Hazelwood, Le Brocq encouraged after new-car tests

Todd Hazelwood and Jack Le Brocq are ready to put their new Erebus Motorsport cars to the test after a seamless week of testing.

Lost among the headlines of the team’s dramatic pre-season, Hazelwood and Le Brocq have proven confident figures ahead of a big 2024 for both drivers.

Both Le Brocq and Hazelwood are armed with golden chances in championship-winning machinery, with the title winners building new Camaros for 2024.

Le Brocq had already signed for the team, but will be joined at Round 1 by Hazelwood, who will stand in for champion Brodie Kostecki.

At Tuesday’s shakedown and Wednesday’s test, Le Brocq and Hazelwood — who had the #1 on the window — steered cars bereft of major sponsors or livery.

However, with new car in tow, Hazelwood — who reiterated his responsibility to perform in Kostecki’s absence — has a big opportunity to show what he himself can do.

“You can definitely see why it’s a championship-winning combination… they certainly roll up their sleeves and get stuck into the hard work,” Hazelwood told Supercars.com at Winton.

“It's been really impressive to see that behind the scenes element over the last week, spending that time in the workshop.

Le Brocq arrives at Erebus off the back of a career-best season, helping Matt Stone Racing to a day to remember last June with victory from pole in Darwin. If not for a spate of poor performances at the end of the season, Le Brocq would have finished in the top 10 in the championship.

Come pre-season testing, and Le Brocq was merely itching to get behind the wheel, but was keen to repay the crew’s faith in building two new cars — a feat only matched by Triple Eight ahead of the new season.

“Knuckling down today, it’s good to be back in a car,” Le Brocq told Supercars.com at Winton.

“Blowing out the cobwebs for ourselves, it’s been two months since we’ve been on track. But love every moment. Looking forward to getting to Bathurst and trying to reward the guys’ hard work with a great result.

“They’ve done an awesome job at the workshop — building two brand-new cars over the break, it’s a pretty cool thing to do again year-on-year."

For Hazelwood and Le Brocq, Erebus forms an unlikely ground for a reunion, with the duo teammates at MSR in 2022. Hazelwood, who departed Blanchard Racing Team at the end of 2023, was due to be announced as Le Brocq’s co-driver.

“Working with Jack as a co-driver was initially the plan,” Hazelwood said of Le Brocq.

“You never expect these things to happen, but certainly ready for the opportunity. Bring it on… we get along like a house on fire, we’re really good mates outside the race car.

"We’ll work together as much as we can, and try and help ourselves get up to speed, and understand the new philosophy behind these Erebus cars.

“Hopefully we’ll have a good run at Bathurst.”