Cam Waters eliminated from Finals at Sandown once again
Waters was third on Saturday, qualified 18th on Sunday morning
Waters eliminated after failing to recover in Sandown finale
There’s a sense of confusion down at Tickford Racing after Cam Waters was eliminated from the 2026 Finals at Sandown.
After claiming a drought-breaking podium on Saturday, Waters entered Sunday on song, just one point behind Triple Eight rival Broc Feeney in the fight for fourth.
In a qualifying shock, Waters was only 18th, all but ending his chances before Sunday’s race began.
It was made even more confusing given Waters was well down on teammate Thomas Randle.
Speaking on Supercars’ Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast, Tickford Team Manager Matt Roberts conceded the outcome from qualifying left the team scratching its head.
“We certainly came in this morning with high optimism, that's for sure, or higher than yesterday,” Roberts said.
“We felt more comfortable on Friday as a team on the Soft [tyre]. Obviously yesterday went really well.
“We didn't have that ultimate race pace to win, but certainly coming home with a podium, only one point in it overnight. The boys worked really hard overnight.
“A bit of a weird one, because by Q1 this morning, obviously both Cam and Thomas, run around out there, eight twos [1:08.2s laps]. That's pretty competitive for the first run in Q1 on reused [tyres]. And then, we put on a new set for Q2, and there was nothing, the car had nothing.
“And [Waters] was genuinely half second off. So same car as Thomas, and Thomas's half a second up the road, which was all bizarre really. So we can't really put our finger on it.”
As it were, Waters couldn’t recover in the race, the Monster Ford coming home 15th.
“Obviously we carried that tyre set into the race, and we sort of struggled for the first part, or the first two parts of the race,” Roberts continued.
“And then it came alive in the last stint, but it was all she wrote. It all was said and done by then, way too late, no Safety Cars, and unfortunately we just couldn't dig ourselves out today.”
For the second year running, Waters was eliminated at the Semi Final stage, an outcome that stung the team.
“It was a hard one to swallow,” Roberts said.
“Obviously, the whole team has put in so much effort all year. We didn't start the best, had a sort of purple patch in the middle part of the year. Enduros didn't, go as, we'd sort of hoped and planned.
“But, I thought the team responded really well and we ot through Gold Coast…. we did what we had to do. So that boxed tick there. We came here, executed yesterday, got on the podium, come home with some, really good points and unfortunately we just couldn't get that [Car] 6 up there today.
“That's the way it rolls.”
