Waters holds off van Gisbergen for Gold Coast win

CAM Waters has taken Ford’s third win of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship in a thrilling finish to the Saturday leg of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

The Tickford Mustang took the chequered flag 0.1945s clear of Shane van Gisbergen’s Triple Eight Camaro after an 85-lap race devoid of Safety Car periods.

It marks Waters’ first win since the season-opening Newcastle 500, where the Ford driver was belatedly awarded victory following the disqualification of both Triple Eight Camaros.

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David Reynolds completed the podium from Thomas Randle and Brodie Kostecki, whose championship lead over van Gisbergen has been whittled down from 131 to 104 points.

Waters made the most of his pole position to lead through the first chicane, emerging ahead of Matt Payne, Thomas Randle, Chaz Mostert, van Gisbergen and Reynolds.

The Monster Mustang showed the way until pitting on lap 27, before leading Reynolds – who had gained track position by pitting early – through the middle phase of the race.

Waters took his second service on lap 53 and found himself behind Reynolds when the Penrite Mustang rejoined from its stop two laps later.

However, Waters made a critical pass into the beach chicane while Reynolds struggled for grip on cold tyres, and subsequently had his fellow Ford driver’s measure.

Van Gisbergen, though, ultimately emerged as a major threat, overtaking Reynolds for second with 10 laps to go and then gobbling up Waters’ three-second advantage.

They started the final lap nose-to-tail, with Waters ultimately hanging on in a grandstand finish.

“Unbelievable,” said Waters. “It’s been such a shocking year to be honest, it’s so good to finally get the win, or a win this year, a proper one.

“Shane was coming for me but there was no way I was going to let a bloody GM beat me again.

“I had a bit of fuel saving to do and a bit of tyre saving, but I had a few kerb hops up my sleeve and I made sure I was set for the last five laps and gave it everything.

“He got to my rear bar, but he was never going to pass me.”

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Van Gisbergen added: “I lost a little bit at the start and then was trying to claw it back.

“It’s interesting, the cars are very different, I guess, the way they make their speed, is a nice way to put it, but congrats to Cam and his team, awesome win by them.”

Reynolds revealed post-race that he’d battled with a jammed brake bias cable in the final 15 laps on his way to third place.

Fourth-place for Randle came after running third in the early stages but falling back with two long pitstops.

Kostecki’s fifth-place was a solid result from 10^th on the grid in a race where the #99 Erebus Camaro lacked outright speed.

Sixth through 10^th in the final result were Scott Pye, Andre Heimgartner, Chaz Mostert, Matthew Payne and James Courtney.

Pye had taken the flag in eighth but benefitted from five-second penalties to Heimgartner and Mostert for track limit breaches.

Payne also had a post-race penalty for the same crime but finished far enough ahead of Courtney to retain the position.

It was Payne’s second penalty of the day, having been levied the same punishment for failing to yield to Courtney while side-by-side into the beach chicane earlier on.

Will Brown drove from last on the grid due to gear selection issues in qualifying to finish 11^th, while Broc Feeney moved from 21^st to 14^th after an aggressive pit strategy.

Erebus now leads Triple Eight by 161 points in the teams’ championship battle with three races remaining, including Sunday’s second Gold Coast encounter.

RESULTS: Supercars Race 25, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500