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The 20-year-old son of rally driver Rick Bates was classified the winner of a crash-shortened Race 2 of Round 2 at Wanneroo Raceway having effectively led that encounter in effective terms from the start.
Bates’ performance added up to the round win elevated him from eighth in the series standings to third, at 78 points behind leader Kai Allen, over the course of the Perth weekend.
“How good, how good?” said Stewart.
“He had a real tough Bathurst 500 round and that hurt him – hurt his chances – but he’s such a good, young guy with a great attitude, great talent. It was so good to see him shine.
“Obviously that race was had a pretty catastrophic end [when Cameron McLeod rolled] and we would have liked to see it go the full distance but really, really happy for Zach.
“[He is a] Great person [from a] great family and big talent, so, excited to see what he can do, the rest of the year.”
Bates himself said post-race, “I’ve got two speedy guys sitting next to me [a reference to Allen and Cooper Murray in the press conference], so it’s always going to be a fight.
“It’s obviously great to know that we do have the speed, and obviously coming back here from last year with [Ryan] Woody’s success, kind of added a bit of pressure to do well.
“So, it is nice to be standing on the top, but I would have liked to have won it with a bit more merit.”
Bates would have been third in both races in Round 1 at Bathurst if not for a time penalty in the latter, for contact with Murray, which dropped him to 21st in the Race 2 classification.
His Super2 team-mate from 2023, Ryan Wood, had an even rougher time of it at Mount Panorama in February when he made his Repco Supercars Championship debut.
Likewise, he experienced his best weekend in the top flight thus far at Wanneroo, including a maiden front row start for the Saturday encounter.
Said Stewart of their WAU Foundation Academy graduate, “Really good, rally happy to see Woody do so well.
“He’s come through and showed he’s got genuine pace, and hustled with a few people – even guys right here [race winners and podium finishers] – so it’s exciting.”
Wood’s more experience team-mate, Chaz Mostert, wheeled the Mobil 1 Optus Mustang to victory in the Saturday race at Wanneroo and a classification of second place on the Sunday.
The Supercars Championship continues at Hidden Valley next month and Super2 at the NTI Townsville 500 in July.
