The 'letdown' driving motivated Waters

Nailing down a consistent set-up the motivation of Cam Waters’ busy Winton test programme.

Southern state teams completed a pre-season test day at Winton Motor Raceway on Tuesday.

There, Tickford Racing rolled out its full suite of drivers, headlined by team spearhead Waters.

Waters and Courtney have been joined by Thomas Randle and Jake Kostecki, the latter damaging his car in an off at Turn 5.

The 2022 season will be Waters’ seventh with Tickford; in six previous seasons, he has recorded just two top-five points finishes.

They have come in the last two seasons; Waters finished second in 2020, before ending up fifth last year despite scoring three wins.

The heat at Winton made for an uncomfortable day, but that didn’t stop Waters pushing hard to find a balance that worked.

“Last year we got a few poles, won a few races,” he told Supercars.com.

“But fifth in the championship was a letdown, to be honest.

“We need to fix at the tracks we’re weak at. Today is all about that.

“One of the issues is [Sydney Motorsport Park]; we haven’t gone well there in the past.

“We have to learn the car and what it needs for those style of circuits.”

Waters endured a torrid time in Sydney last year, recording just one podium in 10 starts.

The 27-year-old believes a title is within reach, but the first step is ensuring he doesn’t go missing at any stage throughout the season.

Waters testing on Tuesday

Waters won races in Tailem Bend and Townsville, and scored podiums in Bathurst (sprint and enduro), Sandown, Darwin and Sydney.

In the other podium-less rounds, his average race finish was 9.3.

Should Tickford have found something at Winton, Waters could arrive in Sydney a renewed title force from the outset.

“Through last year, we were quicker than Shane [van Gisbergen] and Chaz [Mostert] at some points,” he said of his 2021 campaign.

“But they were quicker than us at other tracks.

“We have to fix the deficits and put a whole year together.

“Then we can go for a championship."

The Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight will open the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship on March 4-6.

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