Albury's Macauley Jones to step up to full-time Supercars drive

The 24-year-old has shed blood sweat and tears to get there, but has earned his place in the 24-car field that will take to the track on Thursday in the nation’s highest level of motorsport.

Jones has been a top performer in the Super2 category for the past three years and is more than ready to make the jump to the big time.

"I’m very excited, it’s a fair bit different from Super2, with longer races and pit stops, but I actually like the longer races," Jones said.

"I’ve been OK at the 250km race at Bathurst and the co-driver stints I’ve done there as well, so I’m really looking forward to this format."

He could have been the Super2 category champion last year, but equipment failure when leading both races in Townsville and then hitting debris on the track whilst leading on the last lap of the Bathurst race robbed him of the title.

It’s a huge step up for drivers graduating to the main Supercar series and it will take a few seasons for Jones to adjust.

As such he and his father, BJR team owner Brad Jones, aren’t setting their sights too high in his first year.

"It’s another level – you’re now racing the best guys in the country," Jones said.

"The mental build up is different because you go from being at the pointy end of the field in Super2 to down the back and that’s just how it goes.

"It’s the hardest touring car category in the world and I’m just really glad to be a part of it."

Meanwhile, fellow Albury driver Jordan Boys stepped into David Reynolds' Supercar for some laps of Winton Motor Raceway in the lead-up to this weekend’s opening round of the Super2 series, also in Adelaide.

Boys is entering his second full year in the category and remains with Image Racing.

Team owner Terry Wyhoon has been a strong supporter of the up and coming racer and has invested in a new car for the 2019 season, which was also on hand at Winton.

"Our car probably wasn’t as good as some of the others in the field when we turned up at Adelaide last year, but thanks to Terry (team owner Terry Wyhoon) we’re in a much better position this year, so I’m really looking forward to getting there," Boys said.

"Adelaide is always a bit daunting because it’s so fast and the risk is so high – it’s a bit like Bathurst in that respect – but I know what to expect this year so that’s a good thing.”