IT was not that long ago Jayden Ojeda thought he might not be racing at Mount Panorama this October, but now the 21-year-old is set for an experience he had never envisaged.
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Not only will Ojeda be contesting a pair of 100 kilometre Super2 races at the famous circuit, but he will also make his Bathurst 1000 debut after a late call up to the Garry Rogers Motorsport wildcard entry.
GRM had initially planned to have talented Dubbo driver Tyler Everingham pair with Nathan Herne in their Holden ZB Commodore at Bathurst.
However, 18-year-old Hearn was not granted dispensation for a Superlicence and while GRM tried to fight for his inclusion, they withdrew their appeal on Friday.
That meant they needed another driver to pair with Everingham and given the promise Ojeda - who formerly drove for Bathurst's Anderson Motorsport - has shown, he was given the opportunity.
"There's no doubting his driving ability. That's been on show in front of the people that need to see how he drives. His ability is certainly unquestioned," team director Barry Rogers told Speedcafe.com
"As a person, he's a really good, styley, young man. He studies hard and works hard. The road to Bathurst hasn't been an easy road either. He does a good job to get his funding together."
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The announcement leaves Ojeda less than a week to prepare for his maiden appearance in the Bathurst 1000.
"My emotions are running crazy at the moment, thank you to GRM and all the special people in my life that made this possible. It's crazy to be honest," Ojeda said.
"Obviously going into the year, it definitely wasn't on the cards to have a co-drive, we just wanted to have a good year in Super2 and build on that for next year.
"To have the opportunity to do double duties and to make my Supercars debut, it's a crazy prospect. I'm really thankful for the opportunity put in front of me by GRM and all the team on my side that made this deal happen. I'm excited.
"I'm pretty sure we're the youngest pairing on the grid and our team is one of the most experienced to help guide us through our weekend is great."
As for Ojeda's expectations, it's simply to enjoy the experience and stay out of trouble.
"If we can make it to the end of the race with a straight car, that's a win in my book," he said.
"Who doesn't love Bathurst. It's one of the world's great circuits and I am looking forward to learning to get the Supercar around it."