There’s no denying it, 2025 might be the biggest year in Zach Bates’ career.
The 20-year-old may have already carved out a tonne of racing success, but things are going up a gear as he joins Triple Eight Race Engineering as part of the Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard program.
Legendary company
“I’m extremely excited to kick things off,” Zach said ahead of the 2025 Supercars season.
“I wouldn’t want to have my wildcard debut anywhere … Triple Eight and Supercheap Auto really have provided the best package there is.”
Of course, Zach’s debut in top-tier motorsport comes with the blessings of racing immortality – Craig Lowndes who leads the Triple Eight-run Supercheap Auto wildcard program. The youngster’s first meeting with Lowndes and the team came last year, where Zach got to live out a boyhood dream and do laps with the legend himself.
“I went up to the workshop and spent a day with him, which was cool,” Zach said.
“I got to meet the whole team, with everything going on it was a lot of names to remember.”
One name he won’t forget will certainly be Lowndes’, with the two scheduled to hit the track for the famed Bathurst 1000 later this year.
“Growing up watching Bathurst and seeing Lowndsey killing it; I don’t think it’ll really hit me until we’re there doing it,” Zach said.
“I don’t think you can ever underestimate the power of his name, he’s always got people all over him.”
SEE MORE: Car news
Until then, Zach plans to learn all he can from the pits amid some legendary company.
“Zach’s been quite impressive in the Super2 category the past two year,” Lowndes told Red Bull Ampol Racing.
“He’s shown good consistency, and even though we’ve had limited interactions so far, he shows great promise.
“It’s a great opportunity to announce Zach nice and early to get it out there, but at the same time start laying the foundation with him to set the scene for the early stages, so he knows what he’s up for.
“I’m really proud to be involved in the success of this program over the past three years. “It’s great to be able to give back to the sport that I love and share the knowledge and wisdom that I’ve been able to create over the past 30-plus years that I’ve been involved.
“The program itself is getting bigger and stronger every year, and this year was no doubt the most promising. Building on that momentum I’m looking forward to next year with Zach making it bigger and more super.”
David Reynolds reflects on Supercars career during 2025 season
Team sport
The Supercheap Auto wildcard team is no stranger to producing some of the competition’s best, including Broc Feeney and Cooper Murray. Zach said another Supercars star – Red Bull Ampol’s Will Brown – played a huge role in getting him on board with Triple Eight.
“Being able to pick the brains of Will Brown and Broc Feeney on and off the track will be great,” Zach said.
“Will’s done a lot for me, and helped make this whole program possible [for me] – I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Another person Zach definitely wouldn’t be there without is his dad – Aussie rally driver Rick Bates. Along with uncle and Australian rally champion Neal Bates, as well as the rest of his family, Zach said his own personal team is irreplaceable.
“It’s been an incredible effort from the family,” he said.
“it’s a huge team sport and I can’t do it without them.”