Erebus celebrates Holden anniversary

Today marks one year since Erebus Motorsport confirmed its formed partnership with Holden to race Commodores in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

The team decided to switch from Mercedes-Benz machinery at the beginning of 2016 and form a new relationship with Australian motorsport’s most successful manufacturer to continue in 2017.

Erebus Motorsport Team Manger Barry Ryan described the challenge of the switch from Mercedes as, “pretty much starting from square one”.

“It was basically starting again, as there was nothing off the Mercedes [that could be transferred]. The Mercedes is still sitting in the workshop pretty much how they finished at Homebush in 2015, so there was nothing really that transferred across to the Commodore.” Ryan told Supercars.com.

“The data was really hard to use, to give Dave or the other drivers a gauge of where the Mercedes was the year before compared with the Commodore”.

Though after a year of Erebus learning the Commodore on-track, Ryan emphasised he is confident the team can raise their expectations and start targeting podium finishes this season.

He highlighted David Reynolds third place finish at the 2016 Coates Hire Sydney 500 as a “good base for 2017”.

“By the end of the year, obviously the last race of the season, to get a podium there, that’s where our expectations were headed and we got there,” Ryan said. 

“We’re targeting podiums now. We got one in Homebush so we would be crazy not to think that’s what we should be targeting. 

“We know that race was not a fluke…it wasn’t through anything but having a fast car, a fast driver and a good team and we need to back ourselves now and that should be our realistic expectation now.”

“The way we started the year with the Commodore, we knew it was going to be tough because we didn’t buy the most competitive car, but we worked hard all year and got to a point where we were pretty happy”.

Ryan praised Erebus Motorsports #9 racer David Reynolds as an experienced driver who is good enough to get the results.

“There is no questioning his ability. He knows he can do it and we know he can do it, so we’ve just got to get it right and once it all comes together having someone experienced like David is second to none,” Ryan said.

“If the team gets it right, and gets the car right, he is good enough to get the results”.