Mostert sends ominous statement to the field in Tassie opener

Chaz Mostert has converted pole position into his first win of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship in Race 14 at the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440.

The reigning champion put on a champion's drive in the 100th Gen3 race, putting the drama of Christchurch behind him and surging back into the Finals bubble.

Off the start Anton De Pasquale got a brilliant jump off the outside of the front row to comfortably head Mostert into Turn 1, in what was a clean first lap.

However, De Pasquale's lead was short lived, as Mostert dived down the inside at Turn 6 on the second lap, leaving De Pasquale high and wide.

Teammate David Reynolds then barged his way through at Turn 7, as did Andre Heimgartner at Turn, with the #18 Camaro tumbling from first to fifth in a matter of seconds.

Brodie Kostecki worked his way by both De Pasquale and Heimgartner in quick succession, however Mostert was well in control, with Reynolds falling back to Kostecki as the first stint wore on.

On lap 18, Kostecki got up the inside of Reynolds at the hairpin, with the Snowy River Caravans Camaro diving into pit lane at the end of the lap.

He was the second of the leaders to pit, with De Pasquale stopping at the end of lap 14. Both Team 18 Camaros elected to change rear tyres only.

Mostert pitted from the lead on lap 21 as Reynolds began to close the margin on his fresh tyres, with Walkinshaw TWG Racing getting Mostert back out well clear of Reynolds with fresh right side tyres.

Kostecki and Heimgartner pitted together on lap 25, with Brad Jones Racing's rear tyre stop outgunning Dick Johnson Racing's right sides only stop, Heimgartner jumping to effective third as Reynolds drove by.

Ryan Wood was sent tumbling through the order with a slow stop, whilst Red Bull Ampol Racing took a gamble on changing all four tyres for both Broc Feeney and Will Brown.

Brown's stop was placed under investigation after the left rear wheel escaped the team's control after coming off the #888 Ford, however the wheel didn't travel into the fast lane.

Feeney immediately responded with the fastest lap of the race on fresh rubber, as he hunted down De Pasquale in effective fifth, whilst Kostecki dived up the inside of Heimgartner to reclaim effective third on lap 32.

When the pit stop cycle was complete with 14 laps to go, Mostert had a four second advantage over Reynolds, who had Kostecki slowly closing in, whilst Feeney was rapidly catching the both of them as well as Heimgartner.

Heimgartner was dispatched on lap 39, and within a lap had caught the duelling Kostecki and Reynolds. As Feeney started battling with Kostecki, Reynolds was home and hosed to claim a much-needed second.

At the front of the field, Mostert never looked troubled, claiming victory by 5.3s over Reynolds, with Kostecki fending off Feeney for the final spot on the podium, shrinking the Red Bull Ampol Ford's Repco Sprint Cup lead.

Heimgartner rounded out the top five, ahead of De Pasquale, Cameron Hill, Matt Payne, Brown, and Jayden Ojeda.

Kai Allen's tough Saturday only got worse when he was handed a 15 second penalty for his role in concertina that saw the luckless Aaron Cameron spun early at Turn 2.

Heimgartner will start from pole for the first since Sydney 2023 for Race 15 this afternoon at 4:00pm AEST.