Mostert hits Supercars speed bump in grand final quali

Joanna Guelas |

Chaz Mostert had a morning to forget in qualifying for the top-10 shootout in Adelaide.
Chaz Mostert had a morning to forget in qualifying for the top-10 shootout in Adelaide.

Supercars championship contender Chaz Mostert has endured a nightmare qualifying session as young gun Ryan Wood took provisional pole.

While Mostert’s Ford Mustang refused to start up, Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Wood blitzed the field to take early honours ahead of Saturday’s top-10 shootout.

Wood had set a lap time of one minute and 18.960 seconds on the street circuit to win provisional pole in the two-part qualifying session.

Grove rookie and grand finalist Kai Allen trailed Wood by 0.0289 seconds, while championship leader Broc Feeney was third.

Mostert, 33, was made to settle for 12th in a massive blow to his campaign for a maiden championship.

The fan-favourite veteran had cut his deficit to Feeney by 13 points after finishing second in Friday’s opening sprint to Brodie Kostecki.

Defending champion Will Brown, third in the standings, made the shootout in sixth.

Mostert narrowly escaped early elimination with his final lap of the first section before his Mustang failed to fire up on its own.

A desperate WAU crew were able to get the car running with five minutes, but Mostert was unable to salvage the session.

“It cost me a run to build into it and put it all on the line,” a frustrated Mostert told Fox Sports.

“It costs you everything … I’ve got nothing else to say.”

Blanchard Racing Team rookie Aaron Cameron stunned the grid to be fourth, reaching his first shootout.

Anton De Pasquale was fifth in the Team 18 car, while reigning Bathurst 1000 winner Matt Payne was seventh. 

Friday’s race winner Kostecki just made the shootout in 10th, while Tickford heavyweight Cam Waters qualified in a sub-par 21st.

NASCAR driver and Tickford wildcard Austin Cindric will start Saturday’s 78-lap, 250km race last in 25th.

The top-10 shootout gets underway at 1.05pm (AEDT).

RACE 33 QUALIFYING RESULTS:

1. Ryan Wood (Walkinshaw Andretti United)

2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing)

3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)

4. Aaron Cameron (Blanchard Racing Team)

5. Anton De Pasquale (Team 18)

6. Will Brown (Triple Eight)

7. Matt Payne (Grove)

8. Thomas Randle (Tickford Racing)

9. Cooper Murray (Erebus Motorsport)

10. Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:

1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 5089

2. Chaz Mostert (WAU) -13pts

3. Will Brown (Triple Eight) -48pts

4. Kai Allen (Grove) -53pts

AAP