2022 was a standout season for Toyota 86 driver Jobe Stewart, who finished a personal best of third in the Championship after securing five podiums throughout the year. 

How would you describe 2022 overall?

JS: It was an eventful season but overall I was happy with how it ended up. There were a lot of good moments at the start of the year, a couple of big scares and sad moments throughout, but I was happy to finish third in the Championship and see strong results throughout the year. 

You started the year off really strong in Sydney, how did that set up your expectations for the year?

JS: My expectations were pretty high after the first round getting the three podiums. Then we had the second round at Bathurst and I got another two podiums so after those first two rounds, I was feeling pretty confident that I could be up the front regularly and fighting for the Championship.

What would you say was the highlight of your year?

JS: I’d say the three podiums at Sydney were probably the highlight of the year but I was also really happy with my qualifying at Bathurst. I qualified second at Bathurst which was my best qualifying of the year. I found that my qualifying continued to get better throughout the year.

You also participated in the Supercars Eseries again, how did this year compare to others?

JS: The Supercars Eseries this year was just as tough as other years, if not more. I didn’t perform as well as I would have hoped but it was still great to do it again and to compete with a lot of the same people as previous seasons. I also really enjoyed this year’s format.

This year was a personal best season for yourself, what do you think that came down to?

JS: The past couple of years with COVID really affected my previous Toyota 86 seasons. This year is really the first full year I’ve competed in so I had more experience on track but I was also able to conduct more test days in the lead up to events so that really helped my results.  

What are your plans for the off season?

JS: I’m planning on trying to keep my physical fitness up and I’ll also be doing a bit of work on the sim when I can. I’ve also finished school now and have started working full time as a panel beater so I’ll be working a lot over the off season.