Supercars News: Waters holds off Mostert in Townsville

Cam Waters won a race that will go down in history as one of the most entertaining ever, in the opener of this year’s NTI Townsville 500.

Waters held off former teammate Chaz Mostert to make it a Ford 1-2, while current Repco Supercars Championship leader Will Brown was third.

The race will be remembered for its incredible closely fought battles at full throttle, tropical rainfall in sections of the track, and incredible racing for the lead that saw the result go down to the wire.

Waters started from pole position alongside Mostert, and the pair went door-to-door for two hours before Waters finally prevailed, with a late passing move on Mostert’s WAUR Mustang with just six laps remaining the decisive pass that decided the victory.

The battle began with Waters using his inside line to edge ahead into Turn 1. That lead was held until Mostert pitted before Waters on Lap 24. Waters pitted on Lap 28. When he returned, Mostert used his warmer tires to overtake the Tickford Monster Energy Mustang and assume the lead.

From there it was an intense battle, with Waters overtaking Mostert, Mostert returning serve and in the background Will Davison pushing his way into a three-way battle at the front.

The fourth Ford to join the battle was Waters teammate Thomas Randle, who took it to Mostert for nearly a dozen laps as Waters after a second pit stop fought his way back to the front.

Randle faded and it became a battle royale between Mostert and Waters to the finish line. And that was when the rain started.

With rain falling heavily in sections of the track but fine and sunny in other parts of the circuit, Waters and Mostert traded paint over and over, until finally on Lap 82 of 88 Waters made the critical move that gave him the lead, that he never gave up.

He won by 1.8 seconds from Mostert, while Brown was third.

Brown, the current Championship leader started 13th and climbed through the field to finish on the podium for the 12th time from 13 races in 2024.

The result extends the #87 Red Bull Camaro drivers Repco Supercars Championship lead to 141-points over his Red Bull teammate Broc Feeney who finished seventh today.

The win is Waters second of 2024 after one previous win in Perth, and his 13th career win. It was his third career win in Townsville after two previous SuperSprint victories in 2021.

Race Results