The 21-year-old paired with Cooper Murray to convert eighth on the grid into a seventh-place finish in the 102-lap race aboard the #99 Erebus Camaro.
They were the only combination on the ‘alternate’ driver strategy, as Erebus elected to start the primary driver before double-stinting Stewart and then putting Murray back in for the finish.
“It helped us a fair bit in that first stint because Cooper was able to pass a few of those co-drivers when they were just figuring it out in the first few laps,” Stewart told Speedcafe.
“In my first stint I damaged the tyre early and kind of struggled, but then that second stint was awesome against all the main drivers.
“I managed to hold my ground and hang onto the tyres and bring it back in a good position for Cooper.”
Super2 driver Stewart said he had no reservations about going up against the primary drivers in his second stint at the wheel.
“We honestly expected a few more people to do it, but I wasn’t really phased by who I was racing against,” he said of the strategy.
“At the end of the day, you’re just on a race track with heaps of other cars and race car drivers, so I just tried to keep my head down and stay consistent and it worked out.”
Stewart has put himself in pole position to graduate to a full-time drive next year as Erebus scouts for a replacement for Jack Le Brocq in its #9 Camaro.
The Mount Gambier, SA, native is a product of Erebus’ academy program, which is run in conjunction with Image Racing.
He won the Super3 title in 2023 before stepping up to Super2 last year, finishing fifth in points after a breakout maiden win at Bathurst.
This year has proven a tough one for the Image outfit but Stewart is doing everything he can to impress Erebus boss Barry Ryan.
“I think I’m ready, I think Barry knows that I want to be in there, so I just have to wait and see, but this is the best way to show that I’m ready,” he said of a full-time seat.
“No one’s officially said that it’s an audition, but I think everyone up and down pit lane would be looking at the rookie co-drivers and seeing how they do.
“So it’s definitely an audition of sorts.”
Stewart’s connection to Erebus began through the team’s Mount Gambier-based chassis builder James White back in 2017.
“Dad owns a crash repair shop and we’ve been painting the Erebus chassis for eight years now,” explained Stewart, who also helps build and repair cars at White’s workshop.
“Barry’s pretty much pushed me down this pathway to where I am now, so I just can’t thank those guys enough. It’s working out so far, I’m pretty stoked with my career up until this point.”
Stewart made the 300km trek back from Tailem Bend to Mount Gambier on Sunday night, ready to return to his day job this morning.
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