Five things we learned from the Perth SuperSprint

After several near misses, Chaz Mostert finally took Walkinshaw Andretti United to victory lane as a Ford team, with the Blue Oval enjoying a weekend to remember.

Mostert finished first on the road on both days, but a Sunday penalty helped Cam Waters right the wrongs of the first three rounds to take his first win of the season.

All the while, Will Brown opened up his biggest lead yet in the championship, with teammate Broc Feeney unable to make an impression on the lead trio.

In the wake of a big event in Western Australia, here's what Supercars.com learned from the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint.

WAU's title statement

Walkinshaw Andretti United's decision to test before Perth was vindicated by superb pace, but their drivers still needed to do the job. While Ryan Wood won plaudits for his driving, the buzz was around Chaz Mostert, who left Perth with a win, a pole, another podium and 293 points. It was the most points a driver has scored at a weekend this year so far, and critically, Mostert seemed a cut above along the way. If not for a hit in the second AGP race and the loose wheel in New Zealand, both incidents not his fault, Mostert would be breathing down Will Brown's neck. However, if he keeps putting in performances like Perth, that could well happen anyway in coming rounds...

Don't count Cam out

A wheel off in Bathurst. A crash fighting for the lead in Melbourne. Taken out off the line from pole in New Zealand. Heading to Perth, Cam Waters had been through it all, and was 15th in the points. He showed why he began the year as a title contender, racing to third on Saturday before keeping his cool on Sunday after an early error to profit from Chaz Mostert's penalty and take his first win of the season. He is still a whopping 381 points behind Will Brown, and admitted he is hanging onto his title hopes "by my fingernails." However, more wins and the odd spot of trouble for the leaders, and he's back in the game.

Advantage Brown

Will Brown took the lead from Broc Feeney after the fourth Melbourne race, when Feeney made a mistake and fell from second to fourth as Brown won. Since then, Brown has extended his lead in every race, and leads Feeney 7-3 in the race head-to-head. However, after three rounds of near-parity between the two, Brown was well clear in Perth, claiming podiums on both days and putting 65 points on Feeney, even after earning the ire of officials and Thomas Randle on Sunday. Feeney couldn't match Brown, and the margin is now 136 points. Feeney must repeat his Darwin heroics from 2023 and vie for round honours, or Brown could skip away.

DJR sticks it out

One of the questions asked after New Zealand was can the Shell V-Power Racing Team back it up. Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale are seventh and eighth in the championship, and while WAU and Tickford moved ahead, Dick Johnson Racing was comfortably in the top 10. The answer might well be yes, but there were still moments of weakness, headlined by the Sunday Q3 decision, and having Davison’s Saturday race ruined by a wiring issue. However,

The Live Pit Lane is delivering

A new addition to 2024, the Live Pit Lane rule was initially met with waves of support, and others of criticism. Heading to Perth, we had already seen plenty of change. However, in one weekend, WAU and Tickford powered to second and third, and Erebus Motorsport dropped from third to eighth. Teams are being rewarded for form, and others punished for missing out. Through it all, people are talking about it, and the pressure won't come off any time soon.