Waters not distracted by main game attention

Cameron Watersis focused on clinching this year's Dunlop Series title, not letting recent talk of him being ready to move up to the V8 Supercars Championship distract him.

The 2014 Dunlop Series runner-up has been billed the next big thing, having dominated this year's V8 Supercars Dunlop Series so far in his Prodrive Racing Australia Falcon FG.

After clean sweepingthe last round at Winton, he leads veteran racer and two-time Dunlop Series champ Paul Dumbrell by 118 points, and has only missed out on one race win this season. The results have led a number of high profile pit lane personalities to suggestthe Dunlop Series star is ready to graduate to the main game,including PRA Team Principal Tim Edwardsand Mark Winterbottom.

But the humble Mildura-native isn't getting caught up in the hype, telling v8supercars.com.au his sole focus at the moment is to win the 2015 Dunlop Series.

"I'm just concentrating on the Dunlop Series," Waters said.

"Hopefully [a main game drive] will work itself out by the end of the year... but at the moment I'm hoping I can keep these wins going and hopefully win the series, going one better than I did last year."

While coming to the fore in 2014 after a stellar debut season with Prodrive Racing Australia - which included two race wins, one round win and the Dunlop Series' ARMOR ALL Pole Position award - the now 20-year-old first made his mark in the series in 2011 at Sandown with Kelly Racing.

The one-off assault was in preparation for Waters' drive at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 alongside Grant Denyer, awarded to the then 17-year-old after becoming the inaugural winner of the Shannon's Supercar Showdown TV Series.

While the pair failed to finish the race after crashing out at Forrest's Elbow, Waters became the youngest ever driver to compete in the legendary race - a valuable learning experience for him, he said.

"It was a pretty cool experience for a young guy like I was," Waters reflected to v8supercars.com.au.

"I was pretty raw, I didn't have that much time in the car before I went up there so it was pretty hard.

"But it was also a pretty good learning experience as well and I think it's taught me a lot since, like firstly I must finish, and it taught me a lot about Bathurst. It was very hard, but a really good experience."

Together with winning the Australian Formula Ford Championship, Waters competed in the first four rounds of the Dunlop Series in 2012 with Dreamtime Racing before the operation withdrew from the category.

He returned to the Dunlop Series for his first full-time assault the following year with Minda Motorsport - finishing tenth in the series - before making the successful move to Prodrive Racing Australia in 2014.

While he vies for the series title in 2015, the 20-year-old will partner with his Prodrive teammate and reigning Bathurst champ Chaz Mostert for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup as the squad aims for their third straight victory at Mount Panorama.

"It's very cool for me to go to Bathurst with the reigning champ and with a good team that have won it for the last two years," he told v8supercars.com.au.

"Chaz - I get along really well with him, so I'm looking forward to going up there and just doing what I can do.

"Hopefully I can give the car back to him in one piece, and hopefully I can go just as good in the Dunlop Series."

Last weekfellow competitor Renee Gracie noted the strength of Waters and the PRA package - and said competitors were desperate to land the seat next year, should it become available.

The upcoming Castrol EDGE Townsville 400 marks the mid-way point on the Dunlop Series calendar.

Waters holds the series lead over Dumbrell by 118 points, with Jack Le Brocq currently third in the series standings.

The Dunlop Series will hit the streets of Townsville for two practice sessions on Friday, with qualifying held prior to each race on Saturday and Sunday. Watch live on FOX SPORTS 506 daily.