Barry Ryan took an enormous danger on the finish of 2020.
Within the house of 12 months the Erebus CEO had gone from having a settled, skilled, mostly-harmonious and well-performing driver duo in David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale to having, effectively, a rookie and a vacant seat. De Pasquale was poached by Dick Johnson Racing, successfully to exchange IndyCar-bound Scott McLaughlin. And as for Reynolds, who was within the first yr of a 10-year deal, the connection through the COVID-affected season soured to a degree the place it was higher for each driver and crew to name it quits and go their very own methods. Which they did.
Erebus had not less than one driver exit coated by a long-term take care of well-rated rookie Will Brown, who had lengthy been promised a seat for 2021. After which as an alternative of searching for a like-for-like substitute for Reynolds – an skilled driver to assist information Brown in his youth – Ryan determined to roll the cube on one other promising rookie. Brodie Kostecki. The confident West Aussie had been drafted into the Erebus Bathurst 1000 line-up for 2020 to accomplice De Pasquale and impressed the crew together with his steely strategy to racing on the highest stage of Australian motorsport. In actual fact, it was whereas below stress from Kostecki that seven-time champion Jamie Whincup crashed out of the race. At a time when the crew was questioning Reynolds’ software, Kostecki’s no-nonsense, elbows-out fashion made a huge impact. So, Ryan signed him up for 2021.
At no level has the danger taken by Ryan for 2021 backfired. Kostecki and Brown have confirmed over the previous two seasons that they clearly belong within the class, Brown even nabbing a career-first race win on the finish of his rookie season.
This yr, nonetheless, there’s one thing totally different happening at Erebus. Kostecki and Brown have gone from trying like they belong, to trying like contenders. Kostecki particularly has began the Gen3 period with a splash, with a pole in Newcastle and his first two Supercars race wins at Albert Park. That’s left him main the standings for the primary time in his profession heading to the third occasion of the season in Perth. It’s additionally prompted discuss that Kostecki actually is beginning to ship on the promise he confirmed at Bathurst in 2020 – and is headed in the direction of the circle of actually elite drivers in Supercars.
Transferring past the very, superb drivers and changing into one of many present greats alongside the likes of Shane van Gisbergen, Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters. Not that Ryan thinks that’s the case. He’s satisfied that Kostecki has lengthy been an A-Grader – it’s simply taken the transfer to the tightly-controlled Gen3 method for him to actually present it.
Ryan has overseen a change at Erebus Motorsport in 2023
Photograph by: Mark Horsburgh, Edge Photographics
“Brodie is certainly there,” Ryan tells Autosport. “He’s been there since we employed him, I feel. He’s been able to go. Mentally he’s simply that bit stronger this yr, as a result of he doesn’t have to fret about there probably being a quicker automotive on the grid. That’s due to Gen3. It’s helped him so much, and that’s a credit score to the crew for offering him with the automotive. Brodie has responded and he’s doing a extremely good job.
“He’s in a extremely good headspace, which is the most important factor. He doesn’t consider anyone can beat him. He’s going into each session, each qualifying, each race, pondering he’s the perfect driver on the market. He at all times has, to be truthful. It was at all times simply the query of whether or not there was somebody on the market with a greater automotive or a greater engine. Now that field has been ticked in his head, as a result of the automobiles are the identical.”
The truth that Brown and Kostecki have been promoted to Supercars collectively makes it one of many extra fascinating team-mate pairings within the class. They may not be extra comparable when it comes to career-positioning. Your team-mate is at all times the primary driver you need to beat, however on this case it’s not for inside supremacy (and pit precedence throughout a race), they’re competing, fiercely, to be the ‘subsequent huge factor’ in Supercars.
“Each Brodie and Can have mentioned, ‘effectively that is what we’ve acquired – how can we profit from it?’ They do not even discuss in regards to the outdated automotive. I’ve by no means as soon as heard them say, ‘oh, this automotive doesn’t do that or that in addition to the outdated automotive’” Barry Ryan
Whereas the indicators, not less than from the surface, have pointed to Kostecki pulling simply away from Brown over the previous season and a bit, Ryan is adamant there’s nothing to separate the pair. The instance he cites is Sunday’s race at Albert Park, which Brown was in competition to win till he spun making an attempt to get previous Mostert for the lead.
“I feel they’re each [A-Graders],” says Ryan. “Brodie has simply shone a bit extra this yr, however Will might have gained that final race on the [Australian] Grand Prix if that transfer had caught. For certain, these wins for Brodie will open the floodgates. And hopefully Will can get one other win as effectively and he’ll break by way of that very same barrier – though in saying that his confidence is at a excessive proper now too; he is aware of he might have gained that race at Albert Park. He is aware of he stuffed up, however he is aware of he can do it.
