MOMENTUM ON THE RISE

Batesy and Matt Stone Racing leave Round 5 encouraged after showcasing strong race pace and continued improvement.

After a lengthy break following the New Zealand double-header in April, we were back in action for Round 5 of the Supercars Championship and ready to hit the track once again!

Zach Bates and the No.10 Bendix Racing Camaro faced a challenging start to the weekend, with qualifying pace proving difficult to unlock. Despite starting further back than hoped, Zach delivered a pair of determined drives, carving his way through the field in both opening races. He narrowly missed out on a top-ten finish, crossing the line in P11 in Race 14 and P13 in Race 15. As he continues to gain valuable experience in the Supercars Championship, Zach's racecraft and confidence continue to grow, with clear progress being made every round.

"Everyone worked hard as always, but we struggled to find the pace we needed, particularly in qualifying, which put us on the back foot from the outset. We fought hard to make up positions during the races, but with the field so competitive, things didn't always fall our way. That said, I'm pleased with the P11 and P13 finishes from the first two races, and it's encouraging to be consistently knocking on the door of the top ten. A huge thank you to the team and all the fans who came out to support us. We'll take plenty of learnings from this weekend and come back even stronger in Darwin.”

The team at Matt Stone Racing remains focused on taking the fight to the front as attention now turns to Round 6 in Darwin — a venue that holds plenty of fond memories for the team.