Arabic version: زاك بيتس يحرز منصة تتويج في باثورست 1000

According to ABC News, Canberra rookie Zach Bates finished third at the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday, a result he said he still could not believe. It was the 22-year-old’s second appearance in the Mount Panorama endurance race, following a tenth-place finish on his debut last year.

Bates started the race from pole position after topping Saturday’s Top 10 Shootout. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that I’d be starting on pole for the great race. That was unbelievable,” he said. “I knew I had to put everything on the line.”

The Canberran is the son of former rally and Supercars driver Rick Bates and the nephew of four-time Australian Rally champion Neal Bates. Rick Bates said he knew his son “had it in him” and described him as determined, with a very good feel for a car. He said drivers needed to be on their A-game among Australia’s top 25 competitors.

The podium finish followed a difficult period for Bates, whose mother, motorsport broadcaster Alison Drower, died from cancer weeks before his Bathurst debut last year. Bates said her death was “incredibly difficult to take” but gave him “a bit of fire in my belly” to get up each morning and do his best.

Bates began recreational go-karting at age 10 and said karting and simulation racing are pathways into Canberra’s motorsport scene. He credited years of sacrifice, local businesses, supporters and his team for his progress. While he said Canberra’s lack of a car racing track can make entering the sport harder, he believes the region has “decent talent.” He is preparing for the Gold Coast 500 next weekend.