In what will be its third year as an established V8 Supercars racing conglomerate, MSR’s appointment of Jacobson late last year signals a push within the circuit, with ‘Gas Pedal’ elected to help fuel a surge up the rankings.
After witnessing Jacobson’s abilities firsthand during the lower-tier Super2 series, Stone was convinced he had the right man to join MSR.
“Being that my background is predominantly through Super2 and young drivers coming up through the ranks has always been something I keep my eye on, I’ve known Garry personally since we raced against him in 2016 and he actually beat us to the championship,” Stone said.
“I’ve really followed his career and I do believe that he’s a very talented driver.
“So, to me, he was always on my radar as a good pick for MSR.”
With MSR focused on cultivating a philosophy which develops young racers into title contenders, Jacobson’s skillset suits the mission accordingly, Stone said.
Following on from his final ride for Kelly Racing in the RABBLE.club Nissan late November, Jacobson was swooped by MSR to quash any doubt of a return to the V8 circuit.
“Him being a former champion but then not being able to transition that immediately into a full-time main game drive, to me that was always an unfair step in his career,” Stone told Supercars.com
“I feel that he is definitely the right person for us.
“I have rated him and his abilities over the years, but it was just a case of the timing being right and us getting together and talking.
“We had an opportunity that he was very interested in stepping into and we managed to piece it all together and we really haven’t looked back.”
Swapping the Nissan fob for Holden keys in 2020, Jacobson will play a pivotal role as the lead driver in MSR’s campaign - and will have the chance to first fire up the pedals under the new banner next month at the Super Adelaide 500 on February 20 to 23.