Thomas Randle withdrew from the third race at Hidden Valley due to lingering effects of a coolsuit failure a day prior in race two.
Winterbottom was drafted into the #55 Tickford Racing Ford Mustang without any practice or qualifying.
The 2015 champion started from the pit lane and sat at the back of the pack until his first of two pit stops, during which time he stalled.
Winterbottom went on to finish a lap down in 22nd.
The commentator turned driver said he was happy enough with his in-race pace. Ever the competitor, he admitted he would have liked a better result
“I finished last, so not that good,” Winterbottom said on the Fox Sports broadcast.
Secure your spot today.
“The stalling in the pits was not ideal, but my race pace was decent.
“It’s that basic stuff like stalling in the pits. I couldn’t start it so I lost 32 seconds, they told me.”
Winterbottom detailed the rush to be ready, which meant making temporary adjustments to the seat as opposed to having a seat insert like he would for the Enduro Cup races.
“The biggest drama was jumping in and putting my foot on the brake the first time and the cushion insert I had in slid down,” Winterbottom explained.
“And then I couldn’t really see over the wheel for the next 70 laps.
“Other than that, we survived, which is good.”
Winterbottom described the ordeal a “foreign” having to turn his attention from television commitments with Supercars to team duties.
“Literally the car was on the (set-up) patch [with string] around. I couldn’t even open the door to jump in,” he said.
“It was a last-minute hurrah. We were talking on the Super2 grid, so I literally ran back, had to go to the scales to get weighed, had to go do a drivers briefing because I hadn’t done one, put my race suit on, and then jumped in the car with about six cushions.
“When you play Tetris with them I didn’t do my Tetris properly. I definitely could do a lot better job with a bit more prep.
“How fun. One o’clock I’m talking to you, two o’clock I’m in the race seat, so that was pretty cool.”
Winterbottom admitted that he was more comfortable in Waters’ car, which he will drive later this year in The Bend 500 and the Bathurst 1000.
The 45-year-old, who last raced solo in 2024 with Team 18, said it was an invaluable opportunity before the Enduro Cup.
“I’m a lot more comfy in his car, so if he’s ever sick I’ll be a lot better,’ Winterbottom joked.
“It was good prep too. It’s the best prep you can have when you come in for pit stops, when you’re racing people.”
On one-lap pace, Winterbottom had the 20th fastest lap of the 24 drivers.
Winterbottom’s teammate Waters finished third and with it clinched the Darwin Triple Crown.
De Pasquale wins finale, Waters takes out Darwin Triple Crown
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