EXCLUSIVE: Chaz Mostert calls for Supercars to run Race of Champions-style event
Chaz Mostert has called for Supercars to put together a Race of Champions-style event after claiming a stunning second in Saturday's individual Champion of Champions event.
Mostert was defeated by nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb 2-0 in the final. It was a record fifth Champion of Champions crown for the Frenchman.
The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner was shocked to have made it that far in the first place, having received a late call-up to the event to replace an ill Mattias Ekström.
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Speaking to Wild World of Sports, Mostert said he'd love for Supercars to run a similar-style event, potentially in the off-season, but acknowledged the logistics would make such an event at a national level tricky.
Mostert in action during the Race of Champions on Saturday night. Getty
"This was really cool to see, and the biggest thing was is us drivers just have so much fun when you can do something a little bit left-field," he said.
"If Supercars wanted to do a bit of a thing in the off season or something where we get a couple of different vehicles and disciplines and do an event, it would be really cool.
"But let's be honest, it's obviously very expensive to do it this on this level, and we need a lot of fans to come out to cover it."
On Saturday in the best-of-three finals, Mostert defeated Sebastian Vettel in the quarter-final, and then Supercars rival Will Brown in an all-Aussie semi. Brown had earlier put away Mick Schumacher in the quarters.
Mostert and Sebastien Loeb on the podium. Getty
Mostert beat Brown in two thrillers, but was on the wrong side of two more thrillers against Loeb. He missed sending it to a deciding third race by barely a tenth of a second.
When asked by Wide World of Sports if he'd be looking for a call-up to the next ROC event, Mostert pointed to co-founder Fredrik Jonsson.
"He should have won - he'd would've been guaranteed," the Swede said with a laugh.
Mostert said he would love a call-up to the next event, but conceded he would need conditions to suit.
Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown and Chaz Mostert do shoeys after the Race of Champions. Race of Champions
"I felt like I probably had the home track advantage because I had the Aussie fans here really amping us up," he said.
"We feel that energy as Supercar drivers, even when we have our Supercar rounds. This discipline was so different for us, and no doubt next time we'd do it, we'd feel more comfortable.
"But if we went to the ice or the snow, I'd be like a penguin on the beach at Bondi or something – just completely out of its elements.
"We'll see what happens and where ROC ends up."
After receiving a bye into the quarters as most recent champion in Ekström's absence, Loeb defeated Molly Taylor and then Oliver Solberg to book his spit in the final.
In the first race of the final, Loeb took a tight victory in the Polaris buggy - a car which undoubtedly suited his driving better than Mostert's.
The second was in the FC2 Rallycross car, which Mostert had been competitive in all night.
It was the Loeb's second win of the weekend, having won the Nations Cup driving with Victor Martins on Friday night.
"Yesterday after the victory it was like a relief for me and I said 'tomorrow, no pressure, just push', and it worked," he told the broadcast.
"This year it was really tight between the drivers - Supercar drivers, racing drivers, some surprises ... it was an amazing weekend."
