Mostert takes final Supercars win of weekend

Chaz Mostert has ended the Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint with an emphatic victory at Symmons Plains.

Mostert led home Anton de Pasquale to claim his 14th career win and his first at the island circuit.

The triumph is also the first for Mostert since he joined Walkinshaw Andretti United last year.

De Pasquale made a late move on an ailing Cam Waters to snare his second podium of the weekend, with Dick Johnson Racing teammate Will Davison rounding out the rostrum.

Cam Waters clung on for fourth in an exciting finish. The Monster Energy Mustang seemingly ran out of tyre life after an early pitstop.

Holding second for most of the race, Waters relinquished spots to the DJR duo but was adamant in his defence over championship leader Shane van Gisbergen.

It’s been a long time for a first place in Supercars, I was starting to believe I couldn’t do it,” said Mostert. 

“I’m super stoked for the team. I’m so happy to finally get that monkey off our back.”

At the start, Mostert got the better start from the front row to head Waters into turn one.

Waters held second as the rest of the field ran line astern. Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen got ahead of teammate Jamie Whincup to move into sixth, though he struggled to reel in Zane Goddard as the leaders approached the pitstop phase.

Van Gisbergen was part of the first gaggle of cars to cycle the lane. But a sluggish pitstop hurt his race time, and he would fall back behind Whincup once the second Red Bull made its stop.

A quick stop from Mostert had the Walkinshaw Andretti Commodore re-join the race well clear of Waters and De Pasquale, who had both stopped moments earlier.

From there, Mostert was untouchable. His lead at the chequered flag was a mammoth 10.2s.

De Pasquale slipped ahead of Waters at the hairpin with five laps in hand. That looked to have opened the door, and Davison got by moments later.

Behind, Whincup let van Gisbergen in front to pressure the trio of Fords ahead of him.

However, despite both DJR cars finding a way past Waters, van Gisbergen couldn’t muster an overtake. The Kiwi would re-gift fifth to Whincup at the final corner on the last lap, meaning he crossed the line sixth.

After claiming his career-best result in qualifying, Zane Goddard proved his second-row start was no fluke, and he finished just behind Whincup in seventh.

“Pretty stoked,” Goddard said. “The team have jumped forward massively…I am just super happy.”

Fabian Coulthard enjoyed a solid race, utilising fresh tyres in the final stint to climb to 13th.

Andre Heimgartner had a weekend to forgot, crossing the line a disappointing 22nd.

The next round of the Supercars championship will be at Tailem Bend on May 8-9.