Walkinshaw drivers want review into strategy after tense moment
Close calls happen "more often than we would have liked," says Ryan Wood
Mostert and Wood delivered stunning 1-3 result for Toyota at The Bend
Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood expect Walkinshaw TWG Racing to review strategy after a close moment in the Ryco Enduro Cup opener.
The Toyota homologation team heads to Bathurst brimming with confidence after a stunning 1-3 result at the AirTouch 500 at The Bend. Mostert and Fabian Coulthard combined to win the race by 18 seconds, with Wood and Jaxon Evans rounding out the podium.
The two Toyotas were offset on strategy after opting to keep Evans out under the third Safety Car of a rain-affected first half of the race.
Mostert emerged ahead of Wood after his fourth stop, and struggled to fire up his cold tyres. With greasy conditions off the racing line, Wood was told by his engineer Richard Harris to "just race, we just want to not hold each other up.”
Wood questioned that he lost time, with Kai Allen gaining back time as Mostert fought for grip. Allen ultimately jumped Wood in the next round of stops.
When asked about the battle, Mostert said: “It’s probably something we’ll review a bit as a team.
“We’ve spoken about we sometimes trip over each other a little bit this year. When you got such a competitive teammate, that’s always going to happen at some point.
“We’ve got first and a third, and hopefully we don’t review it and [find out] Woody lost a second [place] because of where we kind of came out.
“I think it’s important for us to always look how we can always be better, but clear track is so important. I was hoping to try and get up to speed as quick as I can and get going.
“He didn’t really have lines to really have a go because it’s still wet offline, and he was super respectful behind me and did a solid job.”
It wasn’t the first time the teammates have been close together, with Mostert exiting the pits in front of Wood in Tasmania and Townsville.
There was also a tense moment in Taupō, when Wood was jumped by Mostert, to the surprise of the team and both drivers. Over team radio, Wood wasn’t happy, saying, "are you f***ing serious?”
Mostert, though, played the ultimate wingman role and let Wood through to take Toyota’s maiden victory.
After Sunday’s race, Wood later explained that he dropped back from Mostert to give his teammate a “little bit of space,” claiming it was taking aero performance away from the leading Supra.
“I didn’t really know if I was in the race [for the win],” Wood said.
"I knew Chaz was obviously the leader and then when he dropped out in front of me, I’m like, ‘I’ll try and have a crack’.
“The reason I was trying to get past was just because I had felt how long it had taken the slick tyre to come up to speed, and I could see him trying super hard to get going. But then also with me tucked right behind him, it takes a lot of aero away from his car.
"I sort of realised after two laps, okay, there’s no way of me getting past cleanly or low risk, and then I just sort of dropped it off a little bit and gave him a little bit of space. Then his grip sort of came together, and we probably didn’t lose as much time.
“Like Chaz said, it’s something that we’ve got to review because it has been probably something that’s happened probably more often than we would have liked.”
Mostert qualified for the Finals at The Bend, with Wood sitting ninth heading to Bathurst.
