Zach Bates clinched the Dunlop Super2 Series with victory in a dramatic final race at the VAILO Adelaide 500.
With it, Bates brought Walkinshaw Andretti United its first Super2 Series title too.
The youngster celebrated in style with a burnout at Turn 9 and a power skid on the way to Turn 10.
Bates wound up his season with two race wins.
“I can’t believe it,” said Bates.
“We had a goal at the start of the year and that was to win the championship. For a while there, it didn’t look like it would be possible. I’m beyond stoked.”
From the front row, Bates beat Kelly Racing’s Aaron Cameron into the Senna Chicane before a thrilling sequence through the staircase.
Bates, Cameron, and Kai Allen were all locked together before the run to Turn 9, at which point Cameron lunged Bates.
In too deep he went and Bates got the switch back to reclaim the lead.
Cameron tried to keep pace with Bates, but the Bathurst 1000-bound wildcard had the slightest edge.
The title-defining moment came just a few laps in when Allen stuck his nose down the inside of Cameron into Turn 4, but wasn’t far up enough.
MASSIVE DRAMA WITH ALLEN AND CAMERON 😱#Super2 pic.twitter.com/zUX8gPyYTl
— Dunlop Series (@Dunlop_Series) November 17, 2024
Allen’s left front clipped Cameron and sent him spinning into the tyre barrier. Cameron got going again but lost positions to Jobe Stewart and Jarrod Hughes.
The incident was investigated and Allen was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Already wearing wounds from hitting the tyre barrier, Cameron grazed the wall with 12 minutes remaining as he pushed to make up lost ground.
Kelly Racing’s day went from bad to worse when Matt Chahda suddenly slowed with damage to the front left after hitting the Turn 8 wall.
Mason Kelly tried to go around the outside at the last corner, but Chahda turned left into the path of the Ford Mustang as he tried to return to the Super2 Series paddock.
Drama for Chahda in his final Super2 race!#Super2 pic.twitter.com/ZBRqPLuY1P
— Dunlop Series (@Dunlop_Series) November 17, 2024
Inside the final minute, there was drama between Jordyn Sinni, Brad Vaughan, and Cameron McLeod.
Sinni lost out to them both at Turn 4, and McLeod gave the #54 Holden ZB Commodore a rub for good measure.
That did enough damage to the car that the power steering broke, which was closely followed by a steering arm failure.
In a matter of seconds, Sinni went from seventh to 16th.
At the head of the field, Bates edged away from Allen while Stewart was a distant third.
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