Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot won the opening GTWCA race at Phillip Island. Image: Supplied

Chaz Mostert held on ahead of a storming Brendon Leitch to take victory for himself and co-driver Liam Talbot, who’d started the car.

The duo benefitted from a mid-race Safety Car for Tony Bates before rain in the latter stages energised Leitch, who charged his way forward in the Audi he shared with Tim Miles.

The New Zealander sprinted from ninth to second following a Safety Car restart, though his race unravelled when he was penalised post-race for a late pass on Jaxon Evans just before the stoppage.

Elliott Schutte from pole held the advantage, Brad Schumacher attempting to hand around the outside of the first corner but had to settle for second as they rounded the Southern Loop.

Peter Hackett slotted in third, fending off Paul Stokell as they negotiated Turn 4 and then into Siberia, the pair swapping paint on the apex that the latter momentum and dropped him into the clutches of Liam Talbot.

The fifth-placed Ferrari had been fastest in qualifying, but a grid penalty for pit lane speeding saw him start in the pack.

An early spin from Mike Bailey left the Aston Martin struggling for traction on the grass though he did eventually get back into the race.

Running in second, Schumacher ran wide at Turn 1, bouncing through the tarmac run-off as the pack started Lap 4 just seven minutes into the race.

Having opened up during the opening minutes of the race, after 15 minutes a four-way battle for the lead began to develop, Talbot having climbed beyond Hackett to take fourth.

Between him and race-leading team-mate Schutte were the Audis of Schumacher and Stokell, who found a way through into second at Turn 1 as they started Lap 9.

The #181 entry quickly skipped away as Schumacher began struggling for pace, losing contact with those ahead, with Talbot was next to menace the rear bumper.

Stokell quickly chased down Schutte, forcing the lead Ferrari to defend into Turn 4, allowing the Audi a run on corner exit.

Only he ran out of road, the two leaders making light contact as they approached Siberia.

However, it was only a matter of time before Stokell swept around the outside and into the lead at Turn 1 with 36 minutes remaining.

That scrap allowed Schumacher and Talbot to close back in, and the Ferrari stole third in a fine move a lap later at Southern Loop.

Clear out front, Stokell rocketed clear with a 1:39.9691s – a new GT3 lap record.

The pace was hot; Brenton Grove had been on a steer from last on the grid to sixth in the first half of the race, logging a 1:26.9376s to beat Stokell’s lap.

Talbot too was enjoying strong pace as he bettered both with a 1:26.8761s just before the Pro-Am pit window opened, a time that would stand as lap record after the chequered flag.

With 18 laps in the books, Schutte, Talbot, Schumacher, and Hackett dived into the pit lane. Stokell remained on track, as did Grove who rose to second as a result.

A spin from Tony Bates drew the yellow flags, the Mercedes rear wheels buried in the gravel at Turn 1 as Stokell and Grove took the opportunity to pit.

The Safety Car was deployed with Mostert in the race lead, having taken over from Talbot, with Gracie aboard in second aboard the car previously piloted by Stokell.

Jaxon Evans ran third in the pole-sitting Ferrari, with Will Brown aboard the Schumacher Audi in fourth.

Grove lost out in the sequence, dropping back to eighth as he ran the race solo – his co-driver and father, Stephen, absent through illness.

Under Safety Car, Grove left the road on the entry to Lukey Heights, bouncing through the gravel and only narrowly avoiding the wall as he raced his way around to catch the back of the train of cars.

Racing resumed with 14 minutes remaining, Mostert heading the pack back to the green flag.

Gracie immediately dropped behind the Ferrari of Evans, the Audi driver promptly spinning the R8 at Southern Loop.

Ben Schoots and Marc Cini also tangled while Valentino Astuti in the Aston Martin also ran off the road.

Gracie dropped to ninth while Leitch, who’d restarted ninth, rose to fourth on the first lap following the restart.

The New Zealander passed Brown for third at MG with 11 minutes to run as light rain began to fall in parts – Southern Loop especially wet, catching out Jayden Ojeda.

Leitch was flying, quickly closing on Evans in second place, making an audacious attempt around the outside of the Supercars driver on the final corner.

It didn’t work, but it was inevitable that Leitch would find a way through, given his pace advantage, driving by as they exited Southern Loop with eight minutes to run.

As he passed, the yellow flags were out for Bates, who’d spun, while moments later, Schoots crashed heavily at the final corner.

The Mercedes driver had lost the rear end, skating off the road and heavily into the tyre barrier.

With significant damage to the car and the tyre barrier, and little time remaining, it effectively marked the end of the race.

The order stood with Mostert out front from Leitch, though questions remained over his pass on Evans, with Brown fourth as the Safety Car was deployed.

That quickly became a red flag as the extent of the damage to the barriers became apparent.

Mostert and Talbot therefore won the race while Leitch copped a post-race penalty for passing under yellow flags, the equivalent of a drive-through penalty added to his race time.

Evans was therefore promoted back to second with Brown third – Leitch slotting back to fourth. Marcel Zalloua and Sergio Pires held on to win the Am class.

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