Supercars 2024: Ford star Chaz Mostert on Supercars champ chase, enduro campaign

Chaz Mostert knows what he must do to keep his stellar form rolling and clinch a maiden title as the Ford star readies himself for two critical enduro rounds where ‘so many things can go wrong.’

Ford star Chaz Mostert has vowed to maintain his aggressive approach in his hunt for a maiden Supercars crown that would “mean everything” as he prepares to attack two endurance rounds that have the potential to make-or-break a title charge.

As Mostert again joins forces with his 2021 Bathurst 1000 winning co-driver Lee Holdsworth for the endurance races, the Walkinshaw Andretti United ace said he was refusing to think further ahead than this weekend’s Sandown 500 in his quest to chase down championship leader Will Brown.

The dual Bathurst 1000 champion has closed to within 81 points of his Triple Eight rival, the closest points gap in the title race entering an endurance round since 2018.

Mostert will kickstart his endurance campaign as the highest-points scoring driver of the past three rounds, only finishing off the podium once (fourth) in his last six races.

The 32-year-old said his attacking mentality would not change for the enduros when a total of 600 points between the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 are on offer, raising the stakes in the championship fight.

“We only got ourselves in this position this year by being aggressive and keep trying to work on winning races and that’s the same mentality that we’ll carry through until the end of the year,” Mostert said.

Chaz Mostert sits second in the Supercars championship entering the endurance rounds at Sandown and Bathurst.

“It will either go our way or it won’t go our way, but it’s really nice to be in a position to say that we’re in with a chance and in the (championship) hunt.

“But you know what this championship is like, you can go into one round in the hunt and then you come out of it and you’re out of it.

“So you have just got to make sure you are focusing on the event ahead and trying to put our best foot forward to try and win the race and if you can do that in the next two, then you’re in a really good place.

“There are so many things that can go right in these endurance seasons and so many things that can go wrong and you have just got to go ride the wave and go work out what the racing gods have in store for us.”

Mostert has finished in the top five in the Supercars championship standings in six of the last seven years, including third twice in 2021 and 2022, but a series title is the major prize which has so far eluded him.

He is already a two-time winner of the biggest race in the sport – the Bathurst 1000 – in 2014 and 2021, alongside Holdsworth.

Mostert said it would be a dream if he could add a Supercars title to his name.

Chaz Mostert celebrates after one of his victories in a clean sweep at the Sydney SuperNight. Picture: Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics

“It’s everything that you have worked towards as a Supercar driver,” Mostert said.

“You only dream of trying to win a championship and be the most consistent driver and team across a year.

“I have still yet to do it, so I really don’t know what it feels like, but it would mean everything.”

After the Sandown 500, Mostert will have another solid lead-in for Bathurst when he heads to the United States to race GT3 in the Indy 8 Hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in early October.

“I’m just keeping myself busy, but it’s a good opportunity to tick off another awesome track that I have never been able to race at before,” Mostert said.

“So I jumped at the opportunity.”

Teaming up with Holdsworth for the third time in four years for the endurances races, the Ford racer was bullish about the pair’s prospects this year.

The WAU pair finished fourth at Mount Panorama last year after a tough Sandown 500 when they finished 22nd.

Supercars drivers Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth celebrate after winning the 2021 Bathurst 1000. Picture: Mark Horsburgh

“I’m really pumped for Sandown …. the car has been pretty speedy over the last few events, so I’d like to think if we get it right we can be in with a shot for sure,” Mostert said.

“It’s good to have ‘Leeroy’ back …. I love teaming up with Lee. I think for us at WAU, we have got two fantastic co-drivers that come in and bring great experience, Fabs (Fabian Coulthard) and Lee.

“You have been able to see what they do as main series drivers, but every time you bolt them in these cars, they are really pushing us main drivers in the car as well.

“When you have got that combination going on, you just feel like that you just need to get a fast car and get those guys a result, too, because they are still driving so fast.

“But I’d like to say we’ll be aggressive out the gate and we’ll see if we can put it into some performance.”

Originally published as Supercars 2024: Ford star Chaz Mostert on Supercars champ chase, enduro campaign