Waters to 'come out swinging' in 2023
Cam Waters has vowed to “come out swinging” in 2023 as he aims to end Tickford Racing’s eight-year title drought.
Waters finished second overall for the second time in three years.
The 28-year-old proved Shane van Gisbergen’s closest challenger in the second half of the season.
However, Waters won three races to van Gisbergen’s 21, but took 10 poles to seven.
Critically, Waters became the first non-Shell V-Power Racing Team driver in five years to be highest-ranked Ford driver.
Tickford last led the way for the Blue Oval with Mark Winterbottom in 2016 — Waters’ debut year.
Waters managed to cling onto second despite missing the podium in the last four races on the Gold Coast and Adelaide.
Conversely, Chaz Mostert won once and scored three podiums to fall just 73 points short.
While disappointed to end 2022 off the podium, Waters knows there is more to be done to mount another genuine title bid in 2023.
It comes after Waters' peers voted him Drivers' Driver for a second time.
“Obviously you always want to finish the season with a trophy,” he said of the Sunday Adelaide race.
“But we didn’t have the pace or track position we had yesterday, and fourth was really the best we could manage in the end.
"Second in the championship is nice, and third in the teams’, so overall a pretty good year for us.
“But there’s still plenty to improve on and work on to go for a championship in 2023.
"A huge thanks to the team, our sponsors, fans, and families for their support, it’s been a great year and I’ve really enjoyed it.
"I’m really looking forward to next year and coming out swinging in Newcastle.”
Water will again spearhead a four-car Tickford line-up, which is unchanged year-on-year.
The team will race new Gen3 Mustangs, along with the Shell V-Power team, Penrite Racing, CoolDrive Racing and newcomers Walkinshaw Andretti United.
Tickford boss Tim Edwards welcomed the Gen3 challenge, the team already with four chassis in its Campbellfield workshop.
“Cam taking second in the drivers’ standings is a nice result for our season,” Edwards said.
"Of course we’d like to be a couple of places higher.
“But we have plenty of positives to take away from this year, and plenty of things we can work on to go that little bit better in 2023.
"It's been a huge year for the team, there have been so many ups and downs.
“We’re very much looking forward to getting that new Gen3 Mustang on track."
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle next March.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
