202 days later: Waters' bid to end Ford drought

This weekend's return to Symmons Plains will present another key opportunity for Tickford Racing to gauge its form amid a winless start to 2021.

Cameron Waters has proved his standing as Tickford's de facto team leader, scoring three second-place finishes across the Bathurst and Sandown events.

However, a power steering drama in the Bathurst opener saw Waters drop 105 points to championship leader Shane van Gisbergen in just one race.

WATCH: WATERS AND MOSTERT'S SANDOWN TANGLE

In the four races following his Race 1 disaster, Waters scored three podiums and a sixth, but is already 170 points adrift of the undefeated van Gisbergen.

Waters, James Courtney and Jack Le Brocq will have extra motivation this weekend; Ford drivers have not won a race since Waters won the penultimate race of the 2020 season at The Bend last September.

Saturday's opening race in Tasmania will mark 202 days since a Ford driver last won a race.

"We've had a pretty solid start to the year, a few seconds now, still hunting that first win,” Waters said.

"I got very close at Sandown, but I'm excited to get to Tassie.

Waters drives at Symmons Plains in 2019

"Obviously we haven't been there for a while, and recently it hasn't been the strongest track for us but the car is very different since then as well.

"I'm pumped to get to Tassie and see what we can do."

Tickford has won three races at the 2.4km-long Launceston circuit, but has failed to hit the top since 2012.

The 2012 win came courtesy of Will Davison, who led Mark Winterbottom in a Saturday one-two.

Davison leads Winterbottom in 2012

Winterbottom won on the Sunday two years earlier, with Jason Bright winning Race 1 of the 2006 event.

Symmons Plains has been a happy hunting ground for Triple Eight and Jamie Whincup, who has won a record 12 races at the venue.

In 18 races at Symmons Plains since Davison's win, the Blue Oval has scored just two victories on the Apple Isle, both courtesy of the Shell V-Power Racing Team.

Waters won Ford's last race at The Bend in 2020

Neither of Waters, Le Brocq and Courtney have won at Symmons Plains, although the latter has scored six podiums.

"I've had some good results at Tassie over the years, scored a fair few podiums there and there's always great racing," said Courtney, who last scored a Tasmania podium in 2018, driving for Walkinshaw Andretti United.

"It's just a fun little track to race on so I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Courtney (#44) and Le Brocq (#5) on track at Sandown

"We've had an okay start to the year, we just haven't gotten the race results to show it this early in the season.

"But when we’ve had clean races we've been solidly in the top 10 so we know we're close to having the car where we need it."

This weekend's two-day Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint event will feature three 44-lap races, with Practice 1 on Saturday to commence at 9:20am AEST.