Motorsport: Stanaway, Waters are Bathurst contenders

Race winners Cameron Waters and Richie Stanaway celebrate their Sandown win. Photo / Getty Images

Sandown 500 winners Cam Waters and Kiwi Richie Stanaway won't have the luxury of flying under the radar this weekend at the Bathurst 1000.

The young Monster Energy Ford drivers stunned the field with a superb and complete performance across the weekend at Sandown three weeks ago to record their maiden Supercars win.

But that success has shot the pairing into Bathurst contention with most commentators and fellow drivers nominating them as one of the cars to beat.

"It was pretty unexpected to get a big win like that so early in my run here in Australia," Stanaway said. "It was only my fifth race weekend in a Supercar.

"It is a huge credit to the team - they have been putting a lot of resources into improving our car. They gave us a quick car and I am just glad that Cam and I could execute on the package they gave us."

The two youngsters have fashioned a good rapport with each other and look set to have plenty of success in the category in the years ahead.

"Cam and I make a really good pairing - we are both fairly young and ambitious," the 25-year-old Stanaway said. "We are yet to prove ourselves in this category so we are both just really keen to push hard and get results.

"We both have a similar approach to our racing and I think we work well together."
Meanwhile Stanaway continues to seek a fulltime drive in the series next year.

"I haven't been too quiet about my ambitions for the future so to get a result like that certainly helps but my focus is on just getting through the next two races and doing the best possible job I can as a co-driver and then see what materializes after that."