The Tickford Racing driver started the race from pole and sat behind teammate Thomas Randle during the first stint.
A short-filled Broc Feeney jumped both Fords in the first round of stops, but Waters’ pace was such that he overhauled Randle in the second stint and loomed as a winning threat.
Waters was right on Feeney’s tail after the second stops but proved unable to put up a fight thanks to a mix-up in the Tickford garage.
“It was probably one that got away but still happy with the day,” surmised Waters, who lost out to Will Brown in the final stint and only just held off Matt Payne for third.
“In practice we really struggled and turned the car around today. To get pole was awesome.
“We had a fast race car, the end of the stints was really good for us, and we lost it in that pitstop putting the old tyre on the right-front.
“It was a left-rear from my first stint and I beat up on it pretty hard, so she wasn’t ready to go back on the car, that’s for sure.
“It was hard work. I struggled to brake, struggled to turn. I knew Will was going to get me for sure and just wanted to try and stay on the podium and just got there.”
A third-place finish meant Waters shared the podium with race winner Feeney and champion-elect Brown.
Waters is fourth in the standings with one race to go, just 56 points behind third-placed Chaz Mostert, having recovered from a sluggish start to the season.
The Monster Mustang driver finished runner-up in the championship in 2020 and ’22 and had been fancied to break his duck in 2024.
“I’m sick of saying we’ll try again next year, to be honest,” he said.
“We finished last year pretty strong, and I think all the changes with the aero and all those things kind of hurt us at the start of the year.
“We had to find out feet and our setups and the window the car needed to be in. Once we kind of did that we were OK.
“We could get poles and go for race wins and podiums. Just spewin’ about the first three rounds, but it is what it is.”
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