Tyre scare didn't worry Bathurst 1000 winners
Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth weren't fazed by the delaminated tyre that threatened to de-rail their Bathurst 1000 campaign.
The pair comfortably led the opening phase of today's Great Race, only for the left-rear tyre to delaminate as Mostert headed towards Skyline on Lap 49.
He was forced to limp back to the pits for an unscheduled stop, before a rousing fourth stint got the entry back in the race.
Mostert and Holdsworth would go on to take a dominant win.
Reflecting on the hiccup, Mostert said he had no concerns that the delimitation was being caused by the car set-up.
However he did admit it led to he and Holdsworth deciding to avoid any kerbs for the remainder of the race.
"It was real quick. Normally you can feel when you hurt the tyre," said Mostert.
"I thought I did the tyre damage on the backside of [the] Turn 2 [kerb], or under the tree, so after we cut the tyre I stayed off the kerbs for the whole rest of the race.
"So did Lee. So to not use all of the track, the car was still very fast.
"I had confidence because Lee did the first two stints without a problem, and the lap times were super fast. I knew it wasn't car, I was pretty confidence it was something to do with track."
Car speed was the deciding factor for Mostert and Holdsworth, the duo able to convert the lap record-breaking speed on Saturday into the comfortable race win.
According to Mostert, the best indication that he had race winning speed was when Shane van Gisbergen ran him wide shortly after a restart, which cost him several spots.
"Gizzy tried walking me up and then I swallowed up by two cars and nearly ended up in the fence," he said.
"At that point you take confidence that, if at that part of the race he's trying to do that to you, he knows you're faster.
"He was super fast but I had confidence my car was better. When I was racing behind him I was right on his bumper, and it doesn't always happen when you're racing van Gisbergen."
Holdsworth said it was nice to convert car speed to a result.
"You don't often get a great car around here, but when you do, you want to take advantage of it," said the first-time Bathurst winner.
"When the car is good you can push. We knew everything it was going to do. You knew how much track you could use.
"It gave is every bit of confidence and feedback. Honestly, I don't know how these guys gave us such a good car. Mind-blowing. I'm just glad that we took it to the end and we got our trophy."
For Holdsworth the win was an emotional one, coming roughly a year after he lost his full-time drive with Tickford Racing.
"To bounce back after my last year, it wasn't the best way to end [my full-time career]," he said.
"But I'll take a Bathurst victory over sitting in a half average car for a year."
Race winner Chaz Mostert, Lee Holdsworth, Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden
Photo by: Edge Photographics
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