**Harry Bates and Coral Taylor kick off 2026 ARC season with dominant win at Rally Queensland**
**Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin finish third following consistent weekend of racing**
**Round 2 heads to WA Forest Rally on May 22-24**
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia (TGRA) has kicked off its 2026 Australian Rally Championship (ARC) season in style with a double-podium finish at Rally Queensland including a victory for Harry Bates and Coral Taylor.
Harry and Coral carried their momentum from the end of the 2025 season with a dominant performance, while Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin drove consistently all weekend for a third-placed finish.
After dealing with mechanical issues for the previous two iterations of Rally Queensland, it was smooth sailing for both TGRA teammates. Harry kicked off Heat 1 in style by winning the first three stages and five of eight total Saturday stages, while Lewis claimed the remaining three including the Power Stage – the first ever Power Stage run on a Saturday.
Harry and Coral built on their Heat 1 performance with a dominant showing in Heat 2 on Sunday, winning six of seven stages including the Power Stage to take an unassailable lead.
As the first car off the mark on Sunday, Lewis and Anthony were plagued by a lack of grip on the dusty roads around Gympie, but still managed to stay in the hunt with a third-place finish in Heat 2, ensuring an overall podium spot.
It was a highly successful weekend for Bates Motorsport which has also taken Troy Dowel and Bernie Webb under its wing for 2026, with the pair placing fourth overall for the weekend driving the GR Yaris AP4.
Harry Bates will be hoping to carry over his current form next month when he travels to Portugal to compete in Round 5 of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal.
Racing in the WRC2 category, Harry will be joined for the one-off event by four-time American Rally Champion, co-driver Keaton Williams, where he will take on the iconic gravel stages of Portugal.
Harry said it was a dream come true to be able to take on the world’s best at the Rally de Portugal.
“This is an incredible opportunity to compete at Rally Portugal and step into WRC2 again,” he said. “Portugal is one of, if not, the biggest rally in the world and it’s a rally I’ve dreamt of doing for a long time. It’s going to be a huge challenge, but one we’re ready to take on.
“A special thanks to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia for their support in helping bring this together. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I’m very grateful.”
Following Harry’s return to Australia, the TGRA team will travel to Western Australia for the second round of the season, the Forest Rally around Nannup from May 22-24.
RALLY QUEENSLAND RESULTS:
HEAT 1:
1st: Harry Bates & Coral Taylor
3rd: Lewis Bates & Anthony McLoughlin
HEAT 2:
1st: Harry Bates & Coral Taylor
3rd: Lewis Bates & Anthony McLoughlin
OVERALL:
1st: Harry Bates & Coral Taylor
3rd: Lewis Bates & Anthony McLoughlin
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1st: Harry Bates & Coral Taylor, 100
2nd: Scott Pedder & Glenn MacNeall, 80
3rd: Lewis Bates & Anthony McLoughlin, 70
4th: Troy Dowel & Bernie Webb, 59
5th: Josh Redhead & Ray Winwood-Smith, 54
