| Neal Bates | |
|---|---|
 Neal Bates andCoral Taylor | |
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | (1965-03-19)19 March 1965 (age 60) Canberra,Australian Capital Territory,Australia |
| Related to | Rick Bates (twin brother) Alison Drower (sister-in-law) Zach Bates (nephew) Harry Bates (son) |
| Australian Rally Championship | |
| Years active | 1989–2009 |
| Teams | Neal Bates Motorsport |
| Best finish | 1st in 1993, 1994, 1995 &2008 |
| Previous series | |
| 1997–2003 1997 1997 1993–97 1989–93 1989 | V8 Supercars Australian Super Touring Championship Australian GT Production Car Championship World Rally Championship Australian Endurance Championship Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Championship titles | |
| 2008 1995 1995 1994 1993 | Australian Rally Championship Targa Tasmania Australian Rally Championship Australian Rally Championship Australian Rally Championship |
| Awards | |
| 2013 | Peter Brock Medal |
Neal Anthony Bates (born 19 March 1965) is an Australian rally and racing car driver. Throughout his career Bates has been associated withToyota in theAustralian Rally Championship and for 19 years his Neal Bates Motorsport outfit ran Toyota's official rally program in Australia. Bates claimed four drivers' titles in this time and helped Toyota win four manufacturers' crowns.[1]
Bates' navigator/co-driver since 1993 has beenCoral Taylor.
Bates long-time partnership with Toyota also brought the first of many circuit racing opportunities, a drive in a star search program in Toyota'sAustralian Touring Car Championship team. This led to a number of touring car racing opportunities with the factory Toyota Corolla teams as well as V8 Supercar teams includingPaul Weel Racing,Glenn Seton Racing andGibson Motor Sport.
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Toyota Team Australia | Mike Dowson | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | C | 141 | 17th | 1st |
| 1990 | Toyota Team Australia | John Faulkner | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | C | 59 | DNF | DNF |
| 1991 | Toyota Team Australia | Rick Bates | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | 3 | 76 | DNF | DNF |
| 1992 | Toyota Team Australia | Rick Bates | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | B | 125 | 24th | 3rd |
| 1993 | Caltex CXT Racing Team | John Smith | Toyota Corolla Seca | B | 113 | DNF | DNF |
| 1997* | Phoenix Motorsport | Mark Adderton | Toyota Camry | - | 64 | DNF | DNF |
| 1998 | Paul Weel Racing | Paul Weel | Ford EL Falcon | OC | 155 | 9th | 9th |
| 1999 | Glenn Seton Racing | Geoff Brabham | Ford AU Falcon | - | 159 | 10th | 10th |
| 2000 | Ford Tickford Racing | Wayne Gardner | Ford AU Falcon | - | 45 | DNF | DNF |
| 2002 | Gibson Motorsport | Rodney Forbes | Ford AU Falcon | - | 159 | 14th | 14th |
| 2003 | ICS Team Ford | Rick Bates | Ford AU Falcon | - | 62 | DNF | DNF |
*Super Touring race
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Toyota Team Australia | Mike Dowson | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | A | 142 | 11th | 2nd |
| 1990 | Toyota Team Australia | John Faulkner | Toyota Corolla FX-GT | V8 | 85 | DNF | DNF |
| 1998 | Paul Weel Racing | Paul Weel | Ford EL Falcon | OC | 122 | DNF | DNF |
| 2001 | Tekno Autosports | Steve Webb | Porsche 996 GT3 | N | 161 | 2nd | 2nd |
| 2003 | ICS Team Ford | Rick Bates | Ford AU Falcon | - | 136 | 25th | 25th |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Australian Rally Champion 1993, 1994 & 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Targa Tasmania 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Australian Rally Champion 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Awards and achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Peter Brock Medal 2013 | Succeeded by |