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Waters Edges Kostecki in Townsville Sprint

Handing Grove’s Matt Payne the championship lead, the result signals that tyre life and pit timing will decide the Sprint Cup fight.

Overview

  • Cameron Waters won the 35‑lap Townsville sprint by 0.2 seconds over Brodie Kostecki after a late duel for the lead on the Reid Park Street Circuit.
  • Kostecki converted pole into a charging second place after recovering from the virus and lower‑back spasms that forced him to withdraw from the Darwin Triple Crown.
  • Teams’ split‑second strategy defined the outcome when Kostecki ran longer than rivals and Tickford reacted with an earlier stop for Waters to protect track position.
  • The Friday result moved Grove Racing’s Matt Payne into the drivers’ championship lead by a narrow margin following his third‑place finish.
  • Qualifying and practice were disrupted by a false‑alarm suspicious package and Triple Eight suffered a difficult day with Broc Feeney qualifying poorly and Will Brown’s session hit by a loose wheel.