Tides turn for Waters in 2023 title chase

While trophies eluded him, Cam Waters remained a factor in the 2023 championship despite a winless weekend at Symmons Plains.

Waters brought home finishes of fourth, fourth and seventh in the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.

Through all his battles, Waters remarkably ended up second for the round behind Erebus Motorsport’s Will Brown, who won two races.

Waters scored fastest lap bonus points twice to tally 234 points for the weekend, his best weekend in 2023 to date.

The #6 Monster Mustang pilot was a few hundred metres away from finishing third in the Saturday race, with Shane van Gisbergen stealing the position.

It denied Waters a first podium since Newcastle, but regardless, he kept himself in the hunt all weekend as Erebus and Triple Eight marched on.

Brown’s 286 points was by far and away the benchmark in Tasmania, with Race 11 winner Broc Feeney third with 226 points.

Conversely, van Gisbergen and Chaz Mostert were eighth and 14th respectively, having suffered DNFs.

The weekend was clean in the races for Waters, although his Sunday was undone by dual clashes with Shell V-Power Fords in qualifying.

Regardless, Waters clawed back ground in the championship fight despite leaving Tasmania without a trophy.

Waters arrived 261 points in arrears of Brodie Kostecki, but left 229 points down.

In seven previous seasons, Waters had never been closer to the points lead after four rounds.

Last year, he was 336 points down and ended up second overall after a strong second half of the year.

He was 264 points down in 2021, 291 points down in 2020, and a staggering 466 points off the pace in 2019.

Waters is a winner in 2023, having inherited the Race 1 win in Newcastle following the double Triple Eight disqualification.

Crucially, he has scored five straight top 10 finishes, a streak only matched by the in-form Brown.

Waters will resume his 2023 campaign at next month’s betr Darwin Triple Crown, where he won last year.

Tickets for the Hidden Valley Raceway event are on sale now.