Mount Gambier hosted a young up and coming racer last week when Jarrod Hughes roared into town.
The Dunlop Super2 Series driver was in the Blue Lake city for a promotional visit at Mount Gambier business 4Blok.
The 19-year-old drives for Image Racing and currently sits fifth in the driver standings in his first year in Super2, with the series led by Mount Gambier’s own Kai Allen. Fellow Mount Gambier driver Jobe Stewart is eighth in the series.
Hughes has been racing since he was 15, starting with Hyundai Excel and Toyota 86s before stepping up to Super2 this year as well as racing in the TA2 and the GT4 categories.
Hughes spoke to The SE Voice during his visit and said it was important to him to give back to the community and the businesses who have supported his career.
“I get a lot of support from a lot of businesses with one of them being Heath at 4Blok and it’s always good to try and give back as much as I can,” he said.
“Heath’s got such an awesome set up here with Bestmancave with all the awesome stuff he’s got here.
“It’s awesome to give back as much as I can because I get quite a lot of support from so many different people and different companies and I’m very grateful for what I get so anything I can give back and try and help out I’m all about it.”
Hughes said he had been enjoying competing this season in the Super2 competition.
“It’s gone pretty well to be honest, I think I have exceeded a lot of expectations with it being my first year in such a competitive class, running fifth in the point overall and being the second rookie it’s been awesome,” he said.
“We’re going really, really well and the team is performing awesomely and we just a had test day at Phillip Island on Monday and that went really, really well.
“I’m looking forward to Sandown and that’s where I have had some really good results in the past, so I think we’re putting the right foot forward and we just need to keep on going.”
Hughes said he had already identified his racing goals heading into the future, which included potentially heading overseas.
“Obviously my first goal is to try and make it into SuperCars, we’re surrounded by all these model SuperCars and hopefully I can be in one of those one day,” he said.
“We’re on the right path so just got to tick that goal off and I just need to do well in that series.
“If I can get into it then that’s the first hurdle.
“But my dream is to head over to America and I was lucky enough to go over there a couple of years ago with Toyota Australia and experience a NASCAR over there and it’s on another level, so if I can get that one day it would be awesome.
“I have got to start with baby steps and try and make it over here and to make it at the top of Australian motor sports would be unbelievable.
“Even being in Super 2 now is incredible so I have just got to keep it going and keep my head down and keep doing what I’m doing.”
