Tickford explains Waters Sydney strategy 'scam'

Tickford Racing star Cam Waters was “scammed” by his team onto a one-stop strategy that delivered a podium in the Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight.

Waters finished second behind winner Chaz Mostert on Sunday, with the latter passing his old teammate for the lead with 11 laps to go.

Speaking after the race, Tickford co-owner Rod Nash said Waters was initially set to complete a two-stop strategy, which evolved into a one-stopper during the race.

“I think we scammed [him] a bit. He was thinking he was coming in for a two-stopper,” Nash said in the press conference.

“Pottsy [Race Engineer Sam Potter] asked him to do one extra lap, and then another extra lap, and then another four, and then he worked out what we were up to.”

It still delivered Waters a podium, his fifth of the season, even though the Ford star joked he had been “dudded” by his team.

“I got dudded by my engineers, so there will be a big hard conversation come Monday,” Waters joked.

Despite the strategy backflip, Waters admitted he didn’t have a response for Mostert, who also won Saturday’s race.

“I knew it was going to be a challenge at the end of the stints doing a one-stopper, you're asking a lot more of the tyre,” Waters added.

“At the end of the day, in the car it's just a time trial. That's how you're treating it. You keep banging good laps and where you end up is where you end up.

“I was getting told the gaps to Chaz and I knew pretty quickly that wasn't really racing him. I was racing Will [Brown]and the guys behind.

"Today was just about consolidating and getting a podium and a bag of points.”

Waters is 386 points behind series leader Brown, and 233 behind third-placed Broc Feeney, heading to the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint on August 16-18. Tickets for the event are on sale now.