Australian Supersport rookie Nick Waters is confident he has what it takes to land his first podium finish when round two of the series reaches Tasmania this weekend.

The Waters Racing/Sunstate Racing Suzuki rider finished fourth overall on debut last season at Symmons Plains in the season finale, and this year he’s hoping to go at least one better in a bid for his first podium in the nation’s premier 600cc category.

“I’m really looking forward to Tassie and I won’t be backing down for anybody,” the 17-year-old said. “Hopefully I can get on the podium on Sunday – maybe even the top step!”

Waters was forced to settle for 14th overall in last weekend’s season opener at Phillip Island after experiencing technical difficulties in race one, but displayed his potential by running amongst the front-runners throughout the weekend.

Disaster struck during race one when an electrical gremlin forced the Mildura resident out of the running while he latched onto the back of the lead group, but he was able to rebound to a safe seventh come Sunday’s second leg.

“I was able to stay with the front group in the first race after I wound them back in because I had a slow start,” he explained. “When I got close enough to challenge them my bike cut out through the Hayshed and that was the end of my race. It was disappointing, for sure.”

The damp second race of the weekend on Sunday morning in front of a healthy crowd of spectators saw Waters again give chase to the front runners before eventually settling for seventh and the vital championship points that go with it.

“I got off to a good start and I was in fourth, but then I saw Aaron [Gobert] getting away and started pushing harder,” he continued. “I didn’t have the best settings for the wet and I destroyed my rear tyre. With five laps left I just had to conserve my tyre and ride for points.”

Waters Racing’s Nick Waters is proudly supported by Sunstate Racing, Arai Helmets, John Judd Industries, Xsind Graphics, GTS Transport and Agip, plus brothers Josh and Brodie Waters in 2011.