AFTER three-time Bathurst 1000 winning driver Garth Tander witnessed what Jayden Ojeda produced in the Formula 4 series, he said that the teenager's talent for racing was was clear to see.
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Tander was not the only one who thought so either.
Bathurst driver Mick Anderson also saw potential in Ojeda and it prompted him to make a changes in his own motor sport career.
After competing in the Australian V8 Touring Car series for the past three seasons, he has decided to switch to team ownership and hand the wheel of his Anderson Motorsport FG Falcon over to Ojeda.
"It was about giving a young bloke a shot in a good car. There are very few good cars out there and opportunities don't come along that often either. That's why I made the decision to have Jayden, I wanted to make sure that if I did do this, I had a very well credentialed driver," Anderson said.
"He's won multiple championships in go-karting, won championships in Formula Ford and last year won the Formula 4 championship.
"Most drivers who do well in Formula 4 seem to go into steering a Supercar pretty well, that as another reason for going with Jayden."
This year the series has been elevated to Super 3 status, giving it official recognition from Supercars for the first time.
It means there will be a record 25-car field to take on this weekend's season opener at Phillip Island, with Ojeda one of 10 debutants who will be on the grid.
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Though he has not previously raced tin tops, Anderson was pleased with what the 19-year-old produced when testing at Winton in the build up to the season-opener.
"He was straight on the pace and started doing some blistering times there actually. We had the car set up pretty well perfect for him and we made a few adjustments as we went," Anderson said.
"By the end of the day the times he was doing were well and truly quick enough to be on the front row of the grid.
"He's very talented at what he does and has adapted well to the car considering his history. He's not sitting in the centre of the car, he's got a roof over his head now, but he's adapted really well to it."
Though Ojeda is a rookie in the series, Anderson believes that he has the talent behind him to push for the championship win.
The car he will drive certainly gives him the opportunity to do that. Since Anderson purchased the 2015 Supercars Development Series-winning FG Falcon that Cam Waters formerly raced it has often featured at the pointy end of the field.
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Anderson and his team have also improved the Falcon since last season.
"It's the same car as last year, but we've freshened the whole car up, so it's like it's brand new now," he said.
"So we've got what I reckon is one of the best cars in the field, we've got the machinery to do it and he can drive ... so we're going out there to win it.
"We are going in it to try and win the championship."
Action at Phillip Island starts on Friday with a pair of practice sessions, with the Anderson Motorsport team looking to claim the chequered flag in two 10-lap races and the 12-lap finale which make up the opening round.