VOLUME 5 PROFILE
5 MIN READ
Zach Bates is a member of a motorsport dynasty. His dad, uncle and cousins are all legends in their own right. But if the 17 year-old feels the pressure of expectation, you can’t tell by speaking to him. On our after-school zoom call, he comes across as a naturally gifted and quietly confident up-and-comer who just loves to race and give it his best shot. His best shot just happens to mean thirteen podium finishes in a row (and counting).
You’ve grown up in a motorsport family. When did you know professional driving was something you wanted to take on more seriously?
I've been very fortunate that I've been able to grow up in this family. When I was younger I was interested in playing soccer and was doing lots of other sports, which I wasn't very good at. At one point when I was about ten, I went go-karting and I was like, oh, yeah, I definitely want to do this. I was actually quite late to go-karting to be fair. Most kids start at six or seven. But I just joined the local karting club. I had a lot to learn and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Tuning up for the podium.
You went from go-karts to Formulas Ford, and now you're in the TGRA 86 Series. How are you finding the 86 to drive?
Formula Ford cars are much more like a go-kart compared to the 86. They’re very raw, and you definitely have to drive them very hard. The 86 is a different challenge. They're very road car based, which is awesome. Everything's relatively stock on them. So you're basically driving a road car flat out. It's very cool. I mean, tin top racing is always good because all the cars in the series are so close. It just makes such good racing.
What do you like most about competing in the series?
I reckon the best thing about the series is getting the opportunity to rank yourself against pro drivers, you know, ex-V8 supercar drivers and even current V8 supercar drivers like Lee Holdsworth, Warren Luff, Jonathan Webb and all those awesome guys.
So you love the challenge of an even playing field?
Yeah everything is scrutinised so closely. The Engine Control Units are all locked, and they check the weight so much. Everyone starts out even. There's no other series like it.
Already handling the media like a pro.
You’ve said your family has helped you out a little bit when preparing for races. What kind of guidance do they give you?
I’d say, more mental guidance. They've been around longer than I have and they've done a lot more racing to me. So any information that I can grab off them is going to help. I'm always trying to take it all in.
Are you involved in working on the cars as well?
For sure. I definitely try to get hands-on. I think if you can understand how the car works mechanically, you can understand the grip and how you're going to achieve what you set out to do. Once you know how everything works, you'll probably be a bit nicer to the equipment too!
What's your training regime been like in the lead up to the TGRA 86 series?
It's not too bad. I do a lot of running, cycling and mountain biking. We're very lucky around here in Canberra that we've got some really cool places to go and ride and run. I've done a little bit of gym work. I probably needed to do a bit more. But yeah, it does get relatively hot in these cars. They've got power steering and brakes that aren't too heavy. You can get away with not doing a lot of fitness. But if you are fit, you can concentrate on the race more.
What’s your favourite track to race on?
I think everyone looks forward to Bathurst. Last year we got lucky because we got to race there two times in the one year, which is actually pretty rare. So whenever you get the opportunity to do laps there, you definitely take them.
Pushing the mighty 86.
What are your proudest career achievements so far?
Last year was a relatively good year for me. Townsville was one of the highlights. I hadn’t been to the track before, so I got two practices to try and learn as much as I could and I managed to take the round there. So that was probably one of the cooler things I've done so far. I really enjoyed racing the track in Townsville too. I actually think it’s even with Bathurst, for me. They put on such a great event.
What does it take to get on a winning streak?
I try not to think about it too much. The competition is very fierce. It can be quite hard to get that momentum. But once you get a few wins under your belt you can kind of figure out your opponents, you know, how they race and what you can do to beat them. The series is so driver based. There aren’t any differences between the cars, so you can clearly see if one driver is doing a better job than you.
Have you ever been tempted to take on rally driving? Is that one of your goals for the future?
I definitely would like to try it. I've done some brief things but nothing too serious. Like I did some rally sprints. But what Harry and Lewis are doing is crazy. If you ever get the opportunity to ride in a rally car, take it because it is out of this world what they do.
Do you have any advice you'd give to aspiring track drivers?
My biggest piece of advice is probably enjoy it. Because if you're not doing it for fun, why are you doing it? Also, it's an awesome community. Once you get involved, everyone wants to help. You meet some pretty cool people along the way. So yeah, I definitely suggest getting involved.
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A massive thanks to Zach Bates for chatting with us. You can stream all the action from TGRA 86 Series live on Kayo Sports or check out the race dates and locations here.
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