The double-edged sword keeping Supercars rookie Ojeda busy

Jayden Ojeda is pleased to be the leading overtaker in 2026, but concedes he needs to find more in qualifying.

Per Supercars data analyst Scott Sinclair, PremiAir Racing rookie Ojeda has the most overtakes of any driver so far this year with 56, ahead of Kai Allen (50) and Cam Waters (46).

Ojeda has quietly soared up the rankings, moving from 22nd to 14th in the championship in the last seven races.

The Sydney-born, Gold Coast-based driver now heads to Symmons Plains, where he last raced in 2018 in the Australian Formula 4 series.

When asked by Supercars.com about his overtaking stat, Ojeda replied: "It obviously means that I can pass cars, but it probably also means that I find myself at the back of the grid more than I probably should have.

"It's obviously good to have good race pace, which is something I think coming back from the last couple of rounds of last year was something I really wanted to work on. So it's good to have a stat that reflects that.

"But then it also shows that we probably don't qualify in the best positions, which is something we know and something that we're working on."

Tasmania was PremiAir’s best weekend for the 2025 season from a race pace perspective. Drivers James Golding and Richie Stanaway were ranked third and sixth for the weekend, with PremiAir the second quickest team overall behind Triple Eight.

Golding and Stanaway have moved on, with Ojeda and Declan Fraser in their place. Ojeda is currently top ranked rookie, but he knows he needs more over one lap to fire a big shot.

"It's about phasing the tyre in and drafting the lap with the car, and making sure you can do the best lap with the car you've got," Ojeda said of qualifying at Symmons Plains.

"All the small little things at a place like Tassie obviously make big difference in terms of positioning and the results.

"It's cool to go to Tassie, a circuit where the team's performed really well at in the past and had fast cars. It'll be nice to go there with confidence and try and have a good one."

Sitting 14th, Ojeda is right on the edge of Finals contention. Those just ahead, Thomas Randle and Andre Heimgartner, are also clinging on by their fingernails.

Ojeda and Randle have been keeping busy behind the wheel, also contesting this year's GT World Challenge Australia season, while also racing in the Bathurst 6 Hour.

The PremiAir driver believes 14th is a fair representation given his upwards trend, while he notably lost points with a loose wheel in Sydney, and a clash with Waters in Taupō.

There was also a costly crash in second practice in Melbourne that saw him miss two qualifying sessions as PremiAir rebuilt the #31 Camaro. He had earlier topped the opening practice session of the weekend.

"You look at the events that we've done and there's been a few mistakes in some of the races," Ojeda said.

"Everyone's got a bit of a story, but if you look at the direction that we're heading and trending in, it's positive."

On extra-curricular racing, Ojeda added: "I'm a big believer in driving as frequently as you can.

"So to be doing GT Aus and a lot of other GT stuff, it keeps you fresh and keeps you sharp.

"You're always learning and challenging yourself along the way as well. Ultimately we're just trying to be the best of drivers that we can be and I feel the only way to do that is by driving."

Track action commences in Tasmania on Friday May 22.

Jayden Ojeda race performance in 2026