Canberra’s own Harry Bates, 27, has taken top spot on the podium ahead of V8 Supercar driver Shane van Ginsbergen and Brendan Reeves at the National Capital Rally held in Kowen Forest this weekend, 2-3 April.
A premier motorsport event supported by ACT Government and attracting competitors from all around Australia, the two-day event forms Round One of the 2022 Australian Rally Championship.
Bates made the most of his hometown advantage in difficult conditions – from dry and amazing grip, to wet and zero grip.
“I did grow up around Canberra and watched dad compete here many weekends, so it’s where I feel comfortable,” he said.
Born in to a motorsport family, Harry’s father and four-times Australian Rally Champion, Neal Bates, introduced him to driving from a very young age. Harry started his driving career as a 12-year-old, competing in local motorkhanas on both gravel and tarmac.
Aged 18, Harry began competing in rallying, and in only his second ever rally, gained a podium at the 2014 Rally Narooma. During 2015, Harry competed in his first Australian Championship round at his home event, the National Capital Rally, in a standard Toyota Corolla. He and new co-driver, John McCarthy, managed an astonishing third place on debut.
For 2016, Harry and co-driver John stepped up to an all-wheel drive Toyota Corolla S2000. Success came immediately, with a heat win at the first round of the Australian Rally Championship and three podiums from five events. The pair fell agonisingly short of being Australian Champions in their first attempt at the series, after a puncture on the final day of the final rally dropped them out of contention.
2017 saw Harry claim his first ARC event win, becoming the youngest person in history to win a round of the championship. He backed this up with a second win at his home event, the Netier National Capital Rally.
​For 2018, Bates and McCarthy debuted an all-new Toyota Yaris AP4 in competition. They claimed two wins in the new Yaris’ debut season.
​At the 2019 Adelaide Hills Rally, Bates and McCarthy collected their first Australian Rally Championship title, with one round still remaining in the series. This cemented Bates as the youngest Australian Rally Champion in history, and the first ever second-generational winner, with his Dad, Neal, taking the title in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2008.
Bates and McCarthy won the 2020 Australian Rally Cup in Canberra (a one round series held in place of the traditional ARC, due to the COVID-19 related cancellation of the usual Championship), and at the beginning of 2021, the pair debuted the all-new Toyota GR Yaris AP4, winning the first round of the championship at the Netier National Capital Rally.
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