Randle's sim helping Waters' NASCAR prep
Supercars
31 May
Cam Waters using Thomas Randle's sim in NASCAR prep
Waters and Will Brown to make Cup debuts on June 9
Supercars stars will then return for Darwin Triple Crown
Cam Waters is getting a leg-up for his NASCAR Cup Series debut courtesy of his Supercars teammate Thomas Randle, who owns a simulator business.
Tickford Racing star Waters and current Supercars championship leader Will Brown will make their Cup Series debuts at next weekend's Sonoma race.
The two drivers will have vastly different preparations for the event, with Brown jetting off from Adelaide after this weekend's GT World Challenge Australia meeting at The Bend.
Waters isn't racing this weekend, but has been making the most of Randle's operations at Dream Simulation in Melbourne, which has a tin top and open wheel simulator, which were upgraded over the summer
Practice, qualifying and the race are spread over a short period of time at NASCAR race weekends, meaning drivers don't have many chances to get up to speed.
Given how little track time Waters and Brown will have at Sonoma in their Cup cars ahead of the June 9 race, any preparation is key, with the drivers also studying onboard vision.
"Yeah, no testing. So, I'm doing as much sim stuff as I can,” Waters told SEN's The Driver's Seat radio program.
“I did a little bit over in America already on the Ford sim. And then, Tommy Randle has been pretty kind to get me on his sim a bit.
“Then once we get to Sonoma, we've got a 50-minute practice session. So, not a lot of time to work it out, but I’m up for the challenge."
“[Randle's simulator] definitely comes in handy.”
Waters also got a chance to use Ford Performance's state-of-the-art simulator at its Tech Centre near Charlotte, North Carolina, ahead of his Truck Series debut in April.
However, little could prepare Waters for the real thing.
“Going to Martinsville was definitely an eye-opener," he said.
"Everyone's racing on top of each other and into each other, just so much going on. Martinsville was definitely one of the craziest places to start.
“Going to Kansas, it was a little bit better because it was a bit more spread out, but people can be just as aggressive, but you just do it in a different way. You do it with the air instead of your fenders.
“It's definitely been cool to experience how they race over there."
Waters will steer a wildcard RFK Racing Ford Mustang, and Brown an RCR Chevrolet Camaro, in Sonoma on June 9 before returning to Australia for the betr Darwin Triple Crown on June 14-16. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
International viewers can follow all the Supercars action on Superview.
