Ford star Cam Waters produced one of the most dominant wins in Supercars with a “monstrous” 17-second victory at Sydney Motorsport Park on Friday night.
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The Tickford star was unchallenged from start to finish in the first race of the season-opening Sydney 500 as drama unfolded behind him in the battle for the podium.
With Waters a clear breakaway winner, Matt Payne was the unlucky loser in the battle for second and third as Chaz Mostert and then Thomas Randle – on the final lap – managed to get by and secure podium results.
Cam Waters claimed the first win of Supercars 2025.Source: Supplied
“That’s absolutely awesome, I knew we had a fast race car … Wow, how different this is from 12 months ago when we had wheels falling off and I was crook. I couldn’t be happier,” Waters said.
“I’ve got this love-hate relationship with this place … I felt a little bit robbed – I was expecting some fireworks across the line!”
Waters and Randle’s results ensured Tickford Racing brought up the 300-podium milestone – a feat only achieved by Triple Eight Race Engineering and Dick Johnson Racing.
“From where we were 12 months ago, to get a double podium for the team is pretty special,” Randle said.
While it was elation for the Ford trio, Payne and Triple Eight star Broc Feeney were both left gutted by their respective results.
Feeney had been sitting in second when he ran slightly wide and punctured a tyre, sending him to the back of the pack before finishing his night in 14th.
“I just made a mistake at the end of the day,” he told Fox Motorsport.
“I had the tiniest moment out of (corner) three and my rear tyres fall over the edge.
“I would have been better to have a big slide off and just run off … as I’ve come back on (the tyre) just shredded to pieces.
“Gutted for the team … we were a P2 car today. Stupid little mistake has cost us.”
Cam Waters claimed the first win of Supercars 2025.Source: Supplied
Payne meantime missed out on a podium after his strategy to only put two new tyres on left him vulnerable in the dying stages.
“I was trying every trick in the book (to fight off Mostert and Randle) … we probably hurt ourselves pitting earlier than the other guys,” he conceded.
“Probably hurt us only doing the two tyres.
“Gutted I missed out on the podium.
“Third on the last lap and then to lose it … we’ll keep pushing.
“It was an awesome race.”
Supercars great Garth Tander was left in awe of the final result as Waters finished almost 17 seconds clear of second-placed Mostert.
“That 17 seconds is literally the length of the main straight! And we do not see that in modern Supercar races all that often,” he praised.
“The green light came on in the race and they did not see him again.
“Cam Waters just had speed!
“To put 17 seconds on Chaz, who was the man here last year, just shows where they’re at.”
Supercars will return to the track at 2.35pm AEDT Saturday for race 2 qualifying, followed by the top 10 shootout at 4.35pm.
The 200km Race 2 will commence at 7.30pm.
WATERS WIN FIRST POLE OF 2025
Cam Waters has picked up where he left off in 2024 as he nabbed the first pole position of the new Supercars season at Sydney Motorsport Park on Friday.
Under new split qualifying conditions, the Tickford Racing star set a 1.28.690 record to claim pole ahead of Broc Feeney and Matt Payne ahead of the opening race of 2025 at the Sydney 500.
Waters was the pole position champion of 2024, as he claimed seven of them in a stellar campaign.
“That car was so hooked up, man!” Waters said after taking pole.
“A really cool rocket.
“Obviously really happy with getting the pole – a good way to start this year.”
Of those seven pole starts, Waters went on to win three of those races in 2024.
Surprisingly reigning series champion Will Brown missed out on Friday’s top 10 as he sits in 11th after a simple mistake.
“It wasn’t exactly where we wanted to be … I just locked the front straight away in turn eight and ran wide,” he told Fox Motorsport.
“I didn’t do the time we wanted to do.
“I’d have loved to be in the top 10 and start up the front, but at the end of the day that’s where we are.”
Waters was fastest from the opening qualifying session, and backed it up in the second period to secure his 30th career pole.
“Cam executed this lap really, really nicely,” Fox Motorsport’s Garth Tander praised.
“It’s just the commitment that we always celebrate with Cam.
“He can adapt on the run.
“He’s just nailed it beautifully.”
Golding’s car catches fire in Sydney | 00:59
The opening qualifying wasn’t without drama after a major run-in between Macauley Jones and James Golding.
Golding was forced to avoid a major crash with Jones, who swerved into the path of the PremiAir Racing Chevrolet while on a hot lap.
Golding looked to set a competitive time as drivers returned to the track, only to catch Jones into the final sequence of corners as he was warming into his lap.
Golding baulked as Jones weaved towards him, and luckily both drivers avoided a major incident.
Jones attempted to apologise after the session, but Golding – who ended in 24th – had already left to his transporter.
Race 1 of the 2025 Repco Supercars Championship will commence at 7:50pm AEDT.
-With supercars.com.au
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Publish date : 2025-02-20 22:03:00
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