- The Ford Performance Mustang Supercar has pulled off a pair of one-two finishes from as many races, with both Shell V-Power Racing Team and Tickford Racing each taking a pole position in a battle between Mustangs
- Scott McLaughlin took out both races in the #17 Mustang, leading home Tickford Racing’s Chaz Mostert’s #55 Supercheap Auto Mustang in Race 13, before a dominant Shell V-Power Racing one-two with teammate Fabian Coulthard in Race 14
- In challenging conditions, Mostert scored a stunning Saturday pole position for Race 13, his first of 2019, while Lee Holdsworth recorded his best finish of the year after pushing the #5 Bottle-O Racing Mustang to fifth in Race 14 for Tickford Racing
“This weekend saw a fantastic result, and it showed that when things don’t go to plan, the teams have the resilience to overcome what’s thrown at them and rise to the challenge,” said Kay Hart, President and CEO, Ford Australia and New Zealand.
Tickford Racing’s Chaz Mostert, aboard the #55 Supercheap Auto Mustang, achieved a stunning pole position for Saturday’s Race 13, made even more impressive by the unpredictable weather during the knockout qualifying format. Mostert was joined by fellow Mustang pilot Fabian Coulthard (Shell V-Power Racing) for an all-Mustang front row.
After a challenging start – which saw Mostert pipped by several competitors including both Coulthard, and Scott McLaughlin – the Supercheap Auto Mustang had to settle for second place. While a strong result, it was McLaughlin who scored another victory to set the tone for the remainder of the weekend.
Coulthard bounced back for Sunday’s Race 14, qualifying in second place behind McLaughlin for a Shell V-Power Racing Ford Mustang front-row lockout. The team-mates pushed to a strong one-two race finish to score maximum points, extending Shell V-Power Racing’s lead the championship to 649 points (2988 points). With 1646 points, McLaughlin leads Coulthard in the drivers’ championship by 244 points.
“A sensational result to have a Shell V-Power Racing Team one-two in Race 14, a great team effort – a really solid way to bounce back from what was a bit of an up and down Saturday,” said Shell V-Power Racing Team co-owner and Team Principal, Dr Ryan Story. “We’ve consolidated our championship lead as well, maintaining first and second in the drivers’ championship – a great way to race here in rural Victoria.”
Following Mostert’s Saturday pole and second place, Tickford Racing’s Sunday showed great promise with all four of its Mustangs qualifying in the Top Ten. Lee Holdsworth was the best-placed Tickford Mustang at the end of the 67-lap Race 14, with a gallant fifth place in the #5 Bottle-O Mustang, his best result of the season. Cam Waters’ #6 Monster Energy Racing Tickford Mustang followed Holdsworth home in sixth.
The Ford Mustang Vodafone Safety car was deployed 10 laps from the end of the race, after the #23 Milwaukee Racing Tickford Mustang of Will Davison was forced out from seventh place after the rare failure of a control component. The Safety Car did allow Mostert to recover from several offs early in the race to round out the weekend in a respectable 10th place, the final Tickford Racing finisher.
“It was great that we had four cars qualify in the top ten, which has been a bit of a struggle the last few rounds,” said Tickford Racing Team Principal, Tim Edwards. “It’s interesting though – we’ve set the bar higher for ourselves, so we were disappointed as we hoped to have all four in ten as well as someone on the front row. Still, it’s a good step forward; we made a few mistakes throughout the weekend that we’ll work hard to rectify, but it was great to get a podium on Saturday, and without a few things we could have been up there again for Sunday.
Round 7 of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship will be held between 14 - 16 June with the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley, Northern Territory. Tickets can be purchased via supercars.com.au
