Hill apologises for Bates push
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 11 August 2025
Cameron Hill has apologised for pushing Zach Bates to the very edge during a spirited battle at Queensland Raceway on Sunday.
One of many moments in a crazy Ipswich Super440 finale was the sight of Bates and Hill pushing the margins on Dick Johnson Straight.
The pair were wrestling for 15th place and found themselves side by side coming out of the final turn at the start of Lap 38.
It appeared set to be a fair side-by-side battle as they both had racing room on the corner exit until Hill started veering towards the inside of the track.
With Bates on his inside, the MSR driver went so far that the wildcard rookie found the dirt after not one, but two aggressive whacks from the #4, which were described as “wild and aggressive” from Mark Skaife on commentary.
Bates had to back out and lost two spots, while to run salt into the wounds, a clash with the sister MSR Camaro of Nick Percat at Turn 2 sent the #888 down to 24th.
It was a bizarre moment given both protagonists are close Canberrans, replicating the Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix incident without the pit wall in play thankfully.
The stewards were pretty clear in their thoughts giving Hill a drive-through penalty.
“There were people running into others everywhere, and I was getting knocked around,” Hill said in a social media video.
“I tried to sort of hold my ground there with Zach and didn’t really mean for him to be off the road, so sorry to Zach for that.
“But that was the story of our day really. We got the penalty and obviously just sort of brought it home from there.”
In his post-race address, Bates simply labelled it as a “wild moment” but was suprised by how “mental” the racing was in the pack.
“In the race, off the start, I got a reasonable start but Brodie got me straight away and then I was running sixth through the first stint, but was happy with that,” he said.
“After that it was all crazy from there. Came out in the safety car line and got into a few fights, had one big moment on the main straight with someone else and that really hampered our day.
“At the end there we picked off a few cars but the damage was already done.
“Nonetheless, fast car and I feel like I’ve improved over the weekend which was one my biggest goals. Onwards and upwards.
“Just being around the intensity of these guys in the main game field is a big plus, they’re just very, very…. their racing’s just mental.
“So, it was much nicer up the front today than what it was down the back yesterday but as I said all learning and all improving each time I get behind the wheel. Looking forward to the next one with Craig alongside me.”
Image: Fox Sports
2025 Ipswich Super440 (All Times AEST)
Friday 8 August
Practice 1 – 1: Broc Feeney 1:09.2078 2: Anton De Pasquale +0.1965 3: Cameron Hill +0.2271
Practice 2 – 1: Will Brown 1:08.4927 2: Broc Feeney +0.1419 3: Ryan Wood +0.2088
Saturday 9 August
Qualifying Race 23: 1 Broc Feeney 1:08.1301 2 Will Brown +0.1119 3 Ryan Wood +0.1866
Qualifying Race 24: 1 Broc Feeney 1:19.8014 2 Ryan Wood +0.4782 3 Will Brown +0.9097
Race 23 – 39 laps 1 Broc Feeney 2 Kai Allen +0.4739 3 Ryan Wood +1.1230
Race 24 – 39 laps 1 Will Brown 49:05.3349 2 Broc Feeney +0.8842 3 Ryan Wood +9.8118
Sunday 10 August
Qualifying Race 25 1 Anton De Pasquale 1:08.1543 2 Broc Feeney +0.0347 3 Zach Bates +0.1115
Top Ten Shootout 1 Broc Feeney 1:08.3493 2 Ryan Wood +0.4629 3 Will Brown +0.4807
Race 25 1 Broc Feeney Triple Eight 63 01:22:42.6615 – 2 Cameron Waters Tickford 63 +8.8096 +17 3 Kai Allen Grove Racing 63 +10.9325 +19
Read the new issue of Auto Action Digital HERE
Buy the new issue of Auto Action Premium 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.
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' => 16586,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 16586,
'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' => 5560,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5560,
'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' => 7143,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 7143,
'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' => 6498,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2031,
'category_count' => 6498,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
