Zach Bates will make his full-time Supercars debut in 2026, following an impressive run of performances in Triple Eight’s wildcard program last season. He’ll drive the #10 Bendix Camaro for Matt Stone Racing.

Bates first turned heads at Ipswich, where he qualified a provisional third on Sunday before securing fifth in the Top Ten Shootout — the best result among drivers on used tyres.

He also partnered Craig Lowndes in what proved to be the veteran’s final outing as a Triple Eight co-driver, finishing 10th on debut at the Bathurst 1000 — a strong result on a day when teammates Broc Feeney and Will Brown both crashed.

The Canberran signed with Triple Eight Race Engineering just weeks before sealing the 2024 Super2 Series title with Walkinshaw Andretti United, defeating Aaron Cameron in a last-race showdown.

Bates comes from a strong motorsport lineage — he is the son of rally driver Rick Bates and the nephew of multiple Australian champion Neal Bates.

He began racing karts at age 10 and won the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 2021. After that success, Bates moved to the Toyota 86 Racing Series, winning nine races in 2021 — including eight in a row — before adding seven wins from 15 races in 2022.

In 2023, Bates stepped up to Super2 with Walkinshaw Andretti United alongside Ryan Wood, building momentum through his rookie season and claiming his first round podium at Bathurst.