Zach Bates gets well timed test amid "rookie blues"
MSR rookie finished last for the round at Wanneroo
Bates 17th overall, just 63 points ahead of 22nd
A well-timed rookie test day could help Zach Bates cast aside the “rookie blues” after a challenging Perth.
The Matt Stone Racing driver finished last for the round at Wanneroo, in what was a chastening weekend for the Canberran.
Notably, Bates spun off into the Turn 1 sand in Saturday qualifying, and was twice penalised in the finale — once for exceeding track limits, and another over contact with Macauley Jones.
Bates, however, didn’t have time to sit on his performance, quickly turning attention to a rookie test day at The Bend on Friday.
Also testing at The Bend were fellow rookies Rylan Gray (Dick Johnson Racing), Jackson Walls (Triple Eight) and Jayden Ojeda (PremiAir Racing).
"It was a bit of a weekend to forget,” Bates said.
"We struggled to find the pace in qualifying, and with how competitive the field is at the moment, that made it really difficult to make ground in the races, especially with a couple of penalties thrown into the mix.
"We'll take what we've learned into our last test day later this week and go back to the drawing board ahead of Round 9 at Queensland Raceway."
Bates now returns to the scene of his standout wildcard appearance last year, where he qualified for the Top Ten Shootout in Ipswich for Triple Eight. He then partnered Craig Lowndes for the enduros, before stepping up to the main game with MSR.
Team owner Stone was conflicted, given veteran driver Jack Le Brocq retained his top 10 championship position despite a final race scare in Perth.
"It was a bit of a mixed bag for us in Perth,” Stone said.
"Jack showed some promising speed across the weekend, while Zach unfortunately had a case of the rookie blues and found himself on the back foot after some difficult qualifying sessions.
"Qualifying pace has been an area we've been chasing over the last few rounds, and Perth reinforced that it's something we need to keep digging into as a team.
"With the Finals cut-off fast approaching, our priority is keeping Jack inside the top 10 in the drivers' championship while continuing to build Zach's confidence in the Gen3 car as he works through his rookie season.
"We'll review the data, keep working hard, and turn our attention to QR in a few weeks' time.”
Track action at Queensland Raceway commences on Friday August 21.
