Matt Stone Racing

We've got folks at...

Matt Stone Racing, they've had entries also in the Dunlop series this week.

They had the return of Declan Fraser.

Matt Stone's wheeling an ungodly-sized umbrella out the back of his garage at the moment.

Very, very, very nearly won Bathurst.

They took pole at Bathurst and then they made the finals.

So if you're Matt Stone Racing, absolutely, you're having a dip.

Yeah, well, Zach Bates was quick this weekend too.

Let's finish up with some really good news, I think.

Zach Bates has secured his future on the supercars grid with Matt Stone Racing for next year.

There were some question marks around, given the fact that he effectively has been in a position where he's had to bring funding to have that drive.

Whether he was going to be able to continue that next year, we've seen what feels like maybe a bit of an uplift in the investment from Bendix, which is the primary sponsor on that car.

So, yeah, that was really cool.

Yeah, we were above Matt Stone Racing's box.

Yeah, Zach Bates.

Zach Bates.

It was very, very tough across the course of the weekend.

Matt Stone Racing, Jack LeBrock sadly eliminated.

Was never really his weekend, was it? No.

Turned around in race one and then...

Burgess is always a friend of the pod, isn't he? He's a big friend of the pod.

I'll tell you what, he's doing a good job of running away from us right now.

He's pulled up for a chat with Jack Balotti from the Matt Stone Racing Team.

Let's see if we can... dive in and have a bit of a yarn with him.

for the title and he's got even more to do now starting down there you think he'd be praying for rain but even then that's a long way back in the pack at a circuit like this where you're just at so much risk of getting caught up in someone else's mistake even if you don't make one on your own

Yeah, obviously it's been a little bit of a comeback for Matt Stone Racing, Zach Bates there in 13th after the heroics at Bathurst, but still pretty respectable, especially for Zach's first time on his track.

So if it wasn't for what happened at Bathurst, we'd be saying, great job, Zach Bates.

But just going back to Jack LeBrock, obviously the headline of his session was him being impeded by Will Brown heading into the final corner.

I don't see any races that don't have, I'm hedging my bets here, I don't see any race, any of the two races that won't have a Red Bull driver on the podium.

But if we're talking about who's going to get knocked out, Look, I reckon Jack LeBrock, look, it's great that he made the finals, but I think Matt Stone Racing have got a lot of hard work.

It'd be a great little story because this technically could be considered a home race for them.

But I reckon Jack LeBrock will be out, and I hate to say it, but I don't think Cam Waters makes it through as well.

But I've also got a bit of a concern for Kai Allen.

He was the superstar riser.

last year that survived coming from very deep in the championship to making the final four because he was so consistent their strategy worked but i just feel he's been a bit more bullish this year and prone to just the odd mistake or two so i just ponder whether he might come a cropper around the streets of surface paradise and i have to lean with jack lebrock unfortunately i just don't think that matt stone racing car despite the pace that it had at mount panorama Just don't feel as if it will have the pace around the streets of Service Paradise.

And regarding a win, I reckon Matty Payne or Will Brown will be the two drivers to beat this weekend.

Frosty, the other question for me about Zach Bates is the question over his future.

Now, it's uncertain whether he'll stay at Matt Stone Racing or not.

Matt wants him to stay.

He wants the status quo.

So these are the things that play on drivers' minds, and we see it happen.

Cameron Hill's gone to Brad Jones for that situation.

Matt Stone Racing is a very, very good team, but they just need the funding so they can keep these young guys for the program because Matt Stone would be really disappointed to lose Zach Bates.

He's one of the best drivers.