New Zealander Ben Stewart has finished runner-up in the 2026 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Australia GR Cup, just 22 points behind champion Cooper Barnes after a three-race decider at the Sandown 500.
Stewart arrived at Sandown International Motor Raceway as the championship leader, eight points clear of Barnes with three races and 300 points left to play for. He was the series’ form driver, having won the final race at Bathurst only weeks earlier.
Saturday brought heavy morning rain and a challenging day. Stewart was on course for a strong qualifying lap before losing time at a single corner, leaving him eighth on the grid. Short on outright pace in Race 1, he brought the car home eighth. Barnes finished fourth, leading by two points heading into Sunday.
Race 2 proved the turning point. Pushing hard for the title, Stewart went for an overtaking move that did not come off and ran off the track, dropping down the order and finishing fourteenth. Barnes finished fifth, stretching the gap to 18 points heading into the finale.
Needing to outscore Barnes by 20 points in the final race, Stewart produced his best drive of the weekend. He charged from 14th on the grid to sixth, crossing the line just two seconds behind Barnes. It was not quite enough, and Barnes claimed the title by 22 points, the closest championship margin in the series’ history.
“It’s pretty bittersweet. I probably went for a move I really shouldn’t have in Race 2, put it off track, and really hurt our chances of fighting for the championship… I’m disappointed not to take the big prize, but still really proud of the year we’ve put together. A massive congrats to Cooper on his mega year. He’s been hard to beat all year, so big props to him.” – Ben Stewart
Sandown capped a season in which Stewart was the most consistent driver in the title fight. He finished all 15 races, recorded 14 top-10 finishes and averaged 5.5 per race, a better average finish than the champion’s 5.7.
His campaign was built on a remarkable comeback. After a slow start at Sydney Motorsport Park, Stewart sat sixth in the standings and 126 points off the lead after Townsville. From there, he scored more points than any other driver, 706 across the final nine races, to take the championship lead after Bathurst.
The highlight came at Mount Panorama, where Stewart finished third, second and then first. His victory in the final race of the round was his first win of the season and sent him to Sandown at the top of the table.
“We started a bit shaky, but we’ve been consistent throughout the year, getting podiums in most rounds, and the win at Bathurst definitely helped us. I can’t thank the team enough for their hard work over the year. We wouldn’t be here without them.” – Ben Stewart
Header Photo: Supplied
