The team has blooded two of its academy drivers across the enduro season with Jobe Stewart teaming up with Cooper Murray and Jarrod Hughes paired with Jack Le Brocq.

There was little secret made of it being an audition for a full-time seat next year given Le Brocq is on the move, likely to Matt Stone Racing.

Stewart, a long-time Erebus academy prospect, remains the firm favourite to get the nod alongside Murray for the 2026 season.

That comes off the back of an outstanding enduro season that yielded a seventh at The Bend and fourth in the Bathurst 1000, he and Murray in contention to win until a late clash with James Golding.

According to Erebus CEO Barry Ryan, Stewart passed the audition for a promotion with flying colours.

At the same time he feels Hughes is also ready to make the step up to the main game.

“Jobe is ready, definitely,” Ryan told Speedcafe. “But Hughesy did a great job [at Bathurst] too, really, really solid job.

“We’ve two young kids in this team that deserve a main game drive. So now it’s working out the next best steps for us and them, and making the right decision for them, as well as us.

“But it will be good whatever we do.”

Stewart and Hughes are among a number of rookie names in the silly season frame with the likes of Rylan Gray and Jackson Walls linked to the Triple Eight-bound SCT entry.

Jayden Ojeda is another rookie-in-waiting with confirmation of a full-time PremiAir Racing seat expected soon.