Image boss hails 'brilliant' rookie Stewart
Dunlop Series
23 Nov 2023
Jobe Stewart leads the Super3 title fight by 192 points
Image Racing boss Terry Wyhoon has fostered future talent
Stewart can clinch title by finishing Saturday's race in Adelaide
Image Racing boss Terry Wyhoon has hailed Super3 title favourite Jobe Stewart, comparing him to previous stars that have gone through his team.
Mount Gambier-born Stewart, 19, is in the box seat to win this year’s Dunlop Super3 Series crown on home soil this weekend.
Stewart is 192 points ahead of his closest rival heading to the VAILO Adelaide 500, with Jett Johnson second ahead of Cameron McLeod.
The teenager first came under Erebus Motorsport’s watch as a 12-year-old in karts, before shifting to Toyota 86 in 2020.
He finished third overall in 2022, and a test aboard a Project Blueprint Falcon and Erebus’ Mercodore helped Stewart leap into 2023 with confidence.
Stewart has won in Newcastle, Perth and Sandown, and with McLeod suffering a double DNF at Sandown, the title is the teen’s for the taking in Adelaide.
Wyhoon has helped foster some great talent — notably, current Erebus star and future Triple Eight driver Will Brown had his breakout year with Image, finishing second in 2020.
For Wyhoon, the sky is the limit for Stewart, who is racing Brown’s VF Commodore from 2020.
“He’s been brilliant, learning all the way and listening,” Wyhoon told Supercars.com.
“He’s very level-headed. Once he gets behind the wheel, he’s bloody sharp. He doesn’t make many mistakes.
“He always comes in and said, ‘I could’ve done a better job here, or here’. He brings the car back straight and wants to make it faster.
“I think he’s going to turn out to be a ripper. I’m looking forward to him finishing the year off strongly with the cup.”
Stewart need only finish Saturday’s Dunlop Series opener in Adelaide to clinch the Super3 title, with Wyhoon keen to continue the youngster’s path into Super2 next season.
Wyhoon was particularly impressed by Stewart’s ability to self-analyse, all in a season he is learning the cars and tracks.
“He compares to the best of them,” Wyhoon said.
"My wife tells me we’ve been doing this for 20 years, and when it comes time to celebrate, we’ll have a great list of drivers to invite!
“We’re not chasing the car often, we have to really sift through the data to find minor improvements. But Jobe is always saying to us, ‘I can do a better job’.
“It’s his first year in these cars, learning the tracks, racing strongly, keeping it clean. I’m looking forward to working with him more.”
Dunlop Series action at the VAILO Adelaide 500 will commence on Thursday. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
