Supercars driver Cam Waters endured a crash course of learning during his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Friday night at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway with ThorSport Racing.
With limited time in a simulator and one 20-minute practice session prior to qualifying and the race, Waters didn’t have much opportunity to feel comfortable in his ThorSport Racing Ford.
Despite lack of seat time and getting collected in an accident with 24 laps remaining in the Long John Silver’s 200, he enjoyed the experience.
“I had so much fun tonight and all day today,” Waters said, who finished 30th. “It is totally different racing from what I usually do and I just wanted to learn. I learned so much. There at the end I just had nowhere to go and knocked the radiator out of it.
“It is a shame but I was having fun and learning and had some awesome battles too.”
With Martinsville’s tight corners and consistent close racing around the 0.526-mile paperclip-shaped track, Waters’ biggest takeaway was the aggressiveness displayed throughout the event.
“Just the racing is so robust. Everyone is into each other,” Waters said. “There is still a bit of respect there. It’s totally different from what we do in Australia. I love it.
“You can bump a little and give some back a little without putting someone in. That was probably the biggest thing.”
Waters’ interest in competing in NASCAR is apparent. However, focusing on winning a Supercars championship comes first – for now.
“I always watch NASCAR and this is my first proper taste of it to see if I like it or not and, honestly, I love it,” Waters admitted.
“I still have unfinished business back in Australia and I have an amazing team there that I have been trying to win a championship with so I will go back home and win some races in Aussie and see if we can get back here again.”