WHEN Hudson James entered the 2026 V8 SuperUtes season, he described it as his “training year” and a chance to learn the new category, develop behind the wheel and build the experience needed to take the next step in his racing career.
There was also one dream sitting above everything else, the opportunity to race the hallowed circuit at Bathurst and after three rounds that dream is about to become reality.
James will line up at the Repco Bathurst 1000 this weekend for Round 4 of the V8 SuperUtes championship, taking on the famous Mount Panorama circuit for the first time.
“It’s actually just unbelievable that the dream’s finally coming true,” James said. “It’s just going to be such an amazing time to go and race in this type of category at this very popular track.”
The 22-year-old EFS 4×4 Accessories driver sits 11th in the championship on 424 points, just 46 points behind Justin Ruggier in 10th and within striking distance of breaking into the top 10, a position not even James could have predicted.
Team Motion Racing’s Adam Marjoram leads the standings heading into Bathurst with 683 points, followed by Cody Brewczynski on 595 and David Sieders on 587.
“Honestly, it was a result that I wasn’t expecting,” James said.
“I thought I’d be a little bit further back, but this is really good.
“I’m hoping, since it’s a track that I’ve always dreamed of driving on, hopefully I can get a really good result to put us back into the top 10.”
James has been putting in plenty of preparation ahead of his Mount Panorama debut, spending hours on racing simulators learning the intricacies of one of the most demanding and famous circuits in Australian motorsport.
“The team’s going good. We’re just working away.”
