium 1 of 87: Ipswich, 2013
Brodie Kostecki is over 300 points up the road in the standings, but Mostert will emerge a stronger force with Bathurst-winning co-driver Lee Holdsworth with him for the enduros — which are worth 300 points each for the win.
"An encouraging weekend with two podiums and a fourth. It was nice to be a little big stronger in qualifying, although we’re not there yet,” WAU Team Principal Bruce Stewart said.
"At the sprint rounds, qualifying at the front as there is a great advantage and such a small difference between the lead pack of six cars then the hard battlers in the mid-pack.
"We’ve learned a lot more about the cars. So we’re looking forward to the enduros. Let’s see what we can do."
It has been a year for drivers climbing up the ladder, with van Gisbergen passing Lowndes’ tally at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint.
Winterbottom also scored his first podium since 2018 when he broke his victory drought at the betr Darwin Triple Crown.
Mostert was second in both races at the season-opening Thrifty Newcastle 500, but was stuck on 83 podiums until he raced to the rostrum in Newcastle.
Mostert has four podiums in last seven starts
He finished second in the first Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight race, before clocking up two more podiums at The Bend Motorsport Park.
From 2009 onwards, podiums have been recognised as the top three finishers in each race.
Podium finishers from 1960 to 2008 were the top three finishers for the round overall and not in individual races.
Mostert’s very first top three race finish came in his shock rookie win with Dick Johnson Racing in 2013 at Queensland Raceway.
He shifted to Ford Performance Racing — which later became Prodrive Racing Australia before being rebranded to Tickford Racing — in 2014, where he remained until 2019.
Between 2014 and 2019, Mostert claimed 51 podiums — including 12 wins, headlined by Bathurst victory in 2014 — with the Campbellfield team.
Mostert made a high-profile move to WAU in 2020, and has visited the podium 34 times with the team, including eight wins — headlined by another Bathurst win in 2021.
Can Mostert draw level with Skaife at Sandown? Find out when the 2023 season of endurance begins on September 15-17. Tickets for the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 are on sale now.
Most podium finishes*
237: Jamie Whincup174: Shane van Gisbergen169: Craig Lowndes118: Mark Winterbottom106: Scott McLaughlin100: Peter Brock, Garth Tander88: Mark Skaife87: Chaz Mostert79: Will Davison
*Correct to 2023 OTR SuperSprint
