Supercars Sandown: Chaz Mostert holds out Will Brown in Race 1

3 hours ago7 min read1 comments

Chaz Mostert has emphatically declared his championship intentions, throwing down the gauntlet in the most dramatic fashion by securing his third consecutive victory in the opening race at Sandown Park, a masterclass in tactical execution under relentless pressure from a charging Will Brown. Driving for Walkinshaw Andretti United, Mostert seized the initiative from the very first corner, capitalizing on a dream team setup where his pole-sitting teammate, Ryan Wood, played the ultimate wingman, first conceding the lead and then staunchly defending the fort against the onslaught from behind.This was a race that, for much of its 81-lap duration, seemed destined for a straightforward WAU Ford Mustang procession, a dominant one-two finish orchestrated from the front row. Yet, the narrative was utterly transformed by the sheer, electrifying force of Will Brown’s comeback drive, a performance that echoed the legendary charges of Ayrton Senna at Donington, starting from a dismal 15th on the grid after a catastrophic qualifying gamble saw his safe top-ten position evaporate like a stock market crash.Brown’s Triple Eight Chevrolet Camaro became a missile on the Melbourne circuit, systematically picking off rivals with a pace that defied logic, gaining a staggering six seconds on the leaders in his opening stint alone and slicing through the field from the edge of the top ten to sixth, then dispatching the Fords of Kai Allen, Matt Payne, and Brodie Kostecki with clinical precision. The pivotal moment arrived with just 13 laps remaining, as Brown blasted past his own teammate and championship leader, Broc Feeney, setting his sights on the two leading WAU machines.While Mostert maintained a crucial four-second buffer out front, the battle for second became a nail-biting duel, with Wood executing a robust, almost overzealous defense until Brown, with a bold and slightly desperate lunge at Turn 4, finally made the pass stick with four laps to go, a move he later described with a Top Gun analogy, noting it felt like 'Maverick and Goose up there,' with Woody as the dedicated wingman. In the post-race celebrations, Mostert’s gratitude was palpable as he acknowledged, 'I owe Woody a beer tonight, he saved my bacon out there,' while also admitting the win felt 'a bit of a gift' and expressing awe at Brown's blistering pace, questioning, 'why is he going that fast?' This victory does more than just add another trophy to Mostert’s cabinet; it fundamentally reshapes the championship landscape under Supercars’ new Finals system, seeding him as one of the four drivers advancing to the final round in Adelaide and, crucially, catapulting him into the points lead with 4270, a slender three-point advantage over Feeney and 66 clear of Brown.For others, like the beleaguered Tickford Racing duo of Cam Waters and Thomas Randle, the day was a disaster, with Randle’s own single-run qualifying gamble backfiring spectacularly, leaving him 22nd and ultimately 16th, a position from which no miracle was forthcoming. As the series prepares for Sunday's second 81-lap battle, the stage is set for a strategic war, with tyre compounds shifting and the pressure now squarely on Feeney and Brown to respond to Mostert’s commanding statement of intent.

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#Supercars

#Sandown

#Chaz Mostert

#Will Brown

#Ford Mustang

#Chevrolet Camaro

#Walkinshaw Andretti United

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