Prospective Truck Assist Racing co-driver Jaylyn Robotham says a Gen3 Camaro is “not a world apart” from the older Supercars which race in the Dunlop Super2 Series.
The 20-year-old tested Cameron Hill’s #35 Matt Stone Racing entry at Queensland Raceway, although the team is yet to announce who will complete the pairing for that Camaro in this year’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000 events.
Robotham is this year contesting the National Trans Am Series but was a regular in Super2 in 2022 and also made a cameo in March’s Newcastle round in a Gen2 Ford Mustang which has just dropped down from Championship level.
He is therefore in an interesting position amid the debate about whether Trans Am or Super2 is now the better development competition, given the dramatic reduction in downforce with the advent of Gen3.
“I’ve been watching these Gen3 Supercars on TV this year but until [the test], I was yet to actually see one up close and it’s pretty cool to drive,” said Robotham.
“It wasn’t a world apart from a Super2 car; it’s just a little bit more loose on the brakes and you can’t really lean on the tyre as much.
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“We’re just here to do laps today — thanks to Matt Stone Racing for giving me the opportunity to drive a car today and hopefully that leads somewhere but at this stage we’re just joining MSR for its test day.”
Jayden Ojeda, already confirmed as co-driver for Jack Le Brocq in the #34 Truck Assist Camaro, also cut laps at Queensland Raceway.
“We spent the day at Queensland Raceway just getting some laps in — it’s obviously still quite early in the season so [it was] mostly about Jack,” explained ‘Juice’.
“It’s good for me to get a feel of what Gen3 is like and to understand better later in the year during enduro season when we’re talking about set-up direction.
“With the return of the Sandown 500, there’s a bit of added pressure for us co-drivers because we’ve got to be up-to-speed for two rounds now instead of just one, so getting laps earlier in the year and having more sleeps to think about it and prepare is really important.”
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship continues with the Betr Darwin Triple Crown at Hidden Valley on June 16-18.
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