Mostert vows to keep pressure on as title fight tightens

Chaz Mostert has vowed to keep the pressure on in the longest races of the season, as the 2024 championship fight closed again at Symmons Plains.

Mostert took more points out of championship leader Will Brown over the weekend, with the 81-point margin the closest the two drivers have been leaving a round since the Bathurst season-opener.

After Bathurst, Brown began to extend his margin in later rounds, with a Taupō loose wheel and Darwin Super Soft issues pushing Mostert to nearly a round behind.

However, Mostert reeled off five straight podiums to rapidly eat into Brown's lead, and overtook Broc Feeney for second in Sydney to sit 105 points down.

The biggest question mark over Mostert's title bid was Tasmania, and if the Super Soft would bring Walkinshaw Andretti United undone.

Under pressure, WAU helped Mostert become the second-highest points scorer of the weekend thanks to a second place on Saturday and a recovery drive from 11th to fourth on Sunday.

All told, the gap between Brown and Mostert is the smallest between the top two heading to the enduros since 2018, and the fifth closest in the last 17 seasons.

"Pretty awesome weekend, a great haul of points, today we made it a little bit harder for ourselves starting mid-pack but we stayed out of trouble and came out P4," Mostert said.

"We have the weapon Leeroy [Holdsworth] back in the seat for enduros and we know he carries me most of the time through those events."

History is on Brown's side, however; in 23 seasons since 2001, the driver leading the championship leading into the first enduro of the has gone on to win the championship 16 times, at a 70 percent strike rate.

Since the 300-point system was introduced in 2008, the pre-enduro points leader has become champion 14 times in 18 seasons at 78 percent.

Brown has three wins, but has taken 14 podiums from 18 starts, and has claimed a trophy at each of the eight events so far, underpinning his consistency.

"Positive to get another podium," said Brown, who survived a late-race battle with Feeney and Thomas Randle to finish second on Sunday.

"That's a podium every round this year, so that's pretty cool, but just need to keep it going.”

Feeney is 198 points behind after his incident with Thomas Randle, whose teammate Cam Waters is 350 points adrift following his Race 18 win.

The 2024 Repco Supercars will switch to enduro mode at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 on September 13-15. Tickets for the 60th anniversary event are on sale now.

Leading before the enduros (300-point era)

*Bathurst season finale, champion already decided

^Led before enduros, didn't win championship

**Season ongoing