Waters' coy response to Heimgartner clapback
Cam Waters and Andre Heimgartner traded words after Taupō clash
Waters claimed Heimgartner was a "B-grade" driver after collision
Heimgartner twice returned serve after winning from pole in Tasmania
All Cam Waters could do was laugh as Andre Heimgartner returned serve to the "A-grade" sledge that lit a fuse between both drivers.
A clash between Waters and Heimgartner in the Taupō opener last month led to the Tickford Racing star quipping: "Just kinda stupid. The pass is already done and I don't really know why he did it... hopefully we don't have to race the B-grade drivers.”
Heimgartner claimed a surprise pole position in Tasmania two rounds later, and speaking on the broadcast, said: "I took Cam Waters' advice, and started to be more like an 'A’ driver."
When asked about his sledge on MotorRacing 360, Heimgartner explained: "When anyone has a sledge at your character or a sledge at your profession, you’re thinking at night, ‘how good would it be if you won a race, you’re able to get something back’.
"It’s all fun and games, but for sure, hopefully it shows you shouldn’t talk too much about people, because it can backfire big time."
When asked by Supercars.com about Heimgartner's latest comments, Waters replied: "I laughed. Good on him.
"It’s cool that he won a race.”
Waters sits fourth in the championship through five rounds and 16 races, and won at Hidden Valley in 2022.
Tickford CEO Simon Brookhouse made it clear across the weekend that Tickford is eyeing Darwin as its turning point for 2026, with Waters to line up for his second round in his new car.
Victory in Darwin would be the ultimate statement from Waters, who also finished second in the 2025 Darwin opener.
“The team did an amazing job building me a new car with no issues. It was faultless,” Waters said.
"I guess from a raw speed point of view, we've probably been two to three tenths off most of the year. The race pace is a bit closer, but we’re still just trying to unlock that last little bit.
“We went pretty good in Darwin last year. We were competitive, so hopefully we can get back up there, lock down the last bit that we need, and get some runs on the board."
Track action in Darwin commences on Friday June 19.
