MOZZIE IS THE SUPERCARS CHAMPION! š¦š
Hey guys,
Champion, I still can't believe it.
Our year was all about getting to the finals, to bring the best package we can to Adelaide. That was a lot of experimentation, a lot of exploring, a lot of ups and downs. There was a lot of soul searching and a lot of doubt as well doing that, but these last three rounds, the car was awesome.
We had grit, determination and a little bit of luck, you always need luck in racing.
Starting the last race fourth. It was a bit of a different mentality race for me. I didnāt have to be as aggressive; I just put my head down and tried to use the car pace that we had.
It was the longest race of my life, but itās so weird, I couldnāt tell you where the track started or finished. It was just one long tunnel lap after lap. Itās hard to keep yourself motivated in that spot. I was trying to keep the gap to Will Brown behind. That was the only thing that was making me hit my marks.
Then at 10 laps from the end you think something's going to fail. You start hearing weird noises in the car. The tyre doesnāt feel good, the brake doesn't feel good. It was like, āPlease hang on, please!ā Until you go past the finish line, like I did at Bathurst in 2014, you just never know and even then you still canāt believe it.
Itās amazing to win it with Ford. I started my career with Ford. To win as a Ford driver, to join the list of champions representing the Ford brand, is something special.
To win it with Walkinshaw Andretti United, the Walkinshaw family, with the pedigree they have in Supercars, there's a lot of pressure. But the culture changed a lot when I got there, and we had a plan, and we kept chipping away at it year after year.
And this finals series couldn't have been done without the fans.
When I qualified 12th on Saturday I was so angry and frustrated. The team said to me we had two corporate suite visits. It's just what I needed to go back and see people enjoying themselves, see some young fans between the garage. I just thought, āPull your head out of here. Don't be selfish. You're not just representing yourself; this is for a lot of people following you.ā It just put my eyes forward.
There are so many people to thank. A lot of people sacrificed to get me here today, especially Mum and Dad. They gave up everything to get me here. I was such a spoilt kid coming through. I didn't know what a dollar was worth. They put the house on the line, and I just wanted the race cars. Iām so glad it paid off.
This is for Dad, and this is Mum up there. I went to the Jet concert Saturday night, one of Mumās favourite bands was Jet, and it was pretty cool to go to that and just forget about racing for 15 minutes and enjoy that little set. It was probably a little bit naughty! But I love the entertainment side of our sport, and sometimes it's nice to enjoy it too.
I came into Supercars when I was 21, and now at 33 years old, I thought this was never going to happen. You get a bit older, and the young crop coming into Supercars is hot to trot. They're driving these cars fast as, they really suit their driving style, and you're really trying to push yourself as an older statesman.
But you just never give up, and Sunday was our day.
Champion? I'm not a champion; I'm just a bogan Aussie underdog who just had all his race dreams come true!
But hereās a Chaz tip: don't chase your dreams in sport unless you're having fun, because it's not all about winning championships. Make sure you really enjoy what you're into. Chase your dreams and enjoy it.
See you in 2026!
Chaz