Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood put on a show today! A combined total of 31 cars passed by both drivers sees Chaz finish second from P17 and Ryan eight from P24.
A tough qualifying session this morning would make the afternoon pretty tough for the team with Ryan starting off the back row after not getting a clean lap in.
It wasn’t much prettier on the other side of the garage for Chaz who lined up P17 after also having an untidy qualifying session.
It would be a long race ahead, 70 laps around the streets of Townsville, double the length of yesterday’s race. With refueling back, it would mean strategy was back in play today which would help the team make big gains.
As we have seen most years in Townsville, it was another chaotic opening lap with cars in the fence and a car driving on top of another car! With great reaction times, Ryan avoided the incident by the skin of his teeth.
Chaz was keen to collect as many cheeseburgers as he could today and started to collect them early on in the race as he passed car after car working his way to P8.
Another safety car was called with James Courtney’s car parked on the track, the Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 25 pulled into the lane straight away for four tyres. The crew didanother incredible stop, gaining two positions in the lane with Chaz coming out P6.
Avoiding a double stack in the lane, the Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing No. 2 opted to stay out and complete one more lap under safety car conditions than the rest of the field, maintaining P14 when rejoining.
Chaz lighting up the timing screens was on the charge, hunting down the cars ahead working his way up to P3 at the halfway mark, up 14 positions. Ryan was also up 14 positions sitting in P10.
In the final stint of the race, Chaz slung the car down the inside of Matt Payne on turn one for P2, it would be head down for the final 19 laps to hunt down Broc Feeney in the lead but couldn’t match his pace.
Ryan got in a groove and continued to make ground on the cars ahead, crossing the line P8, up 16 positions from where he started.
A great recovery from the Team today after a disappointing qualifying, between the two cars there was a total of 31 cars passed. A combination of many factors; great passing, the third and fifth fastest pit stops of the race and great strategy from the crew!
We go again tomorrow, qualifying will be a big focus for the team, the race cars are quick and we need to be startingfurther up the front to reap the rewards.
Ryan Wood
“We had nothing to lose in today’s race after starting off the back, we left it all out there and made 16 positions up to P8, can’t complain about that!
“The Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing No. 2 was a rocket today, everyone in the team executed in the race today, it was a real team effort by every single person in the team.
“I’m looking forward to going again tomorrow, we have a really strong package, so we need to execute during quali tomorrow to make our lives a bit easier for ourselves.”
Chaz Mostert
“15 cheeseburgers for dinner tonight, can’t complain about that! The Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 25 was hooked up today, the engineers threw a bold set-up and it paid off.
“The belt buckle is a really cool trophy, it’s pretty unique, I haven’t been able to get a close up look at the buckle because I sprayed champagne in my eye!
“That’s 10 podiums here in Townsville but I still haven’t got that top step yet, we need to be qualifying further up front tomorrow to make that possible.”