Tough Enduro Test for Tickford at The Bend

The 2026 Supercars endurance season kicked off at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, with Cam Waters and Thomas Randle showing plenty of pace across a challenging weekend for Tickford Racing.

The AirTouch 500 marked the opening round of the Ryco Enduro Cup, with Waters joined by experienced co-driver and former Tickford teammate Mark Winterbottom in the #6 Mustang, while Randle teamed up with Reuben Goodall in the #55.

Strong Pace Sets Up Tickford Charge

Tickford entered Sunday’s 500km race in a strong position after an impressive qualifying performance from both primary drivers.

Waters delivered third place in the Top Ten Shootout, with Randle immediately behind him in fourth, putting both Tickford Mustangs on the second row of the grid.

It set the scene for a promising Sunday, but unpredictable South Australian weather quickly turned the race into a demanding test of strategy, patience and adaptability.

Wild Weather Shakes Up the Race

Heavy rain created treacherous conditions through the opening stages, bringing multiple Safety Car periods and plenty of action.

Winterbottom made a fast start in the #6 but contact with Will Davison at Turn 1 resulted in a 15-second penalty. Later in the race, Waters was spun following contact from Matt Payne, with Payne subsequently receiving his own 15-second penalty.

Randle and Goodall also battled through the changing conditions, with Goodall running strongly early before being caught out on the slippery circuit on multiple occasions.

Despite the setbacks, both Tickford combinations continued fighting through to the chequered flag. Randle and Goodall finished 12th, while Waters and Winterbottom crossed the line 15th, one lap down.

While the final results didn’t reflect the speed shown across the weekend, qualifying both cars on the second row demonstrated the pace within the Tickford package as attention now turns to the biggest endurance race of them all.