Supercars star wins race for the ages after opening lap chaos

Cam Waters has emerged victorious in a race for the ages at the NTI Townsville 500, with the Ford star beating Chaz Mostert in an action-packed 250km epic.

A late shower brought Waters into play, with the Tickford Racing driver passing Mostert to secure his second win of the season, and third in Townsville.

Championship leader Will Brown mounted a remarkable late charge to secure a 12th podium in 13 starts, despite starting 13th on the grid.

With Broc Feeney seventh, Brown extended his championship lead from 108 to 141 points, with Mostert 270 points behind in third. Waters, meanwhile, reclaimed fourth position, with Nick Percat dropping from fourth to eighth after being caught up in a dramatic lap 1 clash.

Pole-sitter Waters and Mostert dragged down to Turn 2, with the pole-sitter hanging on.

Behind them, the race erupted in the mid-pack, with four cars taken out of contention.

Percat, Anton De Pasquale and Brodie Kostecki all sustained damaged in a three-wide collision through Turn 3, with all three cars forced into the lane for repairs. Jaxon Evans was then sent into a spin by the ailing Kostecki at Turn 4, and also pitted for repairs.

No further action was taken over the Percat/De Pasquale/Kostecki clash, while Macauley Jones picked up a 15-second penalty over a collision with Cameron Hill at the final corner.

Mostert haunted the rear of Waters’ car for the entire first stint, with the margin between the two Fords not breaching one second.

All the while, Brown had slowly moved from 13th to eighth by the time Mostert stopped on lap 24. Feeney stopped on lap 26, with Thomas Randle and Brown pitting on the following lap.

Randle was delayed by a right rear wheel issue in the stop, gifting third to Will Davison. Tickford’s hopes took another hit when, after Waters stopped on lap 28, Mostert got by into Turn 11.

Waters attacked into Turn 2, but the margin blew out to 1.7s as both drivers passed the long-stopping Hill.

By the time Hill stopped on lap 34, Mostert led Waters by 1.2s, with Davison 7.2s behind in third. Randle, Feeney, Jack Le Brocq, Brown, James Golding, Matt Payne and James Courtney rounded out the top 10.

Waters closed on Mostert, but the two Fords maintained position as the second stops approached. The margin fluctuated before Waters ranged in on lap 52, and made a big move into Turn 11.

Waters ran long and Mostert got by, before Waters got by again into Turn 2. The battle brought Davison into play, with the #17 getting by the #25. Mostert and Davison were brought in on lap 55 once Randle got by the WAU Ford.

Randle and Feeney were brought in on lap 57, with Waters pressing on. Brown also stayed out, and was 7.7s behind the Monster Mustang, with Randle emerging just behind Mostert.

Waters continued on, but grip was becoming an issue. On lap 59 — when Brown pitted — Waters struggled to pull up into Turn 11, and was brought in on the following lap.

Waters emerged behind Mostert, Randle and Davison, and lost another position to Le Brocq into Turn 4. However, Waters got back by the Erebus Chevrolet into Turn 2 on the next lap, and set off after the top three.

Hill was again the final driver to make his second stop, and by then, Randle was suddenly Mostert’s next headache, with the Castrol Ford just 0.7s behind. Davison was 1.8s back, with Waters two seconds down and 4.5s from the lead.

Waters passed Davison for third on lap 73, with Randle 2.7s up the road. Behind them, Brown overhauled Feeney for sixth, with the position change worth a valuable six points. Brown quickly caught Le Brocq, and got by for fifth on lap 74 at Turn 11.

The ailing Davison was Brown’s next victim on the next lap, with Le Brocq, Feeney and Payne dropping the #17 Ford to eighth. Suddenly, the heavens opened with 11 laps to go, with Waters catching the leaders in quick time.

Waters cleanly passed Randle into Turn 2, and set off after Mostert. The shower cleared by the time Mostert ticked over lap 81 — and by then, Brown was only 1.8s from the lead.

Waters forced his way past into Turn 2, before Brown got by Randle for third at Turn 11. Randle returned serve into Turn 2, before Brown got back past into Turn 11 for the second consecutive lap. By then, Waters and Mostert were four seconds clear.

Payne demoted Randle to fifth through the Turn 11 sweeper, but had two seconds to find on Brown in two laps.

It was all moot for Waters, who clinched victory by 1.8538s, with Brown 4.6801s from victory. Payne, Randle, Le Brocq, Feeney, Davison, Andre Heimgartner and Hill rounded out the top 10, with De Pasquale the only retirement following the opening lap incident.

Percat was 21st and 13 laps down, with Kostecki 19th.

Supercars action will resume on Sunday with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 9:30am AEST, which will set the running order for the Top Ten Shootout at 12:05pm.

The NTI Townsville 500 will conclude with Race 14 at 2:40pm.

This article first appeared on supercars.comand was reproduced with permission.