Erebus' roll call of firsts in championship campaign

When those at Erebus Motorsport look back on 2023, there will be plenty of milestones to digest.

Championships. Race wins. Pole positions. Erebus did it all, but there were plenty of other achievements to take in.

In the wake of Erebus’ big season, Supercars.com lists the big ticket items the team recorded in 2023.

First drivers’ championship

The obvious highlight in 2023 was the title triumph, with Brodie Kostecki becoming the first Erebus driver to win — and lead — the Supercars drivers’ championship. Kostecki took the lead in Melbourne, and led for all bar three of the remaining 22 races. The Perth-born driver was second in the points after Newcastle, and edged ever closer to erstwhile leader Chaz Mostert over the Albert Park weekend. As Mostert slumped to 14th in the finale, Kostecki raced from 15th to third to take the points lead, and was a powerhouse from there.

First teams’ championship

Prior to 2023, Erebus’ best teams’ championship finish was fourth in 2018. Come 2023, and the team led from Newcastle right to the very end. The lead blew out to 276 points in Tasmania, before Triple Eight pegged it back, only for Broc Feeney’s Bathurst heartbreak to all but douse the reigning champion team's fight.

Both drivers in top five

Both Erebus drivers finished in the top 10 in 2021, but the team had never had both drivers in the top five in the points. For the first half of the season, it seemed Erebus was on course for a rare championship one-two before Brown fell away. To the VAILO Adelaide 500, Brown was third in the points, and while he ended up fifth, he still helped Erebus have both drivers in the top five in the standings for the first time.

First Gen3 era pole position

After a strong pre-season testing program, Kostecki burst out of the blocks with the first ARMOR ALL Pole Position of the Gen3 era in Newcastle. Kostecki scored provisional pole, and after one of the closest ever Supercars Shootouts, Kostecki put a margin on the field to make a statement.

First ARMOR ALL Pole Champion Award

Kostecki's Newcastle pole was the first of 10 the driver scored en route to the ARMOR ALL Pole Champion Award, Erebus' first. Kostecki and Brown won 14 of the season's 28 pole positions.

First front-row lockout

Erebus scored its first front-row lockout when Kostecki and Brown qualified first and second for Race 4 at Albert Park. It came in the team’s 324th race, with Kostecki’s pole the 11th for the team and second for the season. Kostecki led Brown again for the Tasmania finale, before Brown turned the tables in the Sandown Shootout to help Erebus to three lockouts in 2023.

First double podium

Kostecki and Brown helped Erebus to its first double podium when they followed van Gisbergen home in the Albert Park opener. It was Erebus’ first double podium in 323 attempts, before Kostecki and Brown finished first and third two days later. In total, Erebus ended the season with seven double podiums.

First race one-two

With two double podiums in the bag in Melbourne, Erebus added its first ever one-two race result at the next round in Perth. Brown dominated Race 8 at CARCO.com.au Raceway from pole, with Kostecki racing to second. It remained the team’s sole one-two of the season.

First wins at select circuits

Erebus won 10 races across six different rounds— at Albert Park, Perth, Tasmania, Townsville, Sydney and The Bend. Of the six tracks, Erebus hadn’t won in Perth, Tasmania, Townsville and The Bend. David Reynolds previously won at Albert Park in 2018, with Brown winning in Sydney in 2021. Kostecki won two races at Albert Park, with Brown winning a race in Perth and two at Symmons Plains. He added a fourth win in Townsville, before Kostecki won four of the next five races in Sydney and The Bend.