Generation next: Who will be the top Supercars rookie in 2026 and why?
This year's rookie crop is shaping up to be one of the most talented ever seen in the Repco Supercars Championship, with five drivers stepping up to the main game as full-timers.
All five are products of the Dunlop Super2 Series pathway, with four graduating straight from the development series, and the other having taken a global path after impressing at the turn of the decade.
Of the five rookies, two account for the last two Super2 title wins, another two played starring roles in the 2025 enduro campaign, and the other comes with wins in two of Australia's most competitive categories.
Supercars.com takes a look at the rookie class of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, and analyses why they can stake a claim to claim Rookie of the Year honours this season.
Rylan Gray
The reigning Super2 champion was a class above in 2025, even among the Tickford stable that dominated the field. With main game stars Cam Waters and Thomas Randle locked in until 2027 at the earliest, the 19-year-old's future was always going to lie elsewhere, and Dick Johnson Racing pounced, having lost Kai Allen in 2024. A well regarded member of the Ford Racing family, the Blue Oval are thought to have been very keen to keep their rising star, with a program that could also include GT racing in 2026. DJR's rebuild has continued over the off-season, with several movements in off-track roles, however Brodie Kostecki's influence is now well and truly in full effect. The 2023 Supercars Champion is unquestionably one of the sport's elite drivers, and will be a tough benchmark for Gray to beat. However, Kostecki has also had a keen eye for emerging talent, and could be the perfect mentor for Gray's full-time initiation.
Zach Bates
The driver who was bumped off his mantle by Gray, Zach Bates has also secured a well-earned full-time promotion with Matt Stone Racing. After an impressive Super2 title win in 2024 with Walkinshaw Andretti United, a move to Eggleston Motorsport didn't bring the desired results last year, however he put in some mighty performances in his five starts in Triple Eight's wildcard Camaro. Bates rocked the establishment on debut by qualifying a stunning fifth in the Sunday Top Ten Shootout at Ipswich, and being the fastest of the used tyre runners, and kept a cool head to claim a top ten finish on a wild day at Bathurst. Being around the likes of Broc Feeney, Will Brown, Craig Lowndes, and Jamie Whincup within the Triple Eight set-up would do wonders for any young driver, let alone one with the talent Bates possesses. MSR have proven themselves as race winners on their day, and with favoured venues in Albert Park and Symmons Plains in the opening five rounds, Bates will want to hit the ground running.
Jobe Stewart
It's hard to argue against the notion that Jobe Stewart was the find of the Enduro Cup in 2025. Highly touted within the Erebus stable since he joined their Academy aged just 13, the South Australian looked like a veteran in his first foray into the main game. Not only was he composed, but he was impressively quick too. Whilst Cooper Murray got much of the plaudits for his drive in the closing stages at Bathurst, Stewart was just as impressive when the conditions deteriorated. Even on debut at The Bend, Stewart was thrown into the fire against the primary drivers, and more than held his own. However, it's a different beast to have your own car, steering your own set-up direction, being responsible for qualifying duties. If there's any team to step into the main game with, Erebus have got a great track record, think Anton De Pasquale, Will Brown, Brodie Kostecki. Murray is showing plenty of potential, can Stewart do the same?
Jayden Ojeda
Jayden Ojeda's path to Supercars has by no means been traditional. Since finishing third in the 2021 Super2 Series behind Broc Feeney and Zak Best, Ojeda has blazed a trail globally, and remains a Junior Driver for Mercedes in GT3 cricles. However, he has remained a fixture of the enduros as a co-driver, and since the change to Gen3, Ojeda has had three impressive endurance campaigns with Matt Stone Racing, Erebus, and Walkinshaw Andretti United. That has turned into a full-time Supercars opportunity some thought would never come. Like many garages up and down pit lane, PremiAir is a place of change in 2026, with a new teammate in Declan Fraser, and new Team Principal in Roland Dane. Unlike the other rookies, Ojeda has a headstart on his new venture, having replaced Richie Stanaway in the final two rounds of 2025, and jagged a Top Ten Shootout berth on Sunday in Adelaide.
Jackson Walls
SCT Motorsport's departure from Brad Jones Racing came as a shock, with their new home at Triple Eight a clear signal of intent. The arrival of Jackson Walls might be viewed by some as an interesting move, but don't write him off. Walls completed his Super2 apprenticeship with Triple Eight, scoring a pole, race win, and round win at Ipswich, and was on course to claim Super2 Rookie of the Year before a mechanical failure led to a weekend-ending crash in Adelaide. Whilst he mightn't have the success that the other four rookies might have, he does still have runs on the board in both Super2 and Porsches Carrera Cup, and SCT's Head of Motorsport Programs, Andrew Jones, decided he had seen enough potential to give Walls his shot. The Sydneysider will be armed with the best equipment of any of the rookies, with a brand-new Triple Eight Mustang set to be at his disposal, but faces a steep learning curve having not made a single main game start to date.
