Bates laments quali pace
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 19 September 2025
It was another encouraging race for Supercheap Auto wildcard Zach Bates at The Bend, but he just wishes he had started further up the grid.
Bates and veteran Craig Lowndes made good ground in the AirTouch 500 at The Bend, rising 10 spots, the second most in the field.
However, this only left them 16th with the #888 starting on the back row after a tough qualifying.
Bates was pleased with the race result, given there were a few early scares with Lowndes at the wheel.
But he left South Australia with a big focus on qualifying after he could not match the stunning heights of Ipswich.
“The old saying is you learn the most on your bad days,” Bates told Auto Action.
“I was under no illusions it would be easy.
“I was not happy with qualifying and just did not do a good enough job.
“We got up 10 positions and if we did that and started 16th we would have been ecstatic.
“I was just not good enough in qualifying so we will have to work on that ahead of Bathurst.”
While his debut at Ipswich was hectic, featuring both Super2 and Supercars, Bates said completing a triple stint to finish an enduro at the demanding Tailem Bend layout was a different kind of intensity.
“It was a long race without any Safety Cars, I was hanging for one,” he said.
“Although the head-to-head racing was not as hard, given it was pretty difficult to pass around here, it was just staying consistent lap after lap.
“QR was probably an easier track to do that because here we saw a few more unforced errors. You were battling yourself to stay on track.”
Looking ahead, Bates feels himself and the entire Triple Eight wildcard crew will be better off for the one as they turn to Bathurst.
“Craig got a reasonable start and made a few positions before a few offs, one by himself and another tangled with a car which happens,” Bates recalled.
“When he handed over to me the car was amazing and I was reasonably happy.
“There were a few mistakes, but it was a rather uneventful race.
“It is a good preparation though for myself and the team.
“Being a wildcard crew, for some it was their first enduro, like myself, so it is good to get a long race under my belt.”
Image: Peter Norton Epic Sports Photography
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