Supercars News: Cam Waters Steals the Show in Dramatic Practice 2 at Surfers Paradise

Cam Waters (pictured) claimed the bragging rights on Friday at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, snatching the fastest lap of the day in a thrilling last-gasp effort during Practice 2. The Tickford Racing driver rocketed to a 1m08.5735s on his final tour, eclipsing Will Brown’s morning practice/qualifying lap record by a commanding seven-tenths of a second.

Waters headed a dominant Ford trio at the top of the timesheets, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Blue Oval brigade. Brodie Kostecki, another title contender, encountered immediate trouble, slapping the wall at Turn 12 shortly after posting an early benchmark of 1m08.7816s on the Dunlop Super Soft tires set for tomorrow’s sessions.

Team 18’s session got off to a shaky start too, forced to swap Anton De Pasquale’s gearbox between runs. The #18 Cub Cadet Camaro emerged 90 seconds behind the pack but showed no lasting ill effects.

The 30-minute outing was peppered with high-speed drama. Richie Stanaway and David Reynolds both kissed the tire barrier at Turn 2 in the opening minutes, while Aaron Cameron planted his car into the concrete at the exit of Turn 11. Will Brown and Chaz Mostert flirted with the same wall but emerged unscathed—and quicker than ever—both dipping under Brown’s own record to slot into second and third.

Ryan Wood survived a heart-in-mouth lock-up at Turn 11, veering onto the escape road before rebounding with the session’s quickest first sector. His momentum was briefly halted by a hefty kerb strike at the Beach Chicane, sending the #2 Mustang airborne.

Matt Payne then vaulted to the top with a 1m08.7509s, bumping Kostecki down, while his Penrite Racing teammate Kai Allen climbed to fourth.

The action ground to a halt just past the halfway mark with the first red flag, triggered when Bryce Fullwood lost control on the exit of the Beach Chicane (Turn 10). The #14 Brad Jones Racing Camaro tagged both the tire wall and concrete, sustaining damage to the right-front and right-rear corners. Fullwood walked away unhurt.

When the green flag waved again, Kostecki fired off the fastest first sector yet—but it unraveled spectacularly. Missing the apex at Turn 12, he plowed the #38 Dick Johnson Racing Mustang deep into the tires, prompting a swift second red flag. The 2023 champion limped back to the pits after extraction, nursing significant right-front bodywork damage, including a splitter and guard.

The ensuing six-minute sprint to the checkered flag was electric. Broc Feeney leaped to third with a 1m08.8521s, Thomas Randle briefly held fourth, and Mostert surged to the lead on a 1m08.7358s—then sharpened it to a 1m08.7297s. Payne and Kostecki lurked close behind, the Ford trio blanketed by just 0.051 seconds.

De Pasquale mounted a gritty recovery to snag fourth, only for Wood to blast to the top with a 1m08.6193. Allen tagged along in second, a mere 0.003 seconds adrift. But Waters had the final say, edging Wood by 0.045 seconds to seal the honors.

In the end, Waters’ #40 Mustang topped Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood in the #2 Mustang, mirroring his Practice 1 dominance. Grove Racing’s Kai Allen rounded out the podium in the #26 Mustang, with Reynolds’ #20 Team 18 Camaro the leading Chevrolet in fourth. Mostert’s #25 Walkinshaw Mustang completed the top five.

The session’s two red flags cast a shadow: Fullwood’s beachside shunt and Kostecki’s Turn 12 burial.

“I just made a small error and got caught out by the shade,” Kostecki reflected. “Sorry to the boys for the extra work, but the car’s flying. I was on a solid lap until then. We’ll patch it up tonight and go again tomorrow. It’s mostly cosmetic—just nicked the soft wall, bent the front splitter and guard. Fingers crossed that’s the lot.”

Practice 1 pacesetter Brown faded to 13th in the #1 Camaro, dogged by a clip of the Turn 13 wall and a late brush at Turn 12. Teammate Broc Feeney fared no better at 11th in the #88 Camaro.

Saturday’s schedule kicks off with Qualifying at 11am AEST, followed by the Top 10 Shootout at 12:35pm AEST and Race 1 at 3:15 p.m.—covering 85 laps around the glittering streets of Surfers Paradise.

Gold Coast 500, Practice 2 Results