In a thrilling race at the Tasmania SuperSprint, Nick Percat emerged victorious, narrowly defeating Chaz Mostert for the win as the Supercars championship takes a dramatic turn at Symmons Plains.
"We had a great strategy today; it really paid off," said Percat, who secured his second victory of the season, having also triumphed at the Grand Prix finale back in March. Mostert, competing on an alternate strategy, climbed from fifth place to finish second, enhancing the rivalry as the championship standings shift yet again.
Broc Feeney, who started from pole position, managed to hold onto third place, while points leader Will Brown clawed back to finish seventh after starting in 16th. The competitive landscape of the championship shifted significantly following this race, with Mostert now only 63 points behind Brown, a notable change from a 279-point deficit prior to the Darwin round. "We're still in it. I believe we can catch up, especially after a performance like this," Mostert said.
As the race unfolded, the tension was palpable. Feeney held the lead initially over Cam Waters during the early laps until a collision between Matt Payne and Will Davison at Turn 6 caused a brief interruption. "You have to stay focused in these early stages; it’s about choosing the right moment to push, and that’s what we did," Feeney remarked on his race strategy.
In the midst of the chaos, Percat and Mostert executed impeccable maneuvers, slipping past Kostecki to secure third and fourth positions. Brown found himself embroiled in a battle for 14th place against Aaron Love, leading to a swirling melee on the track.
The early laps proved challenging for Anton De Pasquale as well. After a promising eighth place start, he found himself tumbling down to 21st by the time the first round of pit stops began. “It was frustrating, but I regained my pace and salvaged a 13th place finish,” De Pasquale reflected on his race.
Strategic pit stops became a focal point of the race as Percat's crew executed an exceptional 3.8-second stop, creating an advantage that proved critical later on. "The crew nailed the pit stop; that was crucial for our success today," noted Percat. In contrast, Feeney's and Waters' stops took longer, 4.7 seconds and 5.8 seconds respectively, limiting their chances to close that gap.
As the race progressed, it became evident that fuel management was crucial, especially for Feeney. "We were constantly monitoring fuel usage, it’s a delicate balance during the race," he explained. After various drivers cycled through pit stops, Percat found himself in the lead, with Feeney and Waters in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Brown experienced a challenging race, eventually dropping to seventh place, 12.2 seconds behind the leader. “I managed to set the fastest lap, which is a small consolation. We need to regroup for the next round and aim for more track time,” Brown said.
Mostert continued to push hard, overtaking Feeney at the last corner on the final lap but ultimately was unable to secure the lead from Percat, finishing just 0.6142 seconds behind. As the dust settled, the Supercars championship landscape looks more competitive than ever.
Looking ahead, Supercars action continues on Sunday with Practice 3 at 10:20am AEST, followed by the Boost Mobile Qualifying session at 12:50pm and Race 18 scheduled for 3:05pm. The upcoming events promise to further intensify the championship battle as drivers prepare for the next challenge.
