Bates and Gray leads race to Super2 Shootout
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 11 May 2025
Zach Bates, Rylan Gray, Nash Morris, Bailey Sweeny and Reuben Goodall have booked tickets to the maiden Super2 Shootout at Symmons Plains.
Drivers had 20 minutes in cloudy conditions to lock in their spots to the maiden Shootout.
With only five spots available for the 23 car field, the battle for progression was always going to be intense.
One car that was unable to get an early crack was Jordyn Sinni, who spent the first minutes in the garage with the bonnet up.
Even when he rejoined after 10 minutes, smoke was still surfacing from the #54 Commodore and more steering dramas kept him out of action.
Boosted by his Saturday victory, Gray went straight to the top of the standings with a 52.8591 by a tenth over teammates Dalton and Morris.
But this was just the start of an arm wrestle between Bates and Gray as they exchanged fastest laps three times
Bates ended up on top with a 52.5143 and a tenth clear of Gray, who had to back out after going off at Turn 2 following a big lock up.
Meanwhile, the sister WAU car of Campbell Logan locked up and went off at Turn 6.
With seven minutes left the field returned to the track and it caused significant headaches for Sweeny, who was running out of sequence.
The move to gor for a hugr rin ended up paying for BRT as its rookie surged all the way to the lead.
His time at the top was short loved as Gray bounced back to go a tenth clear.
It resumed the battle with Bates as the reigning champion edged ahead by 0.0188s before boxing.
Meanwhile, Morris and Goodall also posted laps to get themselves in contention with a minute left.
But just when drivers were going to put the foot down for their final flying laps, they were denied by the red flag.
It was caused by Max Geoghegan, who went off at the hairpin and found the gravel.
As a result, Bates took the session with a 52.2299 and he will be the only Commodore on show in the Top Five Shootout with the rest Mustangs.
The one-lap dash will take place at 10.55 AEST.
Image: DMAC Photography
Buy the new issue of Auto Action Premium HERE
Read the new issue of Auto Action Digital HERE
Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here or you can purchase a copy of the latest issue from one of our outlets here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine
Recent Stories
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 11,
'name' => 'Latest News',
'slug' => 'latest-news',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 16909,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 16909,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
1 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 38,
'name' => 'Supercars',
'slug' => 'supercars',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 38,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5696,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5696,
'category_description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'cat_name' => 'Supercars',
'category_nicename' => 'supercars',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2029,
'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'slug' => 'email',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 2031,
'count' => 7463,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 7463,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'category_nicename' => 'email',
'category_parent' => 2031,
)),
3 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2031,
'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 6819,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2031,
'category_count' => 6819,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
