AT 23 years of age Jack Le Brocq is viewed by many as one of Australian motor sport’s rising stars and he will get the chance to prove that notion at Mount Panorama this weekend.

The Melbourne native will not only tackle the Dunlop Series mini enduro tomorrow, but back on Sunday to make his Bathurst 1000 debut.

He will do so alongside Ash Walsh, a man who appreciates just how hard it is to earn a V8 Supercars seat.

Walsh made a name for himself in Formula Ford and acted as rookie test driver for A1 Team Australia before progressing to the Dunlop Series.

That series, which acts as a feeder for the V8 Supercars, was what Walsh hoped would eventually lead him to the ‘main game.’

A runner-up finish in that series in 2013 and fourth placing in 2014 was enough for Walsh to get the chance he wanted, being signed by Erebus Motorsport for this year’s V8 Supercars Championship.

It has been a steep learning curve this year for Walsh, but he is embracing the chance to race in the iconic category.

It also makes Walsh appreciate what Le Brocq is currently going through as he looks to progress his own career. He knows that a solid drive at Mount Panorama can help the young talent attract attention.

“I think it is time for him to prove he can handle the main game and I feel thankful that he is getting the opportunity, because I know how hard I had to work to get an opportunity,” Walsh said of Le Brocq.

“It’s so difficult to get into the championship, so any opportunity you get to get in there is really good.”

Like Walsh, Le Brocq spent his younger years in the Australian Formula Ford Championship.

That series brought him to Mount Panorama in 2012 – the same year he won the Formula Ford crown – and Le Brocq made a clean sweep of the three races to claim Bathurst round honours.

Last year Le Brocq got another taste of Mount Panorama in both the Bathurst 12 Hour and in his maiden season in the Dunlop Series.

In the 12 Hour he joined Will Davison and Greg Crick in an Erebus entry which placed third, while he finished 10th in October’s Dunlop Series race.

That experience, as well as a fifth placing in this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, gives Walsh confidence in Le Brocq.

“Jack on paper is a rookie, but he certainly has a lot of experience and I feel like if you are going to take a rookie to Bathurst, Jack’s a pretty good rookie to take,” Walsh said.

“He’s been doing the Dunlop Series, he’s always up there in those podium positions and pushing for race wins.”

Le Brocq has picked up seven podiums in the Dunlop Series to be sitting fifth in that championship, but he has been ranked as high as second.

Last month at the Sandown 500 when he made his V8 Supercars debut, Le Brocq joined the other co-drivers in starting the race.

Going from 19th on the grid and dealing with a malfunctioning cool suit, he had a solid first stint in the #4 Mercedes-Benz E63 and ran as high as second.

After his first pit stop he dropped back to 19th and that was where Walsh eventually finished. 

Still, Walsh feels he and Le Brocq are capable of an improved showing in the Bathurst 1000.

“I am well prepared, I feel like he is hungry, so we are ready to go,” Walsh said.

“I think top 10 is a realistic goal for us. Bathurst is one of those races where, as you saw last season, anything can happen.

“So realistically, nothing going wrong, we can finish in the top 10.”