Will Brown explains trigger for Chaz Mostert clash
Supercars champions nearly wiped out on lap 1 in Ipswich
Brown benefits from Kai Allen penalty to claim podium
Bashing the limiter left Will Brown exposed to attack from Chaz Mostert on the opening lap, in a clash that nearly put both champions off the road.
Brown marched to his first podium in 18 starts, dating back to Taupō in April, but was made to work for it in the early stages by Mostert.
While good friends, Brown and Mostert left nothing on the table on a dramatic opening lap in Ipswich, and it nearly came to a head on the run to Turn 2 as Brown moved to defend.
Revealed post-race, Brown admitted he hit the rev limiter on the charge to the right hander, which opened the door to Mostert. Mostert had a look, and as Brown defended, the two collided.
"I was gonna throw it down the inside of [Turn] 1, but I got too excited,” Brown said in PIRTEK Victory Lane.
"I was a rookie and caught the limiter, and I'm trying to change gears and couldn't get there, so I had to pull back in. And then me and Chaz were into it.
“It's funny, I get along with him well, but we seem to race the hardest against each other out on track. But that's what Supercar racing's all about, is getting your elbows out and rubbing doors, and that's what we did out there."
When asked about the incident, Mostert joked: "I think Will was probably too excited with the power he's finally got now. He's had a bit of whiskey throttle off Turn 1 there."
Mostert was first to stop on lap 8, and was the effective leader before being escorted off the road by Kai Allen. As fate would have it, Allen was penalised, which helped Brown get back onto the podium.
After a turbulent few weeks, headlined by the recent discovery of an undersized engine restrictor, Brown was back to his laidback, smiley self as he claimed career podium No.48.
“We came a bit into this weekend with looking for a quali car, making sure we can qualify up the front and then see what we get in the race,” Brown said.
“We got that with qualifying, but we're a little bit too edgy in the race, just losing the rear into the corner. So we've got a bit of work to do, but we'll see what we can do on the next one and come out strong.”
Brown and Mostert will start alongside each other once again in Race 27, lining up in third and fourth on the grid when lights go out at 4:15pm local time.
