Chaz lightening his load

Falcon driver eager to build on breakthrough win

CHAZ Mostert will steer his Falcon around Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway this weekend with an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders.

Since his brutal 2015 smash at Bathurst, the Prodrive ace had often produced reminders of his undoubted talent – including many pole positions – without rediscovering his way to the top step of the Supercars podium.

There were times when he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as recently as last month when he slid off the track and out of the lead late in the race.

But just a fortnight later in Phillip Island, Mostert rose to the challenge in a chaotic race to finally snap a 20-month absence from the winner’s circle.

In doing so, the relieved 25year-old climbed to third in the standings, a mere 37 points off the pace set by championship leader Fabian Coulthard.

“It has been a while to win a championship race so yeah it was good to get a win,” he said.

“It is good to give the team a result and see everyone who has been working hard in the background at the team ... (rewarded) for all the hard work they have been doing to try to fix some of the issues that we have been raising. “Us drivers, we have been working real hard as well so it is just good for everyone. Now we know if we get it right on the right day we can do it.

“It gives everyone a bit more of a skip in their step to push that extra five or 10 per cent.”

The Gold Coaster said it is an “unknown” exactly how his Ford squad stack up with heavyweight rivals Triple Eight and DJR Team Penske but is looking forward to mixing it with them again at Barbagallo Raceway.

“It has been a good track for us in the past,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get up in the top five, keep getting some points, keep learning about our car and yeah hopefully get a bit of momentum heading into the later part of the year.”