Klimenko targets Bathurst return

Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko is eager to return to Mount Panorama following a quiet health battle.

Klimenko, founder of the two-time Bathurst winning team, has been a notable absentee trackside throughout 2026. On Tuesday, she revealed she fought a battle with sepsis towards the end of 2025, which sidelined her from the track.

Writing on social media, Klimenko — whose team won the Supercars championship double in 2023 — has her sights set on returning to the paddock in October.

"I have been offline for quite some time now,” she wrote.

"I had sepsis at the end of last year and it has taken me a long time to get to a point, where I am ready to face the world again. And by face, I mean making Bathurst.”

Klimenko’s team is slowly on the rise after a tough start to 2026, with Cooper Murray and Jobe Stewart 22nd and 24th in the drivers’ standings.

Murray is undertaking a rookie test at Winton Motor Raceway on Tuesday.

Klimenko thanked CEO Barry Ryan and COO Carly Hammersley for keeping Erebus going trackside, while reiterating her team is on the journey with their young drivers.

"It is hard to sit back and let the rookies do what rookies do,” she continued.

"It is not easy going from the top to the bottom, especially for the crew, but we made a commitment to help a couple of young drivers show what they can do over a two-year period, and teach them how to navigate the trials of Supercars. 

“And that is exactly what we are doing, much harder than having a seasoned driver, but if we expect new blood in our sport, we as team owners need to sometimes swallow our pride and pass on knowledge to the young ones coming through."