Triple Eight signs rising WAU star to wildcard

Zach Bates signs Triple Eight enduro wildcard deal
Second-generation racer to partner Craig Lowndes at Bend, Bathurst
Bates currently fighting for Super2 title in second WAU season

Super2 title contender Zach Bates has been revealed as Craig Lowndes’ 2025 enduro partner, with the Walkinshaw Andretti United junior signing an enduro deal with Triple Eight Race Engineering.

Bates, who is in the box seat to win this year's Super2 title, will partner Lowndes at The Bend 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000 next year.

The 20-year-old follows the likes of Broc Feeney (2021), Declan Fraser (2022), Zane Goddard (2023) and Cooper Murray (2024) in scoring a plumb main game opportunity with Triple Eight in the longest races of the season.

Recently, Bates' current Super2 rival and future Erebus Motorsport driver Murray impressed alongside Lowndes, finishing fifth at Sandown before racing in the top 10 at Mount Panorama, only for an unfortunate penalty to undo their efforts.

Like Feeney, Fraser and Murray, Bates is keen to covert his enduro cameo into a main game drive.

“I’m absolutely stoked to be joining the Supercheap Auto Racing wildcard next year,” Bates said.

"It’s been an absolute dream of mine to race in Supercars, and to race with a team like Triple Eight alongside Craig Lowndes is amazing.

"I’ll have a lot to learn off him which is a great thing, and I can’t wait to get stuck into it. My main focus is to learn as much as I can from both Craig and the team.

"I want to put myself in the best position to secure a full-time drive and I believe this is my best opportunity.

"There probably hasn’t been a racing situation that Craig hasn’t been involved in, so I can’t wait to pick his brain about everything, both on-and-off track which will be very valuable for me heading into the future."

Lowndes was impressed by Bates, the son of rally driver Rick and the nephew of multiple Australian champion Neal.

Bates began his racing career in karts at age 10, won the national Formula Ford national title in 2021, and won 16 Toyota 86 races across the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

He jumped into the development series with WAU in 2023, and after a formative year, has claimed two round wins and holds a 39-point lead heading into the final round in Adelaide.

“Zach’s been quite impressive in the Super2 category the past two years. He’s shown good consistency, and even though we’ve had limited interactions so far, he shows great promise,” Lowndes said.

“It’s a great opportunity to announce Zach nice and early to both 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.”

Bates will challenge for the Super2 title at the VAILO Adelaide 500 on November 14-17.

Next year's Bend enduro will be held on September 12-14, followed by the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 9-12.