Vale Alison 'Ali' Drower
Supercars is saddened to learn of the passing of Alison ‘Ali’ Drower, who passed away on Sunday.
Ali was a prominent television and radio personality, and was known to motorsport fans for her work alongside Greg Rust on RPM, as well as broadcasts for Supercars.
She also worked on PROCAR Championship Series broadcasts, reporting on categories such as Nations Cup and V8 BRutes.
Beyond motorsport, she worked alongside Doug Mulray at Triple M, and MTV Australia alongside Richard Wilkins. Ali later became the regional news director for Southern Cross Austereo, and recently worked for Australian Radio Network (ARN).
A lover of motorsport, she was the wife of rally legend Rick Bates, and mother of rising Supercars driver Zach Bates, who will make his Bathurst 1000 debut next week.
Ali passed away in Canberra with her family at her side after a short battle with illness.
Rust penned a heartfelt tribute to Drower, writing: "Please keep Zach & Rick Bates in your thoughts along with the entire Bates & Drower families. They have lost a Mum, a wife & a beautiful Aunty.
"My thoughts are also with the tight crew from RPM & Ten Motorsport during that special period of our lives, particularly those behind the scenes.
"When you think about it Ali was among the pioneers for women in motorsport in Australia well before it became the excellent initiative it is today. "As a lead & features reporter for RPM she brought a balance that was needed beyond the hardcore love the rest of us had.
"Ali injected laughs & a sense of fun that helped unmask the competitors & see more of their wonderful personalities.. most of all I reckon one of the keys to her success is the person she was.
"I actually can’t comprehend that - was. She should still be here with that infectious smile & a vibrancy that the rest of us were fortunate enough to drink in.”
Supercars extends its deepest condolences to Ali's family, friends and colleagues.
