Waters and Randle dominate Gold Coast in Tickford one-two – Australian Associated Press

Cam Waters has kept his slim Supercars championship hopes alive by winning the first Gold Coast 500 race, with Tickford team-mate Thomas Randle helping him to victory.

Pole-sitter Waters fended off numerous overtaking attempts by lead rower Richie Stanaway to lead from start to finish the 85-lap race at the Surfers Paradise street circuit on Saturday.

Fourth in the standings, Waters’ fourth win of the year puts him 167 points behind third-place Chaz Mostert.

It is also his second win on the Gold Coast track after defeating three-time champion Shane van Gisbergen last year.

“It was a much calmer win this year than last year, I didn’t have Shane breathing down my throat,” Waters said.

“We put out really good cars in practice and got a little better throughout practice.

“I’m very happy to be at the front and obviously win the races. “That’s all I can do at the moment (in the championship).”

Randle showed his class to climb four places to second place, making a quality pass against Broc Feeney on lap 36 to set up Tickford’s one-two.

Mostert briefly held second place, before a gearbox problem opened the door for Randle.

Young Feeney placed third and Mostert crossed the finish line in tenth place.

“I actually didn’t know I was third until after the race,” Feeney said.

“I thought Thomas was in third place, so I tried to do everything I could to get to him.

“I went through the first chicane and they said, ‘Well done with your first surfboard.’

“I could swim home from here, but I’d probably be eaten by a shark.”

Grove driver Stanaway had to settle for ninth place due to a car balance problem. His young teammate Matt Payne placed fourth.

Feeney’s Red Bull teammate and series leader Will Brown remains on top despite a disappointing seventh place finish.

Brown started the race in 11th place after crashing in qualifying earlier that day.

An in-form James Golding suffered a nightmare pit lane visit and dropped from third to 16th after his pit crew struggled to replace his left rear wheel.

Cam Hill momentarily stole the show when he backed off the track and into the escape route.

Hill had damaged both sides of his Matt Stone Racing Camaro after a freak jump on the curb caused it to spin into the chicane. He finished 23rd among the 24 drivers.

Current series leader and newly crowned Bathurst 1000 champion Brodie Kostecki was fifth, while his Erebus team-mate Jack Le Brocq came last.

Le Brocq was sent to the back of the pack after a collision with a wall on the first lap, falling almost four laps behind after needing repairs.

RACE 21 RESULTS:

1. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing)

2. Thomas Randle (Tickford)

3. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Racing Engineering)

4. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)

5. Brodie Kostecki (Erebus Motorsport)

CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIFICATION:

1. Will Brown (Triple Eight Career Engineering) 2634 points

2. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) -171

3. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) -243

4. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) -410

5. Matt Payne (Grove Racing) -855