For years, Jayden Ojeda has been touted as one of the brightest talents rising through the ranks in Australian motorsport.
In fact, he’s long been a chief rival of Broc Feeney’s.
Feeney only just pipped Ojeda to the 2019 Super3 Series title.
The following year Ojeda comfortably took the mantle of the top Super2 Series rookie, taking three podiums in just seven races, before the bragging rights swung back Feeney’s way last year as he roared to the second-tier title.
This is where their careers diverge; Feeney having secured a plum 2022 Supercars drive replacing Jamie Whincup at Red Bull Ampol Racing, while Ojeda has somewhat disappeared.
Not only did the Penrith product miss out on following Feeney into the main game, he was absent altogether from the Super2 grid at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend. He hasn’t popped up in any Australian Racing Group categories either, as yet.
Ojeda was known to be in talks with Walkinshaw Racing about a 2022 Super2 programme, although that never quite eventuated.
“The way the world has been in the past two years, nothing comes as a surprise anymore. You kind of get used to it,” the 22-year-old told Speedcafe.com.
“It’s been a tough time for a lot of people and if I’m talking about not being able to go racing again as the hardest thing I have got to go through, then I sound pretty spoilt.
“At the end of the day, I’m still at the race track [driver coaching Brad Vaughan and Chris Smerdon in Super3], I’m still enjoying myself and I’m still working to get myself in a car, so life isn’t that bad.”
Despite that philosophical outlook, Ojeda is defiant that his best is yet to come.
“We’re still working through what we will do this year,” said the driver known as ‘the Juice’.
“We have got a few things in the works, nothing I can say too much on, but it’s certainly not the end, certainly not me dropping off the grid.
“Ultimately my goal is still to be in Supercars so what and how has slightly changed but the goal is still the same. We’ll just adjust and go from there.
“There’s plenty of opportunities out there. Like I said, it’s not over for me.”
Ojeda has two Bathurst 1000 starts to his name, co-driving the Garry Rogers Motorsport wildcard in 2020 and then partnering Zane Goddard last year at Matt Stone Racing.
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