Mostert, WAU shift focus to saving Wood's season

Chaz Mostert's path to the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship has been paved following his superb win in the Finals Series opener at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

However, for a moment, it looked as though it would be his Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Ryan Wood who would steal the show.

Wood stormed to pole in the Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout, and was well in control of Race 28 until fuel began to leak out of the back the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Mustang on lap 7.

The young gun was forced into the garage for extensive repairs to the fuel system, which dropped him seven laps off the lead. Meanwhile, Mostert stormed into the lead, and has secured his place at the Semi Final at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

Mostert has now risen to third in the standings by virtue of his win, whilst Wood is currently 10th, last of the Finals Drivers and 71 points below the cut-line.

It was provisionally an 86-point deficit, however a post-race penalty for Anton De Pasquale saw the Team 18 driver lose two positions for the race and 15 points. De Pasquale is on the bubble in seventh.

It's no question that Wood has the pace to cause headaches in The Finals, however luck has deserted him on several occasions this season.

"The focus tomorrow will be Woody 100% for us, and in the team," Mostert asserted in the post-race press conference.

"He showed amazing speed today, and we need to try and get him to Sandown. I don't know where the points are, obviously you need to be in that top seven.

"If he can get a good result tomorrow, he might jump a few guys, and as we've seen today it's so tough around there.

"There's still a lot to play for, it's not down and out for car #2 for sure."

It's no question that Wood has the pace to cause headaches in The Finals, as evidenced today, however luck has deserted him on several occasions this season.

A second race win in Perth went begging due to a suspension failure, before he got clattered out of a top 10 finish by James Golding in the finale. An engine failure then followed in Darwin, denying another top 10.

However the cruellest blows have come in the last two races; a waterlogged crank sensor in Bathurst, and the fuel system issue today have arguably cost him two wins in as many races.

"Super shattered for Woody, it's just so cruel this sport sometimes," continued Mostert.

"He was on pole, he was doing a mega job out front, and then something outside of his control let go in his fuel tank.

"So happy for myself, but so gutted also for the team, we had two super fast cars and there's no reason why we both couldn't be edging towards the Semi Final, so he's got a big day tomorrow."

Track action commences on Sunday with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 10:00am local time/11:00am AEDT.