Motorsport TechnologyFor the Walkinshaw Andretti United race team, partnered by Acronis, it was an agonising case of what might have been at the famous Bathurst 1000.
Having finished second in 2024, this was billed as the redemption year. And it very nearly came to pass. Ryan Wood and Chaz Mostert qualifying P3 and P6 respectively come race day. For Mostert, driving the Mobil 1 Optus Racing No. 25, the race was sadly over on lap 50 as an engine issue forced him to park up by the side of the race track.
But he soon entered the Bathurst legend of cult status, as he sat with the fans at trackside, readily accepting their grateful offer of a beer!
car dies during australia’s biggest race? no worries, just go sink some tins with the trackside punters immediately. legendary stuff here #RepcoSC #Bathurst1000 pic.twitter.com/U8i9yqosCX
— Matto ∆ (@MightyRoosters) October 12, 2025
“I’ve been lucky enough to have victories here in the past but Bathurst didn’t choose me today so I thought I would have a beer with it and hopefully it’s nicer to me next year,” Mostert is quoted on the official Walkinshaw Andretti United website.
“Absolutely guttered for the team, we really tuned our cars up from where we rolled out this weekend, everyone played their part and did an incredible job. Disappointed to not get a result for them today.”
With only 25 laps remaining and after a brilliant wet weather stint from Jayden Ojeda, [moving from 11th to lead the race] it was down to Ryan to bring home the victory.
And it looked like coming to pass, Wood extending that lead to over 20 seconds with just 25 laps remaining.
But in motorsport, the ultimate combination of man and machine, sometimes fate conspires against you. It’s never over until it’s over. Suddenly, the dream of winning the Bathurst 1000 ended abruptly – water working its way into an engine sensor of the Mobil 1 Truck Assist Racing No. 2.
Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/vHjgLJ65Rk
— Walkinshaw Andretti United (@FollowWAU) October 12, 2025
Still, with no Bathurst victory forthcoming, there was much to play for. And with the pit crew getting him back out onto the circuit, the team went to work to get the car fixed and get Woody back out on track to clinch a finals spot.
“I can’t thank Juice and the whole team enough, Juice put us in a position to try and challenge for the race win and ultimately we fell short with an ECU problem,” said Wood on the official Walkinshaw Andretti United website.
“Really guttered, everyone worked their backsides off all week long and to have this happen to us feels a little bit unfair, but that’s motorsport. We are in the finals, we will bounce back and we will be giving it our all on the streets of Gold Coast.”
For teammate Ojeda, it was an equally bitter pill to swallow, with a victory at one of the world’s great venues just eluding them again.
“Today felt like the one that got away, you don’t often find yourself in the lead of The Great Race coming into the final stint, super gutting,” added Ojeda.
“Awesome job from the team to get Ryan back out on track to classify a finish and get Woody into the finals. In only his second year in the championship, it’s an awesome accomplishment.”
Think Technology Australia and Acronis #TeamUp deliver Cyber Protection support to Walkinshaw Andretti United
Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, and Think Technology Australia announced a turbo-charged partnership with the eight-time Bathurst 1000 winner Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) Supercars team. The partnership will rev up the racing team’s cyber protection posture by using Acronis’ advanced technology solutions delivered by Think Technology Australia to protect the motorsport team’s critical data and systems.
Protecting over 40 major sports teams worldwide, Acronis brings its #TeamUp partner program to Australia, offering managed service providers (MSPs) an opportunity to join forces with leading sports teams, helping them identify cybersecurity risks, block cyberattacks and keep their data safe.
“Here at Walkinshaw Andretti United, we are extremely excited about partnering with Acronis and Think Technology Australia. Protecting sensitive information such as data generated on track is of significant priority to us,” said Bruce Stewart, CEO of WAU.
“We are confident that Acronis’ solution, delivered by Think Technology Australia, will help us achieve this. We are thrilled to partner with Acronis and Think Technology Australia to better manage our cyber protection across not only our race team but broader businesses as well.”
Through the #TeamUp partnership, Think Technology Australia will support WAU with Acronis’ cyber protection solutions trusted by thousands of Australian businesses, including Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, Acronis Advanced Backup, and Acronis Advanced Management, along with co-managed support. In return, the partnership will offer powerful sports marketing and business development opportunities, including attendance at business events, case studies and powerful branding.
“It’s an incredible honor and a privilege to support Walkinshaw Andretti United with Acronis,” added Caleb Bright, CEO of Think Technology Australia. “Motorsport requires incredible precision and performance, which aligns perfectly with our specialty of optimising IT performance and security for Australian businesses. This partnership is a great opportunity for us to leverage our industry-leading expertise, local focus and technical support to help Walkinshaw Andretti United defend its operations and enhance its performance.”
Guennadi Moukine