Rapid Waters powers to maiden Bathurst 12 Hour pole
Tickford Racing star Cam Waters powers to maiden Bathurst 12 Hour pole
Waters joins Chaz Mostert, Shane van Gisbergen as Bathurst 1000-12 Hour pole winners
Waters defeated 2025 pole winner Lucas Auer to lead Mercedes-AMG 1-2
They say having kids makes drivers slower. In Cam Waters' case, he is going faster.
The Supercars star mastered Saturday's Pirelli Pole Battle at the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour, becoming the first Australian to win the Allan Simonsen Pole Trophy in four years.
Just days after becoming a father for the first time, Tickford Racing Supercars driver Waters clocked a Pirelli Pole Battle best 2:01.0790s to secure his first Bathurst 12 Hour pole.
It was the second fastest 12 Hour pole time ever, with Waters' time just 0.19s down on Maro Engels' 2023 record.
Waters also became the third driver after co-driver Chaz Mostert and Shane van Gisbergen to do the Bathurst 1000-Bathurst 12 Hour (GT3 era) pole double.
The Waters/Mostert/Thomas Randle #222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG will share the front row with the #77 Craft-Bamboo Mercedes-AMG, with 2025 pole winner Lucas Auer second.
Remarkably, Auer went faster today than he did to claim pole 12 months ago.
"It's unbelievable to get pole here, and to win the Allan Simonsen Trophy," said Waters, who claimed Bathurst 1000 pole in 2020 and 2022.
"Allan was an amazing bloke, I met him a few times, so to do that is super special.
"I just can't thank my team enough, they've done an absolutely amazing job, and really through practice they tuned it up.
"Having Baz [Ryan] and Chaz, and putting all our Supercars experience together really tuned the car up, and it's been a dream to drive.
"I can't thank Tommy, Chaz, the whole team. Obviously an awesome spot to start tomorrow, and hopefully we can keep it up."
In the first Pole Battle with the new Pirelli P Zero DHG tyre, Broc Feeney (#64 HRT Ford Racing Mustang) clocked a 2:08.6926s as the field fought for tyre temperature. On his second lap, Feeney recorded a 2:02.4151s, with WRT BMW's Raffaele Marciello 1.1s down.
The times quickly tumbled, and it was Marco Mapello with the first 2:01s lap of the session. The #93 Wall Racing Lamborghini logged a 2:01.9912s to put a statement on the field.
Waters, meanwhile, laid down a 2:01.9221s to march ahead, with surprise packet Scott Andrews slotting in just behind.
On the quest for consecutive Simonsen Trophies, Auer put down a 2:01.5478s. Christopher Haase, Matt Campbell and Marciello also closed in, before Luca Stolz flew to a 2:01.4042s.
Into the final two minutes, Waters edged ever closer to a 2:00s, hitting the top of the time sheets with a 2:01.0790s. Auer also improved by was still 0.17s away from the #222 STM Mercedes-AMG.
Stolz got across the line for a final crack at it. The two-time winner went fastest in the first sector, and remained within reach across the top of the Mountain. However, he ended up just third, with Mercedes-AMG locking out the top three spots.
Campbell put the #911 Absolute Racing Porsche in fourth, with Haase (#55 Jamec Racing/Team MPC Audi), Mapelli, Marciello (#46 WRT BMW), Andrews (#44 Geyer Valmont Racing/Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG), Feeney and Jayden Ojeda (#6 Mercedes-AMG Team Tigani Motorsport) rounding out the top 10.
The 2026 Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour will commence on Sunday at 5:45am local time.
