Chaz Mostert is determined to find answers at an upcoming test day after he slipped further away from the points lead in Tasmania.
Mostert put in two spirited drives at Symmons Plains on Sunday, from 13th to sixth and 11th to sixth.
However, with Brodie Kostecki on the podium both times, Mostert dropped more points to the championship lead.
Kostecki suffered dramas of his own on Saturday, but still outscored Mostert by 66 points over the weekend.
It was the Saturday DNF, after being turned around by Broc Feeney, which stung Mostert most, although he cited a lack of one-lap pace as his biggest problem.
Mostert qualified 11th, 13th and 11th in Tasmania, and qualified 15th, sixth and seventh in Perth.
The #25 Mobil 1 Optus Ford is a greater force in the races, Mostert moving forward in all aforementioned races barring the Tasmania Saturday DNF.
Teams are set for test days before the Betr Darwin Triple Crown, and Mostert is eager to unlock more secrets about his car.
“We have a completely different car, so form guide means nothing,” he told the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.
“We’ve got a test day after this, there are a lot of things we want to keep trying. We’re trying to work out things.
“The cars are running without fault now, we really need to hammer down at the test day and see if we can learn something.”
Mostert left Newcastle leading the championship, but has been outscored by Kostecki by 211 points across the last three rounds.
The two-time Bathurst winner’s next stop, Darwin, has been the scene of WAU victories in 2021 and 2022.
However, given the new cars, Mostert played down any chance of a form repeat, instead reiterating he needs to amend his one-lap woes.
“This weekend definitely hurts, for sure,” said Mostert, who last scored a podium at the Newcastle season opener.
“Getting turned around, and obviously a DNF, is very disappointing. Lost some points to the championship lead as well.
“Our story was just qualifying speed this weekend. We just weren’t there.
“In the two races, we showed pretty good race speed, we’re just starting way too far back.”
Mostert is 166 points away from the championship lead heading to the June 16-18 Darwin round.
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