2024 V8 Supercars & Supports:12 Rounds Calendar inc NZ round confirmed

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Percat does the job with a great drive. Percat wins for Matt Stone. Brown 2nd Feeney 3rd.then Mostert, Waters, Randle, Davison, Hill, Stanaway, Golding

[Everso Biggyballies]

Actually the results show Randle ahead of Mostert and Waters. Not sure what happened unless there are penalties involved.

Somehow Percats car never made it to the podium area and he had to run up to the podium area in the F1 pit area./

[Vassago]

Mostert got 5 secs penalty for contact with Payne?

[Everso Biggyballies]

So Brown wins the Larry Perkins trophy for what is the round win we never normally talk of these days.

Feeney doesnt look happy but only has himself to blame. Got the sulks because I think he sees himself as the #1 in his own little head space. Will said post race about battling with Feeney and he simply said we can run against each other just not INTO each other and that there was never any contact so all good.

Mostert was very quick to go and apologise to Matt Payne post race as I think Mostert in effect ran Payne off the road a bit. when they both took each other out of the lead.


Ford looked quick enough to win, just not clever enough to win. Or too stupid to win.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Good to see Larry Perkins fit and well up on the podium to award Will with hi LP Trophy

[Everso Biggyballies]

Championship Standings

1. Brown leads on 575
2. Feeney 558,
3. Mostert 478,
4. Reynolds 405,
5. Reynolds 358,
6. Stanaway 352,
7. Payne 333,
8. Randle 304,
9. Winterbottom 303,
10.Davison 303

[Everso Biggyballies]

Thats it for Supercars at Albert Park.

Next stop Taupo on the 19th April..

[Vassago]

Brodie Kostecki will return at Taupo. Boost Mobile founder has spoken so it seems like therein lied the problem.

[Everso Biggyballies]

What a.load of shite. This whole episode had to be about more than an ex sponsor with a big mouth. This was about something within the team that had sparked things, not something to do with a gobby sponsor.

The story at the start dong the rounds was that it started over the fact Brodie was offered the SVG T8 gig, but Erebus wouldnt release him from his contract. T8 then asked. about Will Brown and they released him. This was over the Tailem Bend round towards the end of last year.

Obviously Brodie wasnt impressed and felt that he had been restricted. There was never a disagreement between Will and Brodie, just the fact that Erebus treated both drivers differently.

I heard rumours that it went to the next level at the end of year Erebus party when apparently Will was, although invited, ignored by the top brass and treated as being pretty much invisible. Brodie objected to the team ignoring Will's part in the season, given his contribution to winning the Teams Championship, and that an argument that might have turned physical between Barry and Brodie. Brodie has had issues before getting punchy after a few beers and Barry is hardly a stable personality at best.

I assumed that it was all internal. and a lets call it a clash of personalities, more based on Brodie wanting nothing to do with the team. Their naming a new TP reporting to Barry as CEO I though likelt to have been a play to remove Barry from day to day team stuff.

Brodie seems to be saying it was all do do with his personal health, sort of hinting he had a bit of a mental breakdown. I thought that might have just been a way of not blaming anyone and being a justifiable reason, but it never really ticked my boxes as a reason. But I admit Im not a psychiatrist so what do I know.

It all seems a bit petty of Adderton to suggest the whole thing was to do with Boost. I dont even know if Erebus have another phone arrangemt with another provider / backer. Maybe one planned. That would be reasonable to say no. But Erebus know Brodie is a Boost Ambassador so its all a bit odd.

I cant wait for Brodie to go out, win a Boost Pole Award (Boost sponsor the Pole awards this year) and see if Brodie wears the compulsory Sponsor hat that is part of the Supercars contract. I recall Feeney didnt wear one (T8 have an arrangement with Vodafone) and it caused a stir because he wouldnt wear the Boost hat. Adderton I believe refused to pay Brown the cash award because of not keeping to the Supercars contract to wear one for the interviews. I believe now T8 drivers have an exemption to wear the hats, not sure if they get the money or not.

Anyway I am glad Brodie is back hopefully all the issues whatever they were are resolved. I dont care if the truth of wht happens ever comes out. Im happy to believe it was Brodies health issues as seems to be the agreed line. Im just happy we have a champion back in the field,and cant wait for him to put the car on Pole for round 2 of the Boost Hatgate to to get sparked up.

Adderton is I am sure stirring the pot given Shit Stirrer is his middle name. He is just making some publicity for himself and creating something out of nothing. He would flog his Mother for a bit of publicity. I get he is very generous to Motorsport and that is great, but jeezus he is hard work and personally not a favourite of mine. Very unlikely you will ever see me using a Boost mobile plan.

Cue a forthcoming statement in which Adderton / Boost will be making the annual promise to walk away from anything to do with Supercars, no doubt mentioning how he is the most generous sponsor Supercars have ever had and that none of the existing drivers would ever have got anywhere without his backing and support.

