Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters has scored his 10th career Supercars win with a thrilling victory in the first of two races on the Gold Coast this weekend.
The 29-year-old staved off a fast-finishing reigning Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen, who stalked Waters right to the checkered flag, and had looked like he might steal a last-lap victory until a moment of mastery from the Tickford star.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cam Waters wins epic Supercars race on the Gold Coast.
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Van Gisbergen had closed the gap to under a third of a second and looked set to snatch the lead until Waters perfected the run through the last beach chicane, where the eventual winner opened up a race-clinching lead and held on for the final few corners.
“That is one of the best car races we’ve ever had here,” Mark Skaife said on Channel 7 commentary.
“And how was the run of the beach chicane; if there was one section of road in Cam Waters’ life… he did the most superb job through that beach chicane because he opened the gap up to get away with that win.”
Tickford Racing team principal Tim Edwards was speechless after the race.
“I can’t talk — I haven’t been like this for a long time… what a win!” he exclaimed.
Waters saved his fastest middle sector of the race, and the fastest of any car, for the epic last lap in a clutch performance to win the race in his 248th Supercars start.
He finished just 0.19 seconds ahead of the champion Kiwi, who gained some precious championship points on series leader, Brodie Kostecki.
Penrite Racing’s David Reynolds had been in contention with 15 laps to go, holding second spot, but was overtaken by van Gisbergen and fell off the pace of the two leaders.
Kostecki, who held a pre-race 131-point lead over van Gisbergen in the championship standings, sat back in fifth and out of contention after a slip up in the top 10 shootout made him start on the grid in 10th, as the top three sprinted to the finish.
Speaking after the race with emotion in his voice, Waters said it was great reward for the team after what has been a tough year.
“Unbelievable — it’s been such a shocking year to be honest, and it’s just so good to finally get a proper win this year. The emotion on the team’s face says it all,” he said, holding back tears.
“Shane was coming for me, but there was no way I was going to let a bloody GM beat me again.”
By the end of the race, each of the top three pushed their bad sportsmanship flag warnings to the limit for exceeding track limits on the curves, which Waters, who hadn’t yet reached the limit with 10 laps to go, was well aware of.
“I had a bit of fuel saving to do and a bit of tyre saving, and I had a few curve hops up my sleeve, so I just made sure I was set for the last five laps and gave everything. He (van Gisbergen) was never going to pass me,” Waters said.
“Don’t give up, keep chipping away. We’ve got an amazing fan base, some amazing sponsors and an amazing team behind me. We don’t give up, we keep fighting, and that’s what we’ve done all year.”
Neil Crompton said it was “well worth the price of admission on the Gold Coast” as the enthralling race came to a close.
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