Supercars Adelaide: Kostecki seals title as Waters leads Ford 1-2-3-4

While three Ford Mustang drivers, Cam Waters, David Reynolds and Thomas Randle fought for the win in the penultimate race of the year Kostecki, who started from pole position in his Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro, drove to a conservative sixth place, to assure himself of the title with Sunday’s race still to run.

The battle for the drivers’ title lasted less than 20 seconds, when Shane van Gisbergen’s Triple Eight Chevrolet got caught up in an opening lap clash between Will Brown and Anton De Pasquale.

Erebus driver Brown had been fed into the outside wall in a typically chaotic first run through Turn 4 and as his Camaro rebounded back onto the track, eventual winner Waters was fortunate to avoid any contact. But this left van Gisbergen completely blind to the danger and the ensuing contact left him with race-ending front suspension damage.

Brown, who will replace van Gisbergen at Triple Eight next season, described the moment as “difficult” but dismissed any wrongdoing from De Pasquale.

Waters seized the lead from Reynolds mid-race and built a small gap to take his third win of the season by 0.67 seconds.

Van Gisbergen’s early exit left Kostecki needing only to finish the race to earn the title of provisional champion. Aware of this, the Australian played things safe and put up little fight as he slipped to P6 by the chequered flag.

“It has not really sunk in yet,” he said. “It’s been a whirlwind of a year, we have worked so hard to do what we have done this year.

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Cameron Waters, Tickford Racing Ford Mustang GT

“[Team owner] Betty [Klimenko] has been a part of this since she started this venture 13 years ago. It’s great to be able to deliver this.”

Celebrating his third race win of the season and his second since the post-Bathurst parity changes were made, Waters said: “To win here in Adelaide, it’s probably one of my favourite circuits of the year.

“To win with the Ken Block livery was very, very special. [It is] probably the best car Tickford have given me. Great to come out on top.”

Fresh from a win on the streets of the Gold Coast Reynolds had to be satisfied with second.

“I had a good battle with Cam and Randle and Brodie as well,” he said. “Water’s car was heaps quicker than me. I wish I could have won that race but the team has done a fantastic job all weekend.

Randle started from third and took his fourth podium finish in the last eight races.

“Cam drove faultlessly,” he said, after allowing Waters past early in the race, “he was catching me there and it was obvious to do that. He went on to catch Davey, hopefully we can go better tomorrow.”

Photo by: Edge Photographics

Race winner Cameron Waters, Tickford Racing Ford Mustang GT

Chaz Mostert took fourth place in his Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford, ahead of Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney, who took fifth from Kostecki with three laps to go.

While the drivers’ title is safe Erebus and Triple Eight both face all-night rebuilds of the Brown and van Gisbergen cars, with the teams’ title still on the line in the final race of the season.

The Supercars will take to the track for Qualifying at 10:15am, Adelaide time, before a Top 10 Shoot-out at 12:05pm.

The final race of the season, over 78 laps, is due to start at 2:45pm, Adelaide time [4:15am GMT].

Full Supercars Adelaide Race 27 results