Doing it for dad: family affair for Bathurst 1000 pole

Joanna Guelas |

Aaron Seton and Zach Bates had good reason to smile after securing pole position.
Aaron Seton and Zach Bates had good reason to smile after securing pole position.

The famous Australian motorsport name Seton is back at the top of the Bathurst 1000 grid.

Thirty years after two-time Australian Touring Car champion Glenn Seton claimed pole position, his son Aaron is set to start the 1000km epic in top spot as co-driver to Matt Stone Racing rookie Zach Bates.

But the 28-year-old Seton will have family history against him on Sunday as he aims to pen his own chapter at Mount Panorama.

Grandfather Barry “Bo” Seton claimed the third running of the Bathurst 1000 in 1965, but dad Glenn fell short in his 26 attempts at the holy grail of Australian motorsport.

Dick Johnson with Glenn Seton
Dick Johnson with Glenn Seton at the 2005 Brisbane International Motorshow. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

So dire were Glenn’s fortunes at the Bathurst 1000 that he failed to finish the marathon 14 times.

His heartbreaking 1995 run – when his engine died with 20 laps to go – overshadows his second (1987, 2003, 2004) and third (2006) finishes.

Paralleling Aaron’s qualifying success at this year’s Bathurst 1000, Glenn was marking the 30th anniversary of Barry’s victory at Mount Panorama.

Glenn was driving the car No.30 and had just turned 30.

Aaron wouldn’t be drawn too much on his father’s Bathurst 1000 hoodoo.

Zach Bates and Aaron Seton will start from pole position.
Zach Bates and Aaron Seton will start from pole position. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

“It’s a pretty special moment to start the race on pole,” Seton said.

“I don’t want to think about that too much at the moment. It’s just focusing on all the things that I need to do. 

“If I’m starting, Zach’s starting, whoever it is gets a good start, and then just tick off the boxes throughout the day, so that’s the plan.”

It’s also a family affair for main driver Bates, who spoiled Brodie Kostecki’s bid to become the first driver to win four straight pole positions.

Bates is the son of former rally driver and Supercars driver Rick Bates, and nephew of four-time Australian Rally champion Neal Bates.

The 22-year-old is the fastest driver in the Gen3 era and dedicated his record-breaking provisional-pole lap of 2:03.9376 to his mother Alison Drower, who died from cancer weeks before his Bathurst 1000 debut last year.

Neal Bates started in pole position at the 2000 race as co-driver for Wayne Gardner.

“He always reminds me of that, so now I’ll be able to go back to him with this,” Zach said.

Zach Bates is looking to claim family bragging rights at Bathurst.
Zach Bates is looking to claim family bragging rights at Bathurst. (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)

The rookie wasn’t getting ahead of himself, well aware pole position is just a small puzzle piece in the endurance race.

Last year’s race winner Matt Payne, who qualified 10th, pulled off a thrilling wet-weather victory after starting in 18th.

“It’s such a big day. I’m relatively inexperienced in these longer events,”  Bates said.

“We’re just going to try and get all the basics right.”

Bates and Seton will share the front row with 2025 winners Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood.

AAP