Winterbottom ‘happy’ at Tickford
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 14 September 2025
After six years away, Mark Winterbottom marked his return to Tickford with a fairytale podium with Cam Waters at The Bend and is simply ‘happy’ to be back in familiar colours.
The 2013 Bathurst 1000 winner and 2015 champion enjoyed all his significant highlights during a mega 13-year stint at the Ford powerhouse previously known as FPR and Prodrive.
After finishing his full-time career at Team 18, Winterbottom made a fitting return to Tickford as a co-driver and it was like he never left as he and Waters finished second in the AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
Despite driving the #6 with Cam Waters for just the fourth endurance campaign instead of the signature #5, “Frosty” felt right at home after a tough ending with Team 18.
“It has just been nice to walk in and bot be the problem and just be loved,” he said.
“You have to find the right environment and it has not changed much from six years ago. It is a lot of the same crew.
“You can see why they do well and it is nice to be back.”
Being the secondary co-driver was something Winterbottom had not experienced since 2006, but the reduced responsibility was another refreshing aspect.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said.
“You don’t realise you miss it until you do the start of the race.
“It is nice to jump out with 60 to go and just watch the race because it was a good battle and it was a new experience.
“Normally, you lead the car and drive the focus, but I have been here to support Cam, who is very switched on.
“When you get to team up with the best on the grid you learn a lot.”
While there were a number of positives about the runner-up finish, Winterbottom said one of the biggest is delivering some success to his youngest son, who unlike his brothers was too young to see his peak.
“It is nice when your six year old kid does not feel like you are shit,” Winterbottom joked.
“It is cool because I am a proud dad. My older boys saw the glory years, but my youngest saw some shit years.
“You never doubt yourself, but you just need to be in the right place.”
Image: Mark Horsburgh
Practice 1: 1: A. Cameron/Z. Best 1:50.0617 2: T. Randle/Z. Best +0.0283 3: B. Kostecki/T. Hazelwood +0.3358
Practice 2: 1: Jamie Whincup 1:50.5875 2: Todd Hazelwood +0.2082 3: Dale Wood +0.3248
Practice 3: 1: Will Brown 1:48.9957 2: Broc Feeney +0.3210 3: Thomas Randle +0.3837
Practice 4: 1 James Moffat 1:50.7387 2 Lee Holdsworth +0.1864 3 Rylan Gray +0.2128
Practice 5: 1 Ryan Wood 1:49.2867 2 Brodie Kostecki +0.0272 3 Broc Feeney +0.0584
Qualifying: 1 Brodie Kostecki 1:49.3947 2 Broc Feeney +0.0081 3 Cameron Waters +0.0628
Top 10 Shootout: 1 Broc Feeney 1:48.6548 2 Cameron Hill +0.1023 3 Brodie Kostecki +0.1286
Warm Up: Sunday 9.30-9.50
Race 26: 1 Brodie Kostecki/Todd Hazelwood 3:15:50.1972 2 Cameron Waters/Mark Winterbottom +3.0181 3 Matt Payne/Garth Tander +7.6515
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