11 of the most exciting rising stars to watch on the road to Supercars

2026 has only consolidated the emerging trend of the past few seasons in Supercars; if you want talent, you need to pounce early.

The grid for the opening race of the season in Sydney was the youngest ever assembled for a Supercars race dating all the way back to the inaugural Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960.

That was boosted by the addition of five rookies, four of whom graduated directly from the DUNLOP Super2 Series, with the development series' two most recent champions in Rylan Gray and Zach Bates headlining the crop.

Whilst this year is one of the biggest rookie classes seen, that doesn't mean the junior categories are diminished in any way, with several drivers all making strong cases to be crowned 2026 Super2 champion.

However, even beyond the DUNLOP Series, some main game teams have been keeping tabs on drivers coming through the ranks out of karting and grassroots categories.

By no means an exhaustive or definitive list of the next drivers set to feature in the main game, Supercars.com looks at 11 drivers who are making a name for themselves on the road to Supercars.

Lochie Dalton, 23 years old

2nd in 2025 Super2 Series, current Super2 Series leader

In his third full Super2 season, Dalton flourished, roaring home with a wet sail in the final two thirds of the season to claim the season's pole award and second in points behind Rylan Gray. Moving to the Blanchard Racing Team for a fourth season, he leads the standings after winning the final race in Sydney. With a plum co-drive alongside Cooper Murray at Erebus, and a GT4 deal to drive alongside Aaron Cameron, 2026 marks a huge opportunity to make himself an unmissable silly season prospect, with BRT firmly behind his main game push.

Brad Vaughan, 21 years old

5th in 2025 Super2 Series, currently 2nd in Super2 Series

2026 plans: Super2 with Brad Jones Racing

Brad Jones Racing's Super2 program was completely turned around by Brad Vaughan last year. Having gone winless in points-paying races since 2014, Vaughan claimed a well-deserved victory in the Adelaide finale, and finished best of the rest behind the dominant Tickford quartet. He replicated that form with victory in the Super2 season opener in Sydney, once again being the only Holden to take it to the dominant Mustang package. His strong start leaves him well positioned to return to BJR's enduro line-up for a second season.

Reuben Goodall, 22 years old

4th in 2025 Super2 Series, currently 3rd in 2026 Super2 Series

Arguably the most improved driver in Super2 last year, the South Australian was a regular podium contender throughout the season. However, he was unable to tick off a first win in the development series, but will be a very strong chance to change that in 2026. Third in points after a consistent weekend to start the year in Sydney, he was soon confirmed to be making his Supercars debut alongside Thomas Randle in the enduros. Should he start winning in Super2, he could easily follow in the footsteps of his former teammate in Gray.

Zak Best, 24 years old

9th in 2025 Bathurst 1000, currently 5th in 2026 Super2 Series

By his own admission, this is Zak Best's last chance to break into a full-time Supercars ride. Three times the bridesmaid, but never the bride, the Benalla product only wants to win the Super2 title this year, nothing else will suffice. The legendary Ludo Lacroix will oversee his bid in an ex-DJR Mustang for Anderson Motorsport as they attempt to take down the dominant Tickford squad. With the way BRT have exploded out of the blocks in the main game, his return to the team's enduro roster alongside a speedy Aaron Cameron could become a dark horse.

Nash Morris, 22 years old

3rd in 2025 Super2 Series, currently 6th in 2026 Super2 Series

Right on Dalton's tail last year was Morris, who had a breakout season of his own, claiming a maiden win in Tasmania. Morris remains with Tickford into the new Super2 season, and also remains part of PremiAir Racing's enduro lineup. It was a tough opening to his season in what was admittedly a bizarre weekend interrupted by a mid-weekend circuit change for the development series, and there is ground to make up. Remaining within PremiAir's circles despite the Roland Dane rebuild is also testament to his talents.

