Mount Gambier teen Jobe Stewart will gear up this year for his Dunlop Super3 Series debut with Image Racing in March.

The racing sensation began his journey with Image Racing affiliate Erebus Academy back in 2017, working his way from go karts into the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia (TGRA) series where he has excelled for the past three years.

Last year was a particularly significant year for Stewart who finished third in the TGRA Championship after securing five podium finishes.

Stewart, 18, will join hometown competitor Kai Allen on the track in his first race at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.

Stewart said he was both excited and nervous to level-up in his motorsport career.

“I’m super excited to be starting a new championship and a new car and everything, but then also it’s a whole new level,” he said.

“The nerves are definitely there already and I’m sure they’ll get even bigger once I get close to the first race.

“I feel like I’m ready. I feel like last year I kind of proved with some of the results that I had that I was ready to go to the next step.”

The young gun said it felt great to have competed well in the TGRA series last year.

“I feel like throughout the whole season I learnt a whole heap being my first full proper season in car racing,” he said.

“Towards the end of the season I just kept improving and improving and just kept getting more confident.

“It’s a great learning curve coming into this year as well, it gives me a fair bit more confidence.”

Stewart said the upcoming season would be all about learning and improving his craft.

“This is going to be the first year in a real fast car in the Super3 category so it’s mainly about learning, especially the first few rounds just getting my head around the car and try and get as many laps under our belt as possible,” he said.

“The more laps that you can get in anything, the better … also racing around cars on the track, it’s not very often you get to do that, so it’s good.

“Every time you go out you try and learn as much as possible and carry it on into the next race.

“My overall goal would be to win the championship or get in the top three positions, but just mainly learn stuff for my career ahead.

“Obviously you still want to do well but it’s probably mainly a learning year.”

The teenager completed a Super3 test with Image Racing founder and owner Terry Wyhoon’s Ford Falcon last year.

“That was a pretty big learning experience and will give me heaps more experience coming into this year,” he said.

“It’s still a lot different to the Toyota 86 I was driving last year.

“There’s a lot more power and a lot more grip and everything like that.

“I’m still obviously learning and every time I get in the car I’ll still be learning.

“The days I did last year with those guys at the track will definitely help.”

Stewart said it was ‘pretty cool’ to be able to represent his hometown on a national stage with their support.

“The whole town as a whole has been really great,” he said.

“A lot of sponsors that I had last year I think will continue this year. They are all from Mount Gambier too so lots of the community has been supporting me.

“Shout out to all of the sponsors for supporting me.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s obviously a small town as far as population and everything so it’s good to have me and Kai both racing at the top levels of Australia and supporting a small town like Mount Gambier and it’s good to have a lot of locals on board.”

Stewart said he was excited to reunite on the racing circuit with hometown rival Allen.

“Kai and I started around the same time just out here in Mount Gambier at the local go kart track at 8-years-old,” he said.

“It is pretty exciting because I have kind of grown up racing against him and then we raced together in the 86 Series the year before he went to Super3, (so) to get to race against him again, it’s pretty cool.

“It’s hard to think about how we come all this way and we’re still racing at the same level together and then it also kind of forms a bit of a rivalry I guess as well.

“It’s also good to have someone from your home town who you can talk to.”

The youngster said Allen was not the only friendly face he would compete against this season.

“There are a fair few people that I know, that I have grown up with also through go karts who have come through,” he said.

“Most of the people that race – like all the young guys – everyone kind of grows up together, so everyone around the track kind of knows each other.

“Half the people in the Super3 that I’ll be racing this year I have raced against in go karts.

“Another guy in my team, Jay Hanson, I grew up racing him … and he’s been at the top level of go karts as well.

“Hopefully a few of us guys can get going as far as we can and reach the highest level.”

Stewart said he was looking forward to racing at Newcastle because the circuit was one of his favourite types to race on.

“It’s a street circuit, so the walls and everything are so close and there’s heaps of kerbs and stuff around the place,” he said.

“I love tracks like that because they’re so tight, it really just brings out the best drivers I think so it should be pretty fun.

“My favourite kind of tracks are tracks like that.”