First win at Adelaide 500 extra special for Waters

A first race win at the Vailo Adelaide 500 was extra special for Cam Waters for a multitude of reasons.

The Tickford Racing driver was first to the chequered flag in Race 27 of this year’s Repco Supercars Championship after a mid-race battle with Grove Racing’s David Reynolds.

None of Waters’ first 10 race wins in the championship had been achieved at the Adelaide Parklands Circuit but today he stood on the top step of the podium.

The Adelaide 500 is one of Supercars’ biggest events but the elation of victory was about more than that.

Being a Mildura boy, he hails from relatively nearby even if his home town is located in northwestern Victoria.

Furthermore, Waters’ Monster Energy Mustang was decked out in a wild Ken Block tribute livery, bearing his trademark #43, after the motorkhana legend died in a snowmobile accident earlier this year.

In scenes reminiscent of Block’s tyre-shredding exploits, Waters celebrated his triumph with a massive post-race burnout.

“It was going to be big if I was to win here,” he said of the burnout.

“I’ve always wanted to win this race and come close a few times, and yeah, so awesome to finally win it, and with the Ken Block livery as well.

“[It was] Pretty special to win with that and I’m sure Ken was looking down expecting a huge burnout, so either the rear tyres were going to blow or the engine was going to blow; I think the rear tyres are pretty close.

“So, a massive relief to get it done.”

“I just think [the Adelaide 500 is] one of the best races of the year to be honest,” he added.

“It’s super-close to Mildura, which is obviously where I grew up, and I’ve got lots of family and friends in Adelaide.

“Most of my family from Mildura come over as well, so I kind of treat it a home event and I just love driving the track.”

It could have all gone pear-shaped on Lap 1 of the race, though.

Will Brown clouted the wall after a bump with Anton De Pasquale exiting Turn 4 and was then hit again by an unsighted Shane Van Gisbergen, who had been running two cars back.

Between Brown/De Pasquale and van Gisbergen had been Waters, who admitted it was a close escape.

“Super close,” he recalled.

“I saw the DJ car [De Pasquale, Dick Johnson Racing] and Will interlocking wheels and whenever you interlock wheels, usually there’s chaos.

“So, I just tried to steer clear of that; I was pretty fortunate that I could see it unfolding, and Shane behind me couldn’t see.

“It could be all the sprintcar stuff I’m doing; there’s always shunts in that and you’ve got to dodge a lot of cars rolling and flipping into fences and stuff.

“So, pretty lucky to make it through.”