Tony Bates says he is much happier with the handling of his KFC/Moveitnet/Local Roadways/C-Tech Laser/AFS/Bryan & Bryant Audi R8 after a storming recovery to sixth in Race 3 of Australian GT at the Grand Prix today.
Starting sixth on the grid, Bates moved up to fifth on the opening lap and was running with the lead pack, before he was turned around due to an error from another competitor at Turn 3.
The spin caused Bates to fall to ninth, but a Safety Car intervention allowed him to close onto the lead pack, and he fought back to sixth in the final sprint to the finish.
“The car was significantly improved from yesterday, and I was a lot more confident,” Bates said.
“It was disappointing to be turned around early in the race; heading into Turn 3, I gave the other driver plenty of racing room but he still made contact with me, which was totally unnecessary.
“Fortunately, the Safety Car allowed me to catch up, and in the last few laps, I found a really nice rhythm. I was wishing the race had gone for longer, because I was catching the cars ahead.
“Considering this is our first event with the new upgrade package, I’m happy with the improvements we’ve made this weekend; hopefully that trend continues tomorrow.”
The final race for the Australian GT Championship will be held at 11:40 tomorrow morning.
