Rookie Zach Bates secured pole position for Sunday’s Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, producing a standout performance in the Top 10 Shootout to deny Ford driver Brodie Kostecki a chance at making history. Bates, driving for Matt Stone Racing, clocked a lap time of 2:04.20, edging out Kostecki by 0.285 seconds and becoming the first rookie since Marcos Ambrose in 2001 to claim pole for the prestigious Supercars event.
Bates, 22, from Canberra, had earlier surprised the field with provisional pole during Friday’s qualifying session. Prior to this weekend, he had never qualified higher than fifth. He will start the race in a Chevrolet Camaro alongside Kostecki, who is the reigning Bathurst 1000 champion and a key driver for Dick Johnson Racing.
Kostecki had been aiming to surpass Peter Brock and Allan Moffat by becoming the first driver to achieve four consecutive pole positions at Mount Panorama. He set the fastest time as the sixth driver in the shootout and held the top spot until Bates delivered his final lap run. Despite missing out on the record, Kostecki expressed respect for Bates’ performance and focused on the race ahead.
“I love a good underdog story,” Kostecki said, congratulating Bates and praising Matt Stone Racing’s efforts. He added that his Ford Mustang had performed better than expected during qualifying and said he looked forward to Sunday’s race, with co-driver Todd Hazelwood set to start. Kostecki emphasized his preference for winning the Bathurst 1000 over setting qualifying records.
Bates credited the strong showings across the week to both his determination and the support from his team, highlighting the sacrifices his family made to help him reach this point. He paid tribute to his late mother, who passed away prior to his Bathurst debut last year. Bates is partnering with Aaron Seton for the race and acknowledged his relative inexperience in endurance events, noting the importance of managing race-day conditions and operations.
“It’s a huge boost in confidence, and we’ll take it into tomorrow,” Bates said. “It’s such a big day. We’re just going to try and get all the basics right.” He also remarked on the expected hot conditions, which could influence the outcome.
Bates has one previous Bathurst 1000 start, finishing second last year as part of a Triple Eight wildcard entry alongside Craig Lowndes. Sunday's race will be an important test for the young driver seeking to build on this career milestone.