Mature - Age Rookie

Three years after winning the Dunlop Super2 Series championship, Garry Jacobson got a long-awaited main-game chance at Kelly Racing in 2019. And despite the challenge of racing a Nissan Altima without factory support, the 27-year-old is proving he deserves his shot in the main game.

- James Crocker

Entering the Supercars world as a rookie is a tough task for any driver. Getting yourself in the car against the best drivers in the country, being deeper in the field than you’re used to and being under more scrutiny than you’re used to can cultivate nervousness in a driver. But when you’ve been knocking on the door for half a decade, the relief is palpable, and the excitement is immeasurable. The daunting task feels a lot less daunting when there is an excitement and a burning desire to test yourself. Such is the case of Garry Jacobson.

The 27-year-old has finally broken into the main game with Kelly Racing, some six seasons after his first Dunlop Super2 Series season. And for a born racer like Jacobson, the opportunity gives him the chance to do what he loves the most – race.

“I’m in the car so much more now, I’m in my element pushing myself more often,” he says.

“There’s not as many big breaks between rounds now, waiting and not doing what you love. Being in the car more often is what you want as a young driver. That’s the only way to get better.”

Some drivers may baulk at the idea of pitching themselves directly against the best Australia has to offer and putting the effort in to improve yourself, your car and your team, but not Jacobson.

“Obviously its challenging, racing against better drivers than you’ve ever had to before, but the biggest thing for me is embracing that grind that you have in these longer races and embracing that grind in terms of finding the speed to better your results week in, week out and I’m enjoying the challenges,” he says.

This desire has been stoked by his relatively long road to Supercars, where he spent half a decade in the Dunlop Super2 Series, winning the title in 2016.