Building Momentum in Townsville
Townsville marked another encouraging step forward in Zach Bates' rookie Supercars campaign, with the Bendix Racing driver and Matt Stone Racing continuing to unlock speed across the weekend before finishing strongly in the final two races.
After a challenging start to the event, the No. 10 Bendix Racing Camaro improved with every session as the team worked through its setup. Those gains translated into competitive race pace, allowing Batesy to charge through the field and secure a pair of 14th-place finishes on Sunday.
While the results only tell part of the story, they reflected the progress made throughout the weekend and delivered valuable championship points. Combined with the performances of both Matt Stone Racing Camaros, the team climbed two positions in the Teams Championship heading into the second half of the season.
For Zach, the weekend was another valuable learning opportunity as he continues to build experience during his debut Supercars campaign.
"I learned a lot over the course of the weekend and it was nice to finish on a stronger note after a difficult start," Bates said.
"The team did a great job improving the car across each session, and we showed we had good race pace to fight our way forward and come away with a pair of 14th-place finishes. Every lap in the car is valuable for me, and I'm looking forward to taking what we've learned into Perth and continuing to build momentum. Huge thanks to the team and our partners as always for their support."
The pace shown across the weekend provides plenty of encouragement heading into the Perth Super440, with the No. 10 Bendix Racing Camaro demonstrating strong long-run speed. The focus now shifts to improving qualifying performance to better complement the race pace already on display.
If Batesy can convert that underlying speed into stronger starting positions, he will be well placed to continue the climb in both the Teams and Drivers Championships as the battle for Finals positions intensifies.
With confidence building and valuable lessons banked, all eyes now turn to Perth as Zach looks to continue the momentum in just a few weeks' time.