[theracer120]

Yeah I don't think Boost had much to do with it, I think he's just pissed because Erebus has prevented Brodie from displaying his logo, which seems a bit petty from Erebus tbh. Although Peter's posts don't really make him very sympathetic. I'm guessing that Erebus's lawyers won and that's forced Brodie to come back for the rest of the year.

[Everso Biggyballies]

In some sad news, Bev (longtime partner of Peter) Brock has passed away from cancer aged 77.

A constant fixture in the pits during his races, the pair were together for almost three decades, and had two children together.
Bev was very much the woman behind the man and looked after all the commercial side of Peter's life.




Tribute to Bev posted here: viewtopic.php?p=462276#p462276

[Everso Biggyballies]

Cue a forthcoming statement in which Adderton / Boost will be making the annual promise to walk away from anything to do with Supercars, no doubt mentioning how he is the most generous sponsor Supercars have ever had and that none of the existing drivers would ever have got anywhere without his backing and support.

As predictable as the sun rising in the morning. This time its not just supercars he is quitting, it is smotorsport in general, from Indycar and NASCAR down, covering all categories and all drivers.

[Vassago]

Well, he's going out swinging that's for sure. Can't say I blame him too much. And can't blame SVG for getting out of the Oz pool and some others maybe looking to follow. This is probably the biggest ego-bashing moment since James Hardie pulled out of Bathurst after the 1987 DQ shitshow. So I can understand that. Spending other people's money is always trendy let alone in the social media era.

[Everso Biggyballies]

David Russell drops Erebus for PremiAir Enduro co-driving role.

In enduro news David Russell, who has of late traditionally been an Erebus co-driver, has forsaken them and signed up with PremiAir to co drive James Golding. David helped Brodie Kostecki to 2 x Bathurst 1000 podiums in the past three years, one of them a 2nd place last year. I have always rated him at the top end of the co driver flock, quick and generally mistake free who doesnt break the toys.

[Everso Biggyballies]

OK so now we are starting to gets some news on Brodies fallout with Erebus, and seeming reasons for his return.

It would appear that Brodie, having had a fallout with Barry Ryan and wanted out of his contract perhaps felt he would be released from his contract. There are a number of things that might have happened but what we now did happen is that Erebus sent Brodie a very strong legal letter hinting at an intent to sue him for financial damages caused to Erebus by his breach of contract should he have quit the team. Reading between the lines I would say all the love and hugs we have patched up our differences we have seen this week are far from the truth.....

Brodie is under contract to Erebus for this year. I would put my house on him not being there next year. Long shot hints that it could be at PremiAir maybe even with sponsors who bailed from Erebus (that is pure speculation I hasten to add.)

Anyway, make your own mind up.... this is the bombshell article supposedly based on documents sighted or been shown, not from any of the normal V8SC media outlets but from Channel 9's Wide World of Sports. (WWOS)

Its all far from historical stories that have come from Betty and Ryan that they would never stop a driver from leaving if they didnt want to be there (at Erebus) Dave Reynolds springs to mind, 12 months into a 10 year contract there. ADP leaving to go to DJR (I think although out of contract Erebus had some sort of option )

Erebus Supercars team's 'aggressive' legal threat sent to champion driver Brodie Kostecki before his return.

Erebus Motorsport threatened to sue Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki for allegedly causing the team to suffer significant losses after the driver sought to terminate his contract, Wide World of Sports can reveal.

WWOS has seen an email from Kostecki's lawyer in early February stating the driver proposed to terminate his contract with the Melbourne-based team.

Kostecki's lawyer received a letter from Erebus Motorsport by way of lawyer Sven Burchartz of Kalus Kenny Intelex in response to the driver's request stating the team would seek an injunction and sue the 2023 champion for damages if Kostecki's agreement was terminated.

Kostecki's lawyer stated Erebus Motorsport alleged the driver acted wrongfully in communicating with third parties, causing the team to suffer significant losses. Although not explicitly outlined in the communication seen by WWOS, those third parties are believed to be the sponsors that left the team.

Brodie Kostecki celebrates winning the 2023 Supercars drivers' championship with his Erebus Motorsport team. (Daniel Kalisz/Race Project via Getty Images)
While an exact figure was not glimpsed in the communications, several sources have indicated to WWOS that the sum of the damages Erebus Motorsport would have sought was at least $3 million and upwards of $4 million had it reached court.

According to Kostecki's lawyer, Erebus Motorsport said in its letter that it expected Kostecki to comply fully with his contractual obligations to the team. The driver's lawyer labelled the potential injunction and threats to sue an "aggressive response" to Kostecki's request to terminate the contract.

In the wake of the announcement Kostecki would not be racing at the season-opener, naming rights sponsor Coca-Cola Europacific Partners pulled its sponsorship from the team as did investment and wealth management firm Shaw and Partners.

Southern Cross Truck Rentals was in negotiations to renew its contract with Erebus Motorsport but withdrew from those talks earlier this year over what the company's owner Steve Blackmore said were based on "issues that were occurring that are beyond Brodie not just driving" that he said were "never addressed" and remain pertinent.

