Murray wants to better Kostecki/Brown Erebus partnership
Cooper Murray wants to better Brodie Kostecki/Will Brown partnership
Kostecki, Brown led Erebus to double championship success in 2023
Second-year driver Murray joined by rookie Jobe Stewart in 2026
Make no mistake, Cooper Murray and Erebus Motorsport are in it to win in 2026.
Just two years after the team won both championships, Erebus failed to score a podium in 2025. However, that doesn't tell the story of the team's season.
Notably, Murray was just five laps away from delivering a remarkable Bathurst victory, only to be tipped into a spin and out of contention by James Golding.
Either side of Townsville, Murray turned a 17.7 finish average into 14.3, headlined by a sixth at Queensland Raceway, seventh at The Bend, and fourth at Mount Panorama.
Amid the arrival of Jobe Stewart, Erebus has undergone a significant reshuffle in the off-season to strengthen its leadership and engineering stocks, putting focus back into on-track performance while also shutting its customer chassis build program, and Super2 program.
It all means business on track for Erebus, with second-year driver Murray determined to add to Erebus' trophy cabinet after taking the team spearhead title from Matt Stone Racing-bound Jack Le Brocq.
"I want to get my first win this year in this championship,” the Victorian told Supercars.com.
"I know how competitive it is, and it's going to take all we've got. Going into the start of this season, I have a lot more confidence and a lot more knowledge in what it takes.
“Especially in the back half of the season, we found what set-up direction we needed to go with the car and what really works for my driving style.
"I learned a lot last year myself as a driver and what you need to do to be in the top 10 in this championship, because the competition is crazy.
“I've got full confidence in the whole Erebus team that we can do some good things this year."
The Brodie Kostecki/Will Brown era was Erebus' best, led by championships in 2023 and a second Bathurst victory in 2024. Kostecki and Brown were entrusted with Erebus' two seats as rookies in 2021, and within three years, put the team on top.
In Murray and Stewart, Erebus has "really good mates away from the track," with the duo taking pre-season preparation into their own hands.
Murray and Stewart spent a week together running trails in Lake Eildon, putting themselves to the test while bonding with each other.
Where Erebus stands in the "Camaro championship" means little to Murray, who would rather be best of the best.
“This year, we want go out there and get podiums, top fives regularly, get both cars into The Finals,” Murray said.
“We’re more focused on what we're going to do, then we'll see where we are in the Camaro championship at the end.
"Baz [Ryan] is the most committed person that I've met. He wants nothing more than to win. The whole team has now instilled that attitude, which is really good.
“Jobe and I are going to push each other to get the team back to the top. Everyone saw what Brodie and Will were able to do together, and Jobe and I want to do that even better.
“We’re fully committed to Erebus for a while, and we're going to work very hard to get Erebus back to the top.”
Erebus will reveal its 2026 looks on Monday February 16, ahead of the DUNLOP Sydney 500 on February 20-22.
