Chaz guns for champ

CHAZ Mostert is on target for his best ever finish in the Supercars championship, but he is sick of chasing the tail of fellow Ford star Scott McLaughlin.

After securing four straight podium finishes in the past two rounds at Ipswich and The Bend, Mostert has moved up from fourth to second in the championship standings behind the rampaging McLaughlin.

The off-contract Tickford Racing star, who continues to be the subject of speculation about his driving future, said the defending champion was doing it “too easy”.

“Every time you go to a race weekend and get a trophy, it's fantastic,” Mostert said.

“But there is one guy doing it a little too easy out there and everyone wants to beat him so there is still plenty of work to do and plenty of motivation to try and beat him.

“When you are coming second or third it's always about aiming a little bit higher. We would love to try and steal a first place off the other Ford team that is doing a fantastic job.”

Mostert has claimed just the one race win this season — at the Australian F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park, despite starting from pole three times. He trails McLaughlin by a massive 573 points. But the Bathurst winner did not think anyone could reel in McLaughlin's lead this season, even with the big points races ahead in the season of endurance.

“I think the damage has been done,” said Mostert, whose best finish in the Supercars championship was fifth in 2017.