Mount Gambier teenager Jobe Stewart will achieve a life-long dream this weekend when he races his Toyota 86 around the iconic Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst.
The talented 16-year-old will line up in the hotly contested Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series, which is a support act for this year’s Bathurst 1000.
The big weekend will be Stewart’s first taste of the spiritual home of Australian motorsport and he is excited at the prospect of racing on the track’s famous sections such as Skyline, The Dipper and Conrod Straight.
“To race at Bathurst is a pretty big deal,” he said.
“When they released the calendar, Bathurst was one of the main tracks I was looking forward to because it is the event everyone talks about it.
“I am a bit nervous, but probably more excited to get racing.”
Stewart will battle door to door against up to 28 of the most promising young drivers in Australia and the four-race round will be just his second meeting in a car.
He made his car racing debut during the ninth round of the 2020 Supercars Championship at Tailem Bend in the Combined Sedans class and recorded two top-15 finishes.
However, Stewart was forced to fight with a wide range of machinery at The Bend and believes this weekend’s round during the Great Race will provide more of a test.
“Tailem Bend was my first race and there were heaps of different cars,” he said.
“Some were a lot slower and others were faster, so it wasn’t a real gauge on how fast I was and this weekend should give a better idea.
“I will just try my best to learn as much as I can for next year.”
Stewart hoped to make a full-time debut in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series earlier this year, but COVID-19 ruined his plans and cancelled the championship.
However, the lockdown also handed the youngster one of the biggest opportunities in his career.
Last week Stewart was named as the leading driver for Erebus Motorsport in the Supercars Pro Eseries later this month.
The teen has been part of the Erebus Academy since 2017 and stood out in its 2020 Junior Esports competition.
Stewart finished first and second in the two races against other online drivers his age.
He impressed the likes of Erebus CEO Barry Ryan so much to be hand-picked to drive along-side Supercars winner Anton De Pasquale in the six-week competition.
The Mount Gambier talent is no stranger to sim racing with five years of experience in the virtual world and has even battled against De Pasquale and three- time Supercars champion and 2019 Bathurst 1000 winner Scott McLaughlin.
Stewart feels slightly more pressure to perform in the online championship representing Erebus than the real-world race around the mountain.
He said he was eying the chance to perform against the leading sim racers in the Supercars Pro Eseries, which will be broadcasted nationally on Fox Sports.
“It will be great to race Erebus’ car in their colours,” he said.
“I did a few sim races throughout the year and did pretty well in them, so they (Erebus) thought why not give me a crack.
“The people I am racing are pretty quick, so I just have to put in heaps of practise and do my best.”
