Race 13 of the Repco Supercars Championship had rain, differing strategies and a close contest, but Monster Castrol Racing’s Cam Waters managed to prevail from former teammate Chaz Mostert in a thriller in Townsville.
Championship leader Will Brown entered into damage limitation after failing to make the Top 10 Shootout, but it proved successful as the Red Bull Ampol Racing Camaro rounded out the podium.
Waters led the way through the opening corners as it didn’t take long for trouble to arise back in the pack as Anton De Pasquale was sandwiched by Nick Percat and Brodie Kostecki approaching Turn 3.
All three were forced into pit lane, but the Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang suffered the worst of it failing to appear on track for the remainder of the event.
The chaos didn’t stop there as Jaxon Evans was sent into a spin on exit allowing James Courtney and David Reynolds making massive climbs up the order.
It didn’t stop there as Macauley Jones was penalised 15s for contact with Cameron Hill at the final corner capping off a frantic opening.
Waters and Mostert were barely separated through the race, with the Mobil 1 Optus Racing crew elected for the undercut strategy, which just failed to come off.
Brown moved up from 13th to eighth in the opening stint setting up further progress for the remaining distance.
The battle for third was between Thomas Randle and Will Davison, but the Monster Castrol Racing driver was delayed in his opening stop allowing the Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang through into a podium spot.
Waters lost time when he ran long in his middle stint to emerge in fourth, but clawed his way through to sit behind Mostert and as the rain fell moved past to assume a lead he didn’t lose.
Brown charged to finish third ahead of the Penrite Racing Mustang of Matt Payne, Randle, Erebus Motorsport’s Jack Le Brocq, Broc Feeney, R&J Batteries Racing driver Andre Heimgartner and Cameron Hill in the Team PPQ Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom, David Reynolds, James Golding and Tim Slade finished outside the top 10, the latter visiting the pits due to a mechanical problem.
Qualifying, Top 10 Shootout and Race 14 follow tomorrow for the Repco Supercars Championship beginning at 10:05pm AEST.