MAKE no mistake, Jobe Stewart is very highly rated around the traps.

So much so that it’s known he was being pursued by at least one other race-winning team for 2026 when he committed to the Erebus Motorsport organisation that he’s been aligned with since the age of 13.

Stewart won the 2023 Super3 crown and then immediately shone on Super2 debut at Bathurst. He later won a race that season as a rookie and last year starred in his maiden main game enduro campaign.

And yet, seven rounds into this year, he sits dead-last in the Repco Supercars Championship standings, without a single top 13 qualifying or race result.

Brutal.

“It has definitely been pretty difficult,” Stewart, 22, told V8 Sleuth.

“Last year in Super2 was pretty average compared to the year me and Jarrod (Hughes) had before – we thought we could go for the championship, so that was a bit of a bummer.

“But then we came out in the enduros and both me and Jarrod were pretty quick straightaway…

“We were pretty confident heading into this year but whatever it was, the small aero changes or whatever, there’s probably a few small factors that we’ve just struggled with overall.

“To be last and third-last (i.e. teammate Cooper Murray) in the championship is not great as a team, but we’re only halfway through the year and in my rookie season I’m still learning a hell of a lot, which is good.

“Hopefully come enduros we’re there or thereabouts.”

Pic: Ross Gibb

And that’s where the light at the end of the tunnel factors in.

Erebus had an improved showing a fortnight ago in Townsville, including Stewart running just outside the 10 through the early stages of the Sunday race.

That’s injected some much-needed confidence, and then there’s the fact that Erebus are as close to Bathurst specialists as there is in Supercars.

Stewart too has a strong record at the Mountain.

“Even Tailem Bend, Jarrod has got one year of co-driving under his belt which is good, so does Lochie (Dalton) for Cooper,” said Stewart.

The Undercut – Who will make the cut?

THE Undercut is back for another week, breaking down the latest news in the world of Supercars racing!

“We have got a young line-up but I think at those two locations… we’ll all just work together to improve each other when we get there.

“I think The Bend will be a good introduction to that as we had good pace there last year, and Bathurst is a track I enjoy and a track I’ve been fast at pretty much every time I’ve been there.

“The whole Erebus crew, whatever it is, everyone just loves Bathurst and every time we go there we’re quick, so just building up to that.”

Stewart is racing this weekend in GT4 Australia at Hidden Valley, sharing an Audi with Blake Purdie.

Wanneroo Raceway in Western Australia will host Round 8 of the Supercars season next week, July 31-August 2.