Why rookie Hughes wants to take Erebus back to the top

Jarrod Hughes is bracing for a rude shock when he lines up for his first solo starts in the Repco Supercars Championship at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Hughes has been part of a mid-season Chevrolet driver shuffle that saw Declan Fraser ousted from PremiAir Racing, Cooper Murray shift from Erebus to replace Fraser effective immediately on a two-year deal, and Hughes rise from the Erebus Academy.

It's a long awaited chance for the 21-year-old, who has starred in Trans Am this year, and was a standout performer in appalling conditions at The Bend, comfortably leading an experienced field as if he were a veteran himself.

Hughes, who has been backed by both Erebus and General Motors throughout his young career, will enjoy the support of an army of friends and family for his solo debut, having been born and raised in Queensland.

However, there is arguably no more daunting to place to land a solo start than the concrete canyon of Surfers Paradise. Despite having never raced on the Gold Coast before, Hughes isn't fazed.

"Yeah it's a bit of a baptism of fire isn't it? Obviously I'm so excited for the weekend, this has been something I've wanted for a long time," Hughes told Supercars.com

"Now that I've got this chance, I want to do everything I can to make all the shots. I've never raced there before, but I love street circuits and bouncing over kerbs, even going back to Toyota 86 days.

"I can't thank everyone at both Erebus and GM enough for all their help in getting me here, there's been a lot of good people involved in my journey."

Hughes' three-round cameo at the back end of the 2026 season is expected to be a precursor to a full-time campaign with Erebus in 2027, though no official confirmation has been made as of time of publication.

Part of the Erebus Academy stable since his rookie Super2 campaign in 2024, Hughes has a better insight than most of the inner workings of the plucky underdogs.

The young gun flew down from Queensland to visit Erebus' Melbourne workshop on Friday for his seat fitting, with the hard-working crew motivating Hughes to lift the team back towards the front of the grid.

"It's good to be in this position, but I wanna give the team good results. There's so much time and effort going into being at the front, and I want to put them there," declared Hughes.

"That's why The Bend was so special for me. It wasn't just a performance to hang my hat on, but it was so special to repay them for all of their hard work not just this year, but also for Erebus to support me as long as they have.

"I'm in a really good spot now, but I know there's a lot of work to do. To get here is one thing, but to stay and prove that I'm worthy is a whole other thing."

Hughes will also reunite with engineer Wayne Mackie, the pair having first worked together when the Queenslander won the Super2 rookie of the year crown in 2024.

The no-nonsense Mackie has engineered two top-six Bathurst finishes with Murray, Jobe Stewart, and Lochie Dalton over the last two seasons, and Hughes believes the tough love could extract the best out of him.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back together with Wayne, we've always had a good relationship," said Hughes of his English-born engineer.

"He's the sort of engineer who won't take no for an answer. He's one of those engineers who won't be afraid to tell me what to do or how to drive, which will probably be a good thing as I'm learning and getting up to speed."

Hughes will take over the #99 TotalEnergies Chevrolet from the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 from October 23-25.