Mostert hopes epic win keeps Ford in V8s

Chaz Mostert hopes his efforts to secure Ford’s second straight Bathurst 1000 title is enough to convince the manufacturer to stay involved in V8 Supercars.

Mostert defied the odds to win the longest and most chaotic edition of the Great Race on Sunday with co-driver Paul Morris.

The pair’s Falcon started last on the grid and by lap 45 was lodged in a tyre barrier at the circuit’s worn-down turn two.

But 10 safety cars, 13 pitstops and a one-hour suspension of the race to repair the damaged section of track helped to push them up the field.

It wasn’t until the final few turns on the 161st and last lap that Mostert was able to pass championship leader Jamie Whincup, whose spluttering Holden was running on empty.

The victory was both Mostert and Morris’ first at Mount Panorama, but second for the factory-backed Ford Performance Racing outfit following Mark Winterbottom’s breakthrough win last year.

And it couldn’t have come at a better time, with reports emerging on Friday that Ford was planning to exit the sport when its sponsorship deal with FPR expired at the end of this year.

Ford Australia boss Bob Graziano said the company was still in negotiations and would make an announcement after the season finale in Sydney in December.

Mostert believed his triumph should send a pretty strong message that Ford needed to stay.

“Yeah, for sure,” he said.

“We want Ford to be here next year, and I’m pretty sure they will be.

“I remember watching for years, Holden dominated the mountain.

“And now we have back-to-back wins in Fords. It’s fantastic.

“We want to come back next year and get the hat-trick. Fingers crossed we can.

“I’m super pumped to get the Bathurst trophy, but to get it two years for FPR is a very special moment.”

This year’s Bathurst 1000, already being regarded as one of the greatest ever, attracted the second biggest crowd in the history of Australia’s famous race.

A total of 195,261 people went to the event over four days – numbers surpassed only by the 50-year anniversary celebrations in 2012.

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