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Legendary Bates name enters Turtle Wax Trans Am
Formula Ford and Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 Series race winner Zach Bates will make the progression into the Turtle Wax Trans Am at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.
As part of the SpeedSeries, broadcast live and ad-break free on Stan Sport, Bates is the latest product to emerge from the legendary family consisting of father Rick, three-time Australian Rally Championship-winning uncle Neal, plus current Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia factory drivers, cousins Harry and Lewis.
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However, Bates is already emerging as a rising star to watch after a dominant performance in the Toyota Gazoo Racing 86 Series last year where he achieved nine race wins and 10 podiums, while adding another two in his current 2022 title tilt.
This weekend, he will step up to Turtle Wax Trans Am driving a Ford Mustang owned by his uncle Nicholas with the support of Sullivans and MBSFM.
Debutant Bates forms one of 27 entries ready to take on Turtle Wax Trans Am’s first event into the night at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, which will be featured live, on-demand and uninterrupted on Stan Sport, as well as free-to-air primetime coverage on 9GEM on Saturday, 5:30pm-7:30pm AEST.
The full entry list for the fourth round will be revealed tomorrow.
To attend the event, CLICK HERE to secure tickets.
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Zach Bates
Sullivans/MBSFM Ford Mustang
“My uncle Nicholas has a car and he’s been racing it,” Bates explained.
“I’ve participated in a couple of test days at Wakefield Park and completed one at Sydney Motorsport Park, so I haven’t done a lot in it.
“We’ve just been sharing the car and I’ve done a few laps, but Nicholas has raced it already with some success.
“That’s the aim to gain some experience and I honestly don’t know where I’ll be sitting in the field, but I hope not to be going too badly.
“Tim (Brook) is one of those and he’s pretty quick though has been there for a while, as has Nathan (Herne) so I can’t expect myself to be matching those guys on debut as those guys know the ins and outs of Trans Am.
“It’s good just to get the seat time because it’s so different to what I’ve done before in the Formula Ford and 86.
“There is so much body and tyre roll. I mean the tyres were probably the main thing I had to get my head around.
“The Trans Am is just so different to what I’ve driven and anything in Australia.
“He’s (father Rick) always giving me advice, it never ends. He’s definitely a big helper for me and I’m very fortunate to grow up in a family where there is such a high pedigree around me, so I can just bounce off all their ideas.”