Erebus Academy drivers Jay Hanson and Jobe Stewart attended Winton Motor Raceway yesterday for mid-season testing ahead of the upcoming Sandown 500. 

Having undertaken testing at The Bend Motorsport Park in May, it was Stewart’s first time returning to Winton since his initial Super3 test in February. 

Continuing his focus on braking, Stewart was pleased with the outcome of the test day having recognised his progression throughout the year.

“The last time I was at Winton was my first time being in a Supercar so with three rounds and three test days under my belt, I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my driving and my confidence,” Stewart said.

“Braking continues to be the main thing I need to focus on as it’s where I’ll gain the most time in the Supercar but I know I’m definitely getting better at it. 

“Sandown is a fairly different track to Winton and Townsville in terms of braking so it’s all about getting my technique a little better and finding more consistency. 

“I’m feeling really good about heading into the event. Sandown is a really cool track with a lot of history and I’ve done pretty well there in the past so I’m looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, Hanson was finally able to gain some valuable track time after an Erebus evaluation day and a subsequent test day at Winton were both rained out. 

“It was great to be back in the car after being rained out the past two times we’ve tried to run at Winton,” Hanson said. 

“We managed to get through all of our run plan and clocked nearly 100 laps so it was a pretty big day but we were all really happy with how it turned out.  

“Our major focus for the rest of the year is qualifying and we’re hoping that today’s learnings will carry over into our Sandown efforts.

“We were able to show speed at Sandown in both the wet and dry last year and I really enjoy the track so I’m hoping it’s going to be a happy hunting ground for me and we can maximise everything and get good results.”

Stewart currently holds the top position on the Super3 Championship ladder, while Hanson holds sixth in the Super2 Championship. 

Both drivers will now put full focus into the upcoming Sandown 500, 15 – 17 September.