Zak Best
 | An editor has performed a search and found that sufficient sources exist to establish the subject's notability. (July 2022) |
| Zak Best | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | October 11, 2001 Benalla, Victoria |
| Super2 Series career | |
| Debut season | 2020 |
| Current team | Anderson Motorsport |
| Car number | 17 |
| Starts | 26 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Poles | 3 |
| Best finish | 2nd in 2021 |
Zak Best (born 11 October 2001)[1] is an Australian racing car driver. He currently competes in the Dunlop Super2 Series in the No. 17 Ford Mustang GT, with wins, podiums and poles to his name in the Super2 Series.[2] He also raced in the 2021 Bathurst 1000, finishing in fifteenth.
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
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Best made his debut in the V8 Touring Car Series (now known as the Super3 Series) in 2018, finishing second in the opening round at Phillip Island behind defending champion Jack Smith and ahead of MW Motorsport teammate Tyler Everingham.[3] Best would finish the season in second place behind Everingham.[4]
Despite hopes to join the Super2 Series in 2019,[4] Best continued in the Super3 series. Despite winning several races Best was only fourth in the series, which team owner Matthew White blamed on engine issues at the Winton round.[5]
Super2[edit]
For 2020, Best moved up to the Super2 Series, still driving for MW Motorsport.[5] He qualified in third place on debut at the Adelaide Parklands Circuit, and achieved a best finish of fifth place in the final round at Bathurst.[6]
Best switched to Tickford Racing for 2021,[6] finishing the series in second place behind Broc Feeney.[7] He remained with Tickford for the 2022 series.[8] He finished runner up again in his 2022 campaign.
Best announced for his 2023 Super2 campaign that he would be making the switch to Anderson Motorsport driving an ex-Dick Johnson Racing Ford Mustang GT. He will join Tickford Racing for the endurance events. [9]
Supercars[edit]
Best made his Supercars Championship and Bathurst 1000 debut in 2021 driving with his Super2 team Tickford Racing. He partnered regular driver Jack Le Brocq in his Ford Mustang GT for the 2021 Bathurst 1000. He was given a late call-up due to Alexandre Prémat being unable to make the trip to Australia. The pair qualified in eighth place were only able to finish in fifteenth place, in part due to double stacking in the pits.[7] Best was described by team principal Tim Edwards as being one of the best co-drivers in that year's race.[8]
For 2022 Tickford announced that they would enter Best in Supercars rounds at Hidden Valley and The Bend as a wildcard.[10] In Sunday qualifying, Best crashed, forcing him to start from the back on the grid in the final two races. In the second of these, Best was involved in a collision with Gary Jacobson, causing Best to retire, with Best highly critical of the driving standards of the drivers towards the rear of the field.[11]
On July 30 2022, Best became the youngest and first Supercars Championship wildcard entrant to claim a pole position, which was done at the 2022 The Bend SuperSprint. Best finished race 21 5th, becoming the highest finishing placed wildcard entrant.
