Bates Sets Blistering Pace at Bathurst

Zach Bates has set the fastest ever lap time at Bathurst in the current era of Supercars, topping Friday's qualifying session at Mount Panorama.

The 22-year-old from Canberra was a class above the field during Friday's qualifying session, topping the time sheets in his Matt Stone Racing Chevrolet with a 2:03.938, the first and only driver to break the 2:04 barrier in the Gen3 era which began in 2023.

Bates, who was Craig Lowndes's co-driver in the Team 18 entry last year, will head into tomorrow's shootout as the favourite and will be the last driver on track.

Bates dedicated the moment to his mother, who died in 2025.

"I can't believe it; I am speechless," he said.

"Whole credit to the crew behind me. The boys and girls have been working so hard."

"This is for my mum who passed last year. We've had a pretty average year, the whole family. So this is definitely a highlight."

The top 10 from Friday's qualifying session will battle on Saturday for pole position in the Top 10 Shootout. Brodie Kostecki will have a chance to set a new Bathurst record tomorrow in the shootout, striving to become the first driver to secure four consecutive pole positions at Mount Panorama.

Ryan Wood/Jaxon Evans (number 2 Walkinshaw TWG Racing, Toyota) and Rylan Gray/Tony D'Alberto (Dick Johnson Racing, Ford) will start from the back of the field on Sunday after missing out on Friday's qualifying session.

Both entrants suffered crashes during practice earlier on Friday, with the damage unable to be fixed in time for the following practice session or qualifying.

"The boys will work pretty hard and that's what I feel stink about. It's given them so much work that they really didn't need," Wood said.

"Kudos to our team — they do everything by the book. To have a 42G impact like that and be able to walk away is pretty good."