“The most effective factor with these two is that they do genuinely assist one another, and they’re genuinely pleased to see one another get a great outcome. For us that’s big. And yeah, they push one another all the time. Whether or not they’re at house on iRacing, or no matter they’re doing. No matter they will do to make themselves higher, they do it. They usually assist one another do it.”
The Brown and Kostecki team-mate partnership has additionally paid dividends
Photograph by: Edge Photographics
The transfer to the Gen3 guidelines has clearly helped Erebus, Kostecki and Brown transfer up the pecking order, with a transparent pattern that the Coca-Cola backed Camaros are pretty much as good as anything within the discipline. But it surely’s not simply the equalisation that’s performed into their arms. Whereas the tough low-downforce automobiles have drawn the ire of loads of drivers, there’s been a real sense that the Erebus drivers have accepted the failings within the new {hardware}, and simply acquired on with the job of maximising no matter is beneath them.
“Each Brodie and Can have mentioned, ‘effectively that is what we’ve acquired – how can we profit from it?’,” Ryan explains. “They do not even discuss in regards to the outdated automotive. I’ve by no means as soon as heard them say, ‘oh, this automotive doesn’t do that or that in addition to the outdated automotive’. They don’t care. The outdated automotive does not matter anymore.
“They’ve been optimistic about what they’ve acquired, and they’re targeted on ensuring what they’ve acquired works. The engineers have the identical perspective. If it’s inferior to you need it, who cares. Simply make it pretty much as good as you possibly can.”
For Ryan, the rise of his former rookies supplies satisfaction past main the championship. He was the one who took the danger again in 2021 and, in the event that they proceed to ship like they’re, he actually deserves the plaudits for doing so. Even now, he admits there’s a particular satisfaction that comes with their robust begin to the season. “I really feel that for each of them,” he says.
“We signed Will again when he was an actual junior and we had the religion that he’d be the subsequent smartest thing. And Brodie, effectively, Brodie wasn’t being checked out by anyone, at the same time as a co-driver, after we signed him. We picked him up and right away, for us, the most important factor was his perspective. That was what impressed us and we took an opportunity on him and Will collectively as a pairing in 2021. So yeah, it’s satisfying to see that repay.”
The flip aspect of their success is that, ought to it proceed, protecting them on the books might change into a problem. DJR flirted with signing Brown for this yr, and Kostecki’s identify is now one of many first talked about ought to the likes of Triple Eight must buy groceries on the motive force market. One other potential banana pores and skin for Erebus is Kostecki’s ties to NASCAR. He grew up within the NASCAR system whereas residing within the USA as a child and has made no secret of his plans to run a restricted US marketing campaign alongside his Supercars commitments as quickly as this yr. A extra everlasting NASCAR transfer is much from out of the query.
Preventing for the 2023 Supercars title stays the primary focus, however turning that into a long-lasting attribute is the subsequent purpose
Photograph by: Edge Photographics
Ryan acknowledges that poaching might be a difficulty, however, with each drivers now on offers for 2023 and 2024, says the onus is on him and Erebus to make use of that point to change into a Supercars powerhouse. If the crew can try this, Ryan gained’t have to fret about different groups taking his drivers when they’re off-contract. And if Kostecki does head Stateside, the cream of the Supercars crop can be knocking the door down at Erebus. In different phrases, Ryan desires to be the one doing the poaching, if wanted.
“That was behind my thoughts after we did the final offers,” says Ryan. “I needed to lock each of them down for 2 years, after which make it possible for on the finish of that two years, they gained’t need to go away. As a result of we’ll be the perfect crew. The dialog is very easy once you’re the quickest crew and there’s nowhere higher to go. Hopefully it’s that straightforward.
“Essentially the most profitable groups have drivers keep for a number of years. We’d like the suitable drivers within the automobiles and in the intervening time we’ve acquired them” Barry Ryan
“Brodie may find yourself in NASCAR, we’d not have a selection. If he does that, then good luck to him. However not less than if we’re the perfect crew in Supercars, the perfect drivers will need to drive for us, so we are able to have the choose of drivers to exchange him.
“That’s what my final plan is. We don’t need to must be searching for the subsequent driver that we need to create over a number of years. We would like the subsequent driver that’s able to win.
“However I additionally hope Brodie is right here for the subsequent 10 years. Like Jamie [Whincup] and [Craig] Lowndes, and Shane [van Gisbergen] and Jamie. Essentially the most profitable groups have drivers keep for a number of years. We’d like the suitable drivers within the automobiles and in the intervening time we’ve acquired them. For the subsequent yr and a half we’ve acquired the drivers we would like. And hopefully we are able to re-sign them after that just because there may be nowhere higher to go.”
What can Erebus pull off this yr?
Photograph by: Edge Photographics