Career results[edit]
Aussie Racing Cars 2016 at age 14, Best was the youngest ever to compete and win a race (Phillip Island) and runner up Rookie, in an Aussie Racing Car. CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship 2017 finished 10th. Khumo V8 Supercars 2018, drove Ford FG with MW Motorsport finished Runner Up. Khumo Tyres Super3 2019, drove Ford FG with MW Motorsport finished 4th
Super2 Series results[edit]
(key) (Race results only)
| Super2 Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Position | Points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | MW Motorsport | Nissan Altima L33 | ADE 8 |
ADE 8 |
ADE 11 |
SYD 11 |
SYD 7 |
BAT 6 |
BAT 5 |
6th | 549 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Tickford Racing | Ford FG X Falcon | BAT 4 |
BAT 2 |
TOW1 4 |
TOW1 4 |
TOW2 3 |
TOW2 1 |
SMP 15 |
SMP C |
BAT 4 |
BAT 4 |
2nd | 1077 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Tickford Racing | Ford FG X Falcon | SMP 2 |
SMP 1 |
WAN Ret |
WAN 7 |
TOW 2 |
TOW 12 |
SAN 2 |
SAN 3 |
BAT 1 |
BAT C |
ADE 4 |
ADE 3 |
2nd | 1257 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Anderson Motorsport | Ford Mustang GT | NEW 3 |
NEW 1 |
WAN 3 |
WAN 7 |
TOW 8 |
TOW 1 |
SAN 2 |
SAN 12 |
BAT 2 |
BAT 2 |
ADE 13 |
ADE 2 |
2nd | 1431 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supercars Championship results[edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Supercars results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Position | Points | ||||||
| 2021 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang GT | BAT1 R1 |
BAT1 R2 |
SAN R3 |
SAN R4 |
SAN R5 |
SYM R6 |
SYM R7 |
SYM R8 |
BEN R9 |
BEN R10 |
BEN R11 |
HID R12 |
HID R13 |
HID R14 |
TOW1 R15 |
TOW1 R16 |
TOW2 R17 |
TOW2 R18 |
TOW2 R19 |
SMP1 R20 |
SMP1 R21 |
SMP1 R22 |
SMP2 R23 |
SMP2 R24 |
SMP2 R25 |
SMP3 R26 |
SMP3 R27 |
SMP3 R28 |
SMP4 R29 PO |
SMP4 R30 PO |
BAT2 R31 15 |
39th | 120 | |||||||||
| 2022 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang GT | SMP R1 |
SMP R2 |
SYM R3 |
SYM R4 |
SYM R5 |
MEL R6 |
MEL R7 |
MEL R8 |
MEL R9 |
BAR R10 |
BAR R11 |
BAR R12 |
WIN R13 |
WIN R14 |
WIN R15 |
HID R16 21 |
HID R17 21 |
HID R18 Ret |
TOW R19 |
TOW R20 |
BEN R21 5 |
BEN R22 19 |
BEN R23 Ret |
SAN R24 PO |
SAN R25 PO |
SAN R26 PO |
PUK R27 |
PUK R28 |
PUK R29 |
BAT R30 Ret |
SUR R31 |
SUR R32 |
ADE R33 |
ADE R34 |
39th | 162 | ||||||
| 2023 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang GT | NEW R1 |
NEW R2 |
MEL R3 |
MEL R4 |
MEL R5 |
MEL R6 |
BAR R7 |
BAR R8 |
BAR R9 |
SYM R10 |
SYM R11 |
SYM R12 |
HID R13 |
HID R14 |
HID R15 |
TOW R16 |
TOW R17 |
SMP R18 |
SMP R19 |
BEN R20 |
BEN R21 |
BEN R22 |
SAN R23 12 |
BAT R24 6 |
SUR R25 |
SUR R26 |
ADE R27 |
ADE R28 |
32nd | 342 | ||||||||||||
Complete Bathurst 1000 results[edit]
| Year | Team | Car | Co-driver | Position | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang S550 | Jack Le Brocq
|
15th | 161 |
| 2022 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang S550 | Thomas Randle
|
DNF | 0 |
| 2023 | Tickford Racing | Ford Mustang S650 | James Courtney
|
6th | 161 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Zak Best". Supercars. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ Pavey, James (9 July 2022). "Best edges Everingham in thrilling qualifying". Retrieved 10 July 2022.
- ^ "Benalla's Zak Best shines at Winton". Triple M. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b Williams, Bruce (29 May 2019). "Best looking to Super2 in 2020". Auto Action. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b Herrero, Daniel (17 January 2020). "Best moves up to Super2 with MW Motorsport". Speedcafe. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b Williams, Bruce (14 December 2020). "Tickford Recruit Best". Auto Action. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b Chapman, Simon (13 December 2021). "Best satisfied with Bathurst 1000 debut". Speedcafe. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b McCarthy, Dan (15 February 2022). "Best re-signs with Tickford". Auto Action. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ Pavey, James (13 February 2023). "Best reveals 2023 Super2 plans". Supercars. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
- ^ Jackson, Ed (22 April 2022). "Rookie gets wildcard run in Supercars". 7 News. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ McCarthy, Dan (19 June 2022). "Best critical of rear of grid driving". Auto Action. Retrieved 27 July 2022.