WAU goes back in time for Mostert’s Ford reunion
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 13 February 2023
Walkinshaw Andretti United leader Chaz Mostert will carry an old school livery in the team’s first Supercars season with Ford.
After 33 years racing for the “Lion” WAU will run with the “Blue Oval” on its bonnet for the first time ever in 2023 and has marked the historic occasion with a pair of white Mustangs for drivers Mostert and Nick Percat.
Chaz Mostert’s new all white WAU Ford Mustang. Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
Percat’s #2 Mustang has already been revealed and the #25 livery possesses the same NASCAR-style characteristics, with Optus standing out on the doors and the GT stripes running along the top.
In addition to the Ford factor, 2023 marks WAU’s three-decade anniversary in partnership with Mobil 1 and the team has celebrated it with a white based design just like the Holden Racing Team used in 1993.
Racing stripes have been integrated with the Mobil 1 logo on the bonnet of both WAU Mustangs. Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
The only times Mostert has raced with a white livery full time were in 2013 and 2020, his first seasons at DJR and WAU.
He has run black liveries at the Clayton based team since, but a notable exception was last year’s Adelaide 500 when he drove a special Holden tribute livery based on the 1990 HRT cars to victory.
But the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner is a “big fan” of his new look and is excited for his Ford “homecoming” having been one of the brand’s leading drivers from 2013-2019 during stints at Dick Johnson Racing and Tickford.
The rear end of Chaz Mostert’s “clean #25 Mustang. Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer
“The Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 25 looks so good, I’m a big fan of clean liveries, so I think it looks awesome and the GT stripes top it off,” he said.
“It’s amazing to be returning to the blue oval, that first lap will feel like a bit of a homecoming I think, so I’m really looking forward to ramping up to Newcastle.
Chaz Mostert on his way to winning the Saturday race of the 2022 VALO Adelaide 500 in a white Holden tribute livery. Photo: Mark Horsburgh/EDGE Photographics
“Two things have made this possible though, our amazing team who have worked non-stop lately, right through the ‘off-season’ to make sure we have a car to race, and the support of our partners, who have all been incredible.
“I just can’t wait to drive it now.”
Despite running white based liveries in each of the Clayton based team’s first 10 years of racing, it has rarely been the squad’s go-to choice in the 21st century.
White was the dominant look of HRT’s early days. Craig Lowndes is pictured pushing hard at the 1994 Sandown 500.
White has always been sprinkled around the car, forming a big part of the famous “Lion” bonnet in the HRT days.
However, aside from the occasional one-off retro livery, HRT/WAU has only used white as the primary colour in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2020, but this year’s look takes it to a new extreme.
Seeing the first ever Ford Supercars to be produced at the Clayton factory was a special sight for WAU team principal Bruce Stewart.
Stewart said many hours of effort have been put in to make release of the two Mustangs happen, but the unveiling is far from the final chapter.
The Holden Racing Team Holden carried a lot of white in Mark Skaife’s final full-time season, 2008. Image: Mark Horsburgh / LAT Photographic
“It’s a huge day for our Team as we pull the covers off both our Ford Mustang GTs, and the Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 25 looks amazing,” he said
“An immense amount of work has gone into these cars from all our team, which we are thankful of, so their hard work has gotten us here today.
“The hard work doesn’t stop here, we’ve got a big few weeks ahead of us, but we’re up for the challenge.”
WAU will celebrate a 33-year first at Winton tomorrow when its pair of Gen3 Ford Mustang GTs complete their maiden shakedown at Winton.
Currently in a 21-year drought between championships, WAU hopes a switch to Ford will bring it back to the top in 2023.
For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.
AUTO ACTION, Australia’s independent voice of motorsport
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