The Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford driver trimmed Feeney’s lead from 20 to 13 points with a second-place finish in a Friday race that began with them facing off on the front row.
Polesitter Feeney was the aggressor off the start, initiating contact in the opening metres before squeezing Mostert across the Senna Chicane.
That ensured Feeney held an early lead, but he later conceded positions with a mistake at Turn 4 and finished fourth, without the pace of top three Brodie Kostecki, Mostert and Ryan Wood.
“He didn’t want to give me an inch, so I just kept it wide open into his door,” recounted Mostert of the early stoush.
“He sent me across the kerb, and I was lucky enough to hold onto it. Don’t rough me up too much, because once I get the eyes on, he’ll be in a bit of trouble!”
Mostert later admitted he would have done the same in Feeney’s shoes and wants the opportunity to do so today.
“Hopefully I’m on pole and he’s on the outside and I’ll show him what it’s like hanging out there across the kerb,” he said.
Feeney will be hoping Saturday’s action takes place in dry conditions, having taken a record setting 17th pole for the season earlier on Friday before the rain hit.
The Saturday forecast is for a “shower or two” and only between 0 and 3mm expected across the day.
“We need to do some work in understanding what we need to do to be better in these conditions,” admitted Feeney of the wet.
“Obviously we were fast in the wet at Sandown but not quick enough today in the wet.
“We were good in the dry before that rain, we’ll just have a look what the weather is going to do on the weekend then take learnings from today to roll out ready.”
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Teammate Will Brown, meanwhile, believes he effectively needs to win today’s 250km race to stay in contention.
The reigning champion is now 48 points from Feeney after qualifying 12th, being spun to the back on the opening lap and rallying for a ninth-place finish.
“We need to qualify well, we keep saying it but it’s time now to do it,” said Brown.
“Probably need to win tomorrow to stay in it so that’s what we need to go out and do.”
Grove Racing’s Kai Allen enters the Saturday action 53 points from the lead following a fifth-place finish on Saturday, with 250 available across the two remaining races.
This article first appeared on Speedcafe.com, a sister site to MotorRacing.com.
