EREBUS Motorsport young gun Jobe Stewart came so very close to victory in his first start in the Repco Bathurst 1000, but he does walk away with his own piece of history and a reward for his efforts.

His fourth place in the Chiko Camaro alongside Cooper Murray landed the Mount Gambier racer V8 Sleuth’s Bathurst 1000 Rookie of the Year Award.

The 21-year-old picks up the $2000 prize on offer from V8 Sleuth for the best-placed driver in their first Great Race at Mount Panorama.

And, as a bonus, post-race on Sunday evening Erebus Motorsport boss Barry Ryan offered to match the award and his team pledged an additional $2000 to a charity of Stewart’s choice, which the Super2 speedster has requested to split between two charities.

He’ll have $1000 donated to his charity partner Change for Sam that seeks to prevent and address family violence and $1000 to support breast cancer research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), the institute that fellow Bathurst 1000 rookie Zach Bates has been raising money after the passing of his mum, Ali Drower in the lead up to Bathurst.

Click here to make a donate to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in memory of Ali.

“Jobe, Cooper and the entire #99 team were pivotal players in the amazing 2025 race,” says V8 Sleuth Publisher Aaron Noonan, who was the driving force behind returning a Rookie of the Year award for this year’s race.

“The changing of the guard for the Supercars category is not coming, it’s very much here and that was evidenced by Sunday’s race with so many young drivers fighting for the victory and podium positions.

“Jobe’s efforts across both the endurance races at The Bend and Bathurst were sublime and there was a very real prospect he could have broken Rick Kelly’s record as youngest-ever Bathurst 1000 winner and he and Cooper become the youngest-ever combination to win the Great Race.

Jobe Stewart with V8 Sleuth Publisher Aaron Noonan post-race at Bathurst. Photo: Jarrod Hughes (yep, the Erebus enduro co-driver!).

“On top of that there was also the very real possibility of them doing enough to win the Ryco Enduro Cup and scoring Cooper a ticket into the Finals, which would have been quite the story!

“I’m thrilled to return this traditional award to the Bathurst 1000, re-starting the tradition as our way of acknowledging the history of the event and the efforts of the first-time ‘1000 drivers.”

The Rookie of the Year Award for the best-finishing Bathurst 1000 rookie was given out for 20 years in a stint between 1978 and 1998, however has been absent from the Great Race until this year.

Since the race became a part of the Supercars Championship in 1999 there has not been an official – or indeed unofficial – award for the top-finishing rookie in the Bathurst 1000.

Previous winners include Craig Lowndes (in 1994 when he finished second for the Holden Racing Team) and Steve Richards (in 1995, when he finished fourth for Gibson Motorsport).

The first Bathurst 1000 Rookie of the Year Award was won by Steve Masterton in 1978.

Stewart’s fourth-place is the best finish by a Bathurst 1000 rookie since Brit Oliver Gavin finished third alongside Nick Percat in 2014 for Walkinshaw Racing. Percat is the last driver to win the Bathurst 1000 as a rookie in his first start, back in 2011 alongside Garth Tander.

There were seven rookies in this year’s 1000-kilometre classic and all acquitted themselves well.

Next best rookie finisher was Zach Bates in 10th in the Supercheap Auto Camaro alongside Craig Lowndes. Tickford wildcard rookie duo Rylan Gray and Lochie Dalton finished 13th while Stewart’s Erebus teammate Jarrod Hughes came home 14th alongside Jack Le Brocq.

Harri Jones finished 20th with Anton De Pasquale and Nash Morris was the only rookie not to be classified as a finisher after lead driver Richie Stanaway crashed out in the Cutting in their PremiAir Camaro while running fifth late in the race.