Ben Gomersall, 19 years old

2025 Super2 rookie of the year, currently 4th in 2026 Super2 Series

The teenager shot out of the blocks with an impressive podium on debut, and rarely got himself into trouble on his way to Super2's rookie of the year title last year. Now, a move to the Tickford stable promises a big opportunity to be a regular contender, and a further link to the main game having driven for Triple Eight last year. Gomersall also got laps in a Matt Stone Racing Camaro at an evaluation day in December, with his father Jason serving as a co-owner of the team.

Alice Buckley, 18 years old

1st in 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia Scholarship Series, currently 20th in 2026 Super2 Series

Alice Buckley ticked off some major career milestones as her star continued to rise last year. She won the second-tier Toyota 86 series to start the year, leaping to the front of the pack in a final round showdown, before ticking off several wins in her maiden steps into TA2, including an enduro at Queensland Raceway alongside mentor Tim Slade. Stepping up into a learning year in Super2 with a family-run (but Matt Stone Racing-supported) Commodore, Buckley comes with backing from GM, with whom she will also run in Trans Am.

Jarrod Hughes, 20 years old

1st in 2025 TA2 Muscle Car Series, contesting 2026 GT4 Australia Series, Trans Am Series

The popular Queenslander endured a torrid second Super2 season last year, but impressed in his first two main game starts in an Erebus Camaro. Hughes will resume his co-driving duties this year, but swaps a Super2 ride for programs in GT4 and Trans Am, both categories in which he has impressed. Erebus CEO Barry Ryan has spoken several times of a desire to run a wildcard for Hughes, but that doesn't look likely for this season. Chaz Mostert's Method Motorsport will run Hughes' GT4 McLaren this year, further strengthening ties within the main game.

Oliver Wickham, 16 years old

1st in 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Cup, currently 1st in 2026 Formula Ford Super Series

Erebus unearthed another potential star of the future last year in Oliver Wickham, who won last year's Toyota 86 title through sheer consistency. However, still aged just 16, Wickham will have to wait until he is 17 before he can compete in Super2, but did get an opportunity to get behind the wheel of an Erebus Camaro at a Sandown ride day in November. Wickham is plying his trade in a revamped Formula Ford Series this year, a category of which Barry Ryan is a staunch proponent.

Cameron McLeod, 21 years old

6th in 2025 Super2 Series, contesting 2026 GT4 Australia Series

Cameron McLeod put in several big performances around the world last year, culminating in a breakout weekend on one of motorsport's biggest stages at Le Mans. As a result, the Queenslander has been signed to the Ford Racing Driver Development Team, which aims to develop young drivers through to the company's global Mustang GT3 programs. McLeod will drive in the GT4 category under his family RM Racing Cars banner, and at this stage looks unlikely to remain on the Ryco Enduro Cup grid save for a late wildcard entry from a Ford operation.

Nathan Herne, 23 years old

2nd in 2025 Trans Am Series

The curious case of whether or not Nathan Herne will ever compete in Supercars continued last year. The two-time Trans Am champion was well in the frame for a PremiAir Racing co-drive last year, which ultimately went to Nash Morris. Though he hasn't competed in Super2, Herne has proved himself more than worthy of a Supercars shot with some storming drives running his own Trans Am operation, against Supercars veterans such as Todd Hazelwood and James Moffat, as well as one of 2026's early stars in James Golding.

Honourable mentions

MSR return to the development series in 2026 and have announced two young guns to step into their ex-Triple Eight Commodores. Kiwi Ayrton Hodson arrives with a season under his belt, whilst Tommy Smith returns after travelling the path to both F1 and IndyCar. Campbell Logan moves from Walkinshaw to Tickford, in what could represent his best chance at finding development series success. Trans Am will also feature several rising stars, including Walkinshaw junior Pip Casabene, highly rated New South Welshman Blake Tracey, Queensland's Lachlan Evenett, and Cody Brewczynski, who was also at the PremiAir evaluation last year with Morris and Herne.

The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of Supercars, teams or drivers.