WWOS can also reveal Grays Online Auctions has terminated its sponsorship with the team. Grays sponsored the team in round one of the Supercars season but is no longer listed as a sponsor on Erebus Motorsport's website and Kostecki's car was void of any Grays sponsorship at a recent test day. Grays had not responded to WWOS' request for comment at the time of publication and Erebus Motorsport would not comment on the matter.


Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Shaw and Partners, Southern Cross Truck Rentals, and Grays Online Auctions have all parted company with Erebus Motorsport. (Morgan Hancock via Getty Images)
In communications from Kostecki's representative, it is said there was no sign Erebus Motorsport had any intention to negotiate.

WWOS understands Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan had been at loggerheads since midway through 2023 and had reached an impasse that prompted Kostecki to seek a way out.

WWOS understands part of Kostecki's negotiations dating back to late last year before the short-lived split would keep the driver and the team's CEO away from each other.

On January 25, the team announced Brad Tremain had been installed as team principal under Ryan. It's believed that was a measure to appease Kostecki and create something of a stop-gap between him and Ryan.

On January 30, it was reported by Speedcafe that Kostecki would miss the season-opening Bathurst 500 on February 23-25 at Mount Panorama.

Erebus Motorsport confirmed the news a day later but said "Contrary to media reports, Kostecki remains part of the Erebus Motorsport family and is a valued member of the team."

Brodie Kostecki drove to second in the 2023 Bathurst 1000 with co-driver David Russell. (Daniel Kalisz/Race Project via Getty Images)
WWOS understands the letter from Erebus Motorsport to Kostecki and his representatives was received in early February after that announcement.

Kostecki missed the second round of the season at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix on March 21-24 where Supercars hosted the Melbourne SuperSprint.

Peace talks were held between Kostecki, team owner Betty Klimenko, and Kostecki's long-time mentor Paul Morris in Melbourne just days before the grand prix weekend.

The outcome of those talks was that Kostecki will drive for Erebus Motorsport again. Exactly what played out in those discussions hasn't come to light.

Morris declined to comment when approached by WWOS but confirmed he was not officially Kostecki's manager.

Erebus Motorsport declined to comment.

https://wwos.nine.com.au/motorsport/sup ... c6827fbded

[Everso Biggyballies]

Taupo is on this weekend and of course the big news is that Brodie is back at Erebus, although it seems not by choice but more by legal threats from the undoutedly toxic Erebus. workplace.

It is now revealed that midway through the 2023 Supercars season, Kostecki and his teammate Will Brown approached Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko with concerns about the team's environment....

Reports are now coming out that the Brodie fallout actually started from before Taupo when Brodie did his NASCAR excursion. It seems Erebus went from being keen on the deal and putting money up to help Brodie get the deal, signing up as financial supporters. Threy then changed their mind and were opposing his NASCAR, subseuently withdrawing their financial support. Their backing was said to be just over $10000 but it left BK with a funding shortfall and was money Brodie then had to find late in the day to supplement his Boost Mobile X and other Wrebus backers like Shaw and Thompson.

Interesting that the initial renders of the car showed Erebus stickers, those not present a week later.




Additionally it has been said Barry Ryan actually quit the team at the end of the season, before Brodie announced he wanted out but it didnt happen and he was reinstated. Then was when Brodie said he wanted out. The internal promotion to create a Team Principal was indeed as thought, to be an attempt to create a space between Brodie and Barrie.

It is said Erebus offered Brodie three options at the time, one being to buy out his own contract. Another was to not race for anyone and take a year out. The other option being to see out his contract and drive for Erebus. Then Erebus apparently withdrew the offer of Brodie being able to buy out his contract.

Of the two options left it seems Brodie chose to sit out the year... hence the announcement he would not be at the opening rounds and the instatement of Hazlewood as a sub. Having been offered that (tking a sabbatical) as an option Kostecki was subsequently threatened by Erebus Motorsport with litigation in early February for damages if he terminated his driving contract. Erebus Motorsport alleged Kostecki's communications with sponsors led them to pull support.

I believe the final outcome of Brodie returning was a compromise negotiated between Betty Klimenko and Paul Morris with no involvement from Barry.

Sponsors say they left because of the toxic environment and allegations contrary to their interests. A loss of both of the drivers was an issue, They also spoke of raised concerns about serious allegations from multiple sources which they claimed were causational factors in Kostecki's efforts to split with the team.

The sponsors said their decision to leave was not based on one singular complaint.

They also said they were frustrated and expected the sport to have a responsibility to investigate allegations that it knew about.

They said Kostecki's return to the team made those issues moot and that the lack of an investigation had left serious claims unexamined.

The sponsors said they couldn't have their brand associated with the team while allegations went unchecked and that the absence of an investigation had left them open to ridicule.

The sponsors also said they were kept in the dark by the team and were only told by Erebus Motorsport that Kostecki would miss the season opener shortly before it was made official publicly.

So to say Erebus is a toxic environment is perhaps an understatement . I guess any smiles we see within Erebus are all in reality very fake.