Mostert 'gutted' as strategy gamble backfires

Chaz Mostert has been left to rue a strategy gamble from Walkinshaw Andretti United, that saw race-winning potential converted into only an eighth place finish.

Co-driver Fabian Coulthard started from 10th after a two-place grid penalty was applied following an impeding incident in qualifying, with the #25 copping a whack in the right rear corner in the early mid-pack stoush.

The knock saw body work create what was effectively a parachute down the long pit straight, however the bodywork was rectified enough for Mostert to break the lap record once he jumped in the car.

That happened at the earliest possible moment on Lap 38, as WAU deployed an aggressive four-stop strategy to clear Coulthard's driving requirements as early as possible.

Though off-sequence, Mostert looked more than comfortable in the lead ahead of eventual winner Brodie Kostecki, but was shuffled down to 14th after his final pit stop, clawing back six places in his final 20-lap stint.

“That is the 500 at The Bend done, the very first one we have done here and it was a pretty crazy race for The Mobil 1 Optus Racing #25," said Mostert. “We started P10 and finished up P8, we tried a different strategy to most people today and it ended up being the same as the three stopper, we tried to go as fast as we could but we didn’t have the tyre life. “It was great to have my mate Fabs back this weekend, he had an awesome start and I was getting nervous watching him up the pointy end but he did a fantastic job, I’m gutteed we didn’t get a result for him and the team.”

On the other side of the garage, it was a pivotal day for Ryan Wood in his quest to secure a berth in the Finals Series, with he and co-driver Jayden Ojeda deploying a three-stop strategy used by all bar two cars.

A ropey opening lap for Ojeda saw the #2 Mustang tumble from ninth to 15th, however the 26-year-old marched through the order to hand the car back to Wood in fourth position.

The Kiwi young gun was locked in heavy combat with fellow Finals challenger Thomas Randle in the middle of the race, before finishing sixth.

Crucially, Wood jumped to eighth in the standings, and is 157 points clear of the cutoff line entering the Repco Bathurst 1000, where the 10 Finals drivers will be set.

"A pretty solid day for us, we started on the back foot considering my mistake in the shootout yesterday which we paid our price for in the beginning of the race being around some aggressive guys," said Wood.

“Juice did an incredible job today, he got hung out to dry at turn six and dropped down to P15 but handed the car back in P4, pretty impressive!

“We are up to P8 in the standings with one round to go before The Finals, we have pull a solid points buffer heading into Bathurst, let’s keep building that momentum.”