MOTORSPORT: New-generation Bates wins ARC

Canberra youngster Harry Bates has won his first Australian rally title, following in the ‘dust’ of his multiple national champion father Neal with Toyota.

Bates, 24, who hopes to compete overseas next year as well as at home again, clinched the Australian Rally Championship after five of six rounds, with Rally Australia – also the World Rally Championship finale – to come at Coffs Harbour on November 15-17.

He and veteran co-driver John McCarthy have dominated this season in their Yaris AP4, although they didn’t have it all their own way in the Adelaide Hills yesterday despite being more than 100 points clear.

Molly Taylor, 31, the 2016 champion who had recently also been competing in the new TCR touring car series, finished the second heat of the South Australian round just 0.2 seconds behind Bates in her Subaru WRX.

“I can’t quite believe it (winning the title),” Bates said.

“I’m completely lost for words … all very special.”

An equally elated McCarthy said: “We should be pretty proud of ourselves. I think we’ve done a pretty good job managing everything this year.

“Everyone speaks very highly of the (rallying) talent we have in Australia. We’ve got a good championship and it deserves to grow.”

Taylor said it was “torturing” looking back at where she and co-driver Malcolm Read might have made the time to have beaten Bates and McCarthy.

“Overall it was a great day. We fought hard and it’s the first time this year we’ve been able to be in that position where we could potentially get a heat win,” Taylor said.

Bates’ younger brother Harry, 22, and his co-driver, Anthony McLoughlin, finished more than a minute behind in third yesterday in another Yaris AP4 after being runners-up in Saturday’s heat.

They are locked in a battle with Taylor and Read for second place in the championship that will be decided at Coffs Harbour.

Neal Bates was a triple Australian rally champion in a Toyota Celica GT4 in the 1990s and victor again in 2008 in a Corolla S2000, with Coral Taylor – Molly’s mother – his co-driver in all those successes.

A belated announcement of the 2020 WRC calendar, and in particular whether Australia is on it or – as expected – dropped in favour of New Zealand, is expected on the first weekend of October.