Supercars Townsville: Waters wins chaotic opener from Mostert

Cameron Waters returned to form in emphatic style by taking the win in Race 13 of the Supercars campaign in Townsville.

Starting from pole, the Tickford Mustang driver was unable to shake Chaz Mostert in the opening third of the race before Walkinshaw Andretti United triggered an undercut when bringing in its driver on lap 24. 

Although Waters returned to the track still in the lead, Mostert made use of his up-to-temperature tyres to complete a block pass at the Turn 11 hairpin, with minor contact being made as Water threatened an immediate cutback response.

The intensity of the battle was stepped up a notch on lap 52, as a successful lunge for the lead at Turn 2 slowed the lead pair to the extent that Will Davison was able to fix himself to the rear bumper of Mostert's Mustang. 

Once again running longer than the rest, Waters eventually bailed to the pits on lap 60 but came out behind Mostert, Thomas Randle and Davison - with Jack Le Brocq also squeezing by at Turn 4.

Once again taking advantage of having the freshest rubber, Waters mounted his charge and, aided by a late heavy shower, completed his comeback to win by 1.8s from Mostert, with championship leader Will Brown, who had started 13th and endured a difficult weekend to this point, third. 

“That was an awesome race, so many epic battles throughout the race,” said Waters.

Race winner Cameron Waters, Tickford Racing Ford Mustang GT

Photo by: Edge Photographics

“We needed to keep it clean and I knew we needed to have something at the end of our stints.

“Some places were dry and in some places it was torrential. I knew we had something to fight with and I knew I had something of a tyre advantage.”

For Mostert, turning around a tough round last time out in Darwin with such a strong drive was a huge plus.

“I fought really hard and I raced Cam to the death,” he said.

“I knew that they were a little bit better than me. They could manage their rear tyres a little bit better.”

Third place was way beyond what Will Brown may have expected going into the race. From his lowly starting position, the points leader looked to be content to pick off places one by one, but by the end of the race he had fought his way past the Fords of Matt Payne and Randle.

“I was pretty nervous after qualifying,” Triple Eight Chevrolet Camaro driver Brown grinned after his 10-place gain.

Will Brown, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Photo by: Edge Photographics

“I was picking them off one by one, once I got my tyres hot I could not quite get to them. That last stint was really good, I was about a millimetre away from looping it at Turn 6!”

Payne crept away from Randle for a solid fourth place, ahead of Le Brocq, Broc Feeney and Davison.

With his rearguard action, and Feeney’s seventh place, Brown has stretched his points lead to 141 points, 1482-1341. Mostert maintains third place with 1212 and Waters is in fourth place on 988.