Full Breakdown
Zach Bates Secures Historic Pole Position at the 2026 Bathurst 1000
By Drooid · · How we work
The Shootout Showdown
On October 10, 2026, rookie Zach Bates (Matt Stone Racing) clinched pole for the Repco Bathurst 1000 with a 2:04.2062 lap in the Top-10 Shootout, edging Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing) by 0.285 s. Bates was fastest in all three sectors, earning his first Supercars pole and Matt Stone Racing’s inaugural Bathurst pole.
Background and Family Legacy
The 22-year-old entered the event after a 2:03.9376 qualifying lap – the first sub-2:04 time in the Gen3 era (2023-). He joins only two previous rookie pole-sitters: Klaus Ludwig (1987) and Marcos Ambrose (2001). Bates is the son of former rally and Supercars driver Rick Bates and dedicated the effort to his late mother Alison Drower. His co-driver, Aaron Seton, continues the Seton family tradition.
Key Numbers and Lap Breakdown
- Pole lap: 2:04.2062
- Sector 1: 50.8990 s (fastest)
- Sector 2: 32.7017 s (fastest)
- Sector 3: 40.6055 s (fastest)
- Margin to Kostecki: 0.285 s
- Top-10 spread: 1.1455 s
Other top-10 qualifiers: Anton De Pasquale (2:04.5296), Cooper Murray (2:04.6970), Jack Le Brocq (2:04.9854), Will Brown (2:05.1198), Jayden Ojeda (2:05.1558), David Reynolds (2:05.1732), James Golding (2:05.3028) and Matt Payne (2:05.3517).
Team and Driver Reactions
Matt Stone, team principal, called the result “pretty unreal” and praised teammate Jack Le Brocq for feedback that helped Bates fine-tune the car after an “under-steery” practice session. Bates said running last in the shootout gave him the best track conditions, allowing him to “go for it” and capitalize on the grip.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I can’t believe it, honestly. I had a good feeling throughout the week but I didn’t think the thing could go this fast,” — Zach Bates
- “To know also what Brodie Kostecki’s time was – I would not have wanted to know!” — Greg Murphy
- “My first car race was actually with Zach’s dad, so it’s funny that we’re now driving together,” — Aaron Seton
What’s Next
The Bathurst 1000 race starts on Sunday, October 11. Bates and Seton will line up on the front row opposite Kostecki and co-driver Todd Hazelwood. Teams now shift focus to race-long strategy, tyre management and the variable weather that often shape the 1,000-km endurance event.