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Cameron Waters ready to take on GT3 challenge
Three and a half years since driving a GT3 sports car, Supercars star Cameron Waters is excited to take on a new challenge by entering the closing rounds of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.
Waters will enter the final trio of events of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia at Sandown, The Bend Motorsport Park and Bathurst, with the final two venues hosting three-hour endurance races.
Teaming with Ben Stack at Sandown in the recently announced Dutton EMA Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R Gen II, Waters toured the team’s Melbourne workshop and was left impressed by the whole set-up.
“It has massive wings and lots of aero, so I’m excited to feel that,” Waters summarised.
“The car is well built and the team is professional.”
To go GT3 racing has been a long-held ambition for Waters since finishing seventh outright in the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour. During the summer months, Waters races on the clay of speedway circuits Australia-wide and competing in GT further broadens his experience.
“For me, I want to try and diversify my racing, and master different cars in different categories,” Waters explained.
“I’ve done a few different things in speedway with the late models, modifieds and even the sprint car now so that’s been a pretty big challenge, which I’ve absolutely loved trying to master that.
“GTs is in the total opposite direction to speedway, it’s something else I want to try to master and experience.
“I’ve wanted to do a bit of GT racing for a while now, obviously I did the 12 Hour in 2018 and did quite well. From that point on, it’s been an interest to me.
“I’ve tried to do a few deals and get a few gigs since, but nothing really eventuated. Mat (Nilsson) reached out to me and told me what was going on with what they had planned. It all sounded pretty damn good and we managed to put something together.
“It was the perfect opportunity, all the stars aligned and we’re going GT racing.”
Waters is the latest name to join an increasingly competitive Pro-Am class, which already features Supercars rivals Shane van Gisbergen and Chaz Mostert, while co-leader of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS is reigning Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander.
“Chaz (Mostert) and Shane (van Gisbergen) are doing it, I race them week in-week out in the Supercars so it’ll be cool to go head-to-head with them in a different category,” said Waters.
“I’m really excited for the challenge and to learn a new discipline. The more racing I can do the better and hopefully it compliments my Supercars campaign.
This program marks the first-time Waters will race a Porsche, but test days are planned prior to he and the team’s debut at Sandown on September 17-19.
“We plan to do a couple of test days before we race, which will be great for me because I haven’t driven a GT car since Bathurst, but before then I hadn’t driven one either,” Waters said.
“I think I’ll adapt pretty quick, but it will be good to just drive it, work out all the buttons and just feel the car.”
The next round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS will be held at Sandown on September 17-19.