Chaz Mostert clinched a sensational victory in last night’s Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight, overcoming fierce competition in Supercars’ only night race of 2024. The two-time Bathurst winner made a decisive move in the final laps to claim his fourth Sydney win, his second for 2024, and the 23rd of his illustrious career, tying him with the legendary Jim Richards at 16th on the all-time winners list in Supercars history.
This victory has propelled Mostert back into the championship contest, reversing the tables on young rival Matt Payne, who outperformed him in Townsville earlier this month. Payne, who adopted a bold one-stop strategy, could not fend off the charging Mostert, who seized the lead with just four laps remaining. Tickford Mustang driver Thomas Randle completed the all-Ford podium in third place, marking the second consecutive race where Ford dominated the top three spots.
Reflecting on his win, Mostert said, “I was thinking when they told me Matty Payne was right up the road, I’m like, I know the pace the car can do, I just hope his tyres degrade at the pace that he was doing. I think he was probably the man of the match on looking after his tyres but our team was man of the match for having a super fast car today. We had to work hard for it at the start in those stints and build gaps but it was a lot of fun.”
Mostert’s victory narrows the gap in the championship standings, leaving him just 126 points behind the leader and only 30 points behind Broc Feeney. Payne finished 2.6412 seconds behind Mostert, with Randle, Will Davison, and Anton De Pasquale rounding out an all-Ford top five.
Will Brown was the highest-placed Chevrolet driver, finishing sixth, followed by Cam Waters, who struggled with fuel flow issues and a mid-race penalty. Nick Percat, Feeney, and reigning champion Brodie Kostecki completed the top ten, with Kostecki making an impressive climb from 18th position.
The race began with Randle taking the lead from pole-sitter Waters, as chaos ensued behind them with Mark Winterbottom and Macauley Jones colliding. Randle built a strong lead as Mostert navigated through the pack, eventually taking the lead on lap 11. The strategic battle saw Payne regain the lead with 17 laps to go, but Mostert’s relentless pace saw him reclaim the top spot with four laps remaining.
Le Brocq was the only retirement in the race, pulling off with mechanical issues. The race concluded with Reynolds finishing 17th after a mid-race spin.
The Supercars action continues today with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 12:05pm AEST, followed by the Top Ten Shootout at 1:40pm, and Race 16 at 4:05pm. The event will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo, with highlights available on 7plus and the Seven Network.
