25 best Supercars drivers since 2000: #23 Jason Bright

As 2025 gets underway, Supercars.com is ranking the top 25 drivers of the last 25 years, continuing with Jason Bright, who comes in as our #23.

Jason Bright deserves more industry acknowledgement for his achievements in his long and decorated Supercars career.

For 20 years, Bright battled with the best of them, and was teammates with some of them. The simplest measure of Bright’s ability was that the Holden Racing Team signed him to replace Craig Lowndes. That was a huge vote of confidence at the time, and while Mark Skaife had his measure, Bright didn’t waste his opportunity.

After a brief run at HRT, Bright joined Paul Weel’s team, and was a surprise title contender to Marcos Ambrose and the might of Stone Brothers Racing in 2004. Never one to stay still for long, he shifted back to the Blue Oval and Ford Performance Racing, where after a quiet 2005, was brilliant in 2006.

Partnered with a young Mark Winterbottom, Bright won several races, including the Sandown 500, before steering his own Britek Motorsport Ford between 2007 and 2009. Save for an unforgettable Bathurst bid in 2007, Bright’s time with his own team delivered few highlights.

It was with Brad Jones Racing where Bright’s star shone, the Moe-born driver taking the Albury team’s first win in 2011, before adding more wins in 2013 and 2014. He reunited with his FPR buddies for a final full-time season in 2017, before stepping away in 2018.

Jason Bright's key stats since 2000

Years active: 2000-2018

Rounds: 236

Races: 514

Best championship position: 3rd (2001, 2004)

Best finish: 1st (19 wins)

Top three finishes: 74

Best start: 1st (13 pole positions)

Best Bathurst result: 2nd (2000)

The highlight

It’s important to note that Bright’s biggest win, his 1998 Bathurst victory, came before our cut-off. Post-2000, Bright also won the Adelaide 500 with HRT, but few wins have stirred emotions quite like his Pukekohe victory in 2013.

A little over a year after Jason Richards passed away, Bright duly won the first trophy in his mate’s name. Victory in the finale, as quipped by Matt White in commentary, was one we’ll always remember. He had to do it the hard way, on a weekend he became the fourth different winner in as many races. Smashing the podium light in his victory leap was the cherry on top.

Why we picked him

Winning races for four different teams is a remarkable achievement. Bright reached victory lane with HRT, PWR, FPR and BJR, in what was a rapidly evolving competitive landscape.

Think of the teammates he had at those teams — Skaife, Winterbottom, Fabian Coulthard. They’re all on this list, and on his day, Bright beat them all. His adaptability was supreme, and had some things gone his way, he could’ve won a title or two.

Bright is severely underrated, and while he would’ve loved more big wins with smaller teams — think Bathurst in 2007 — his legacy would be even greater.

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.