One of the most entertaining races of the year saw Chaz Mostert narrowly miss out on a podium finish, but a strong haul of points was enough to move him up to P3 in the championship standings. Whilst a tougher day on the other side of the garage which saw Ryan Wood cross the line in P17.

As the lights went out for Race 33, Chaz made a clean start, maintaining his position, while Ryan was caught on the outside and dropped two places.

Both drivers worked their way forward in the early stages, making some strong passes to move up to P9 and P12 respectively, with plenty still to play for.

On lap 13, a safety car was called following a car fire on track, bringing the entire field into pit lane. The crew executed a quick stop for Chaz, allowing him to gain three positions and rejoin the race in P6. However, on the other side of the garage, Ryan was forced to double-stack, dropping back to P17.

Chaz ultimately struggled to match the pace of the front runners, slipping back to P7.

The Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing No. 2 showed strong pace during the second stint, making strong passes, but Ryan was handed a 15 second time penalty for an incident with Walls.

A second safety car brought the field into pit lane on lap 39, where the crew once again delivered an incredible stop. Chaz gained another position, rejoining the track in P5.

Chaz showed exactly why he is the reigning champion, capitalising on the battles ahead to pass two cars in one corner and briefly taking P3. However, still lacking the pace of the front runners, he dropped back to P5 a few laps later.

With the 15 second penalty hanging over his head, Ryan knew he needed to make the most of the remaining laps and build as much of a gap as possible before the chequered flag, with the penalty to be applied post-race.

Meanwhile, the Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 1 had stronger pace as the final stint progressed, allowing Chaz to overtake Feeney for P4. With a podium in his sights, Chaz was conscious of the crucial championship points on offer, particularly his battle with Waters heading into the finals.

It was a battle reminiscent of the good old days, with Chaz and Waters going head-to-head for the final spot on the podium right down to the chequered flag. Ultimately, Chaz opted against risking an incident, knowing the importance of securing valuable points and moving himself up to P3 in the championship standings.

Ryan crossed the line in P12, but with the 15 second penalty applied, he was classified P17.

Chaz Mostert

“I’m pretty annoyed at that shootout lap, I made it hard for myself starting P10 for the race today.

“That was a really fun race though, it took me back to the good old days battling out there with Cam.

“I can’t complain about a P4 finish starting P10, we didn’t have the outright pace to be fighting for the win but to now be sitting P3 in the standings is a positive heading into tomorrow.”

Ryan Wood

“A tough day for us today which started off in qualifying, missing out on the shootout by the skin of my teeth.

“The race didn’t go the way we had planned either, just a bit of a messy one with double stacking pit stops.

“It’s a fresh start tomorrow, we will tune up the Mobil 1 Truck Assist Supra overnight and be roaring a ready for the final race of the weekend.”