ZACH Bates’ transition into the Repco Supercars Championship is set to come under the guidance of young gun engineer Caleb Mutsaerts.
Having won the 2024 Super2 crown before impressing in a Triple Eight wildcard last August at Queensland Raceway, Bates sealed his graduation to the main game with Matt Stone Racing.
There he will pilot the #10 Bendix Camaro, with Mutsaerts to be his race engineer.
Mutsaerts is coming off a successful first season of Supercars race engineering, having returned to MSR from Dick Johnson Racing to join forces with Cameron Hill for 2025.
The partnership proved an instant hit, tasting victory at Albert Park in their fifth race together.
With Hill heading to Brad Jones Racing, Mutsaerts will shift to the category’s next emerging Canberran talent.
Caleb Mutsaerts and Cameron Hill were a dynamic duo in 2025. Pic: Supplied/Jack Martin
On the other side of the garage, fellow youngster Oli Boone is expected to engineer the #4 entry of MSR returnee Jack Le Brocq.
Boone got his first taste of Supercars race engineering late last season with Nick Percat.
It’s all part of a bolstered structure whereby Jack Bellotti has been promoted to head of engineering, placing him in the senior hierarchy alongside technical coordinator Paul Forgie.
MSR owner Matt Stone effectively reclaimed the team principal duties mid-2025 when Pete Vale defected to PremiAir Racing.
On top of its Supercars program, MSR is rejoining Super2 this year with multiple cars – one of which will be driven by Ayrton Hodson.