Erebus Motorsport will mark a major milestone in its Supercars Championship history at this weekend’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500.
The team makes its 100th round start since debuting at the 2013 Adelaide 500.
A dominant force in GT racing through 2011-2015, Team Owner Betty Klimenko entered Supercars after purchasing Stone Brothers Racing in mid-2012.
“It’s been the weirdest journey; you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in this sport,” Klimenko said.
Despite being one of the younger teams on the grid, it has already accumulated a wealth of success.
Its first race win came in 2014, when Lee Holdsworth triumphed at Winton in the Mercedes E63, followed by victory to Will Davison at Barbagello Raceway in Perth in 2015.
At the end of that year and under the direction of CEO Barry Ryan, Erebus switched to Holden’s and relocated from the Gold Coast to Melbourne with a brand-new crew.
“Were there mistakes? Yes. Could I have done it differently? Yes. But if I go back and do it differently then I don’t end up where I am,” Klimenko said.
“Every round we go out we learn and that’s what makes this journey so great.
“I went in with what we thought was a brilliant car, then a few years later was faced with the decision to either leave with AMG or come back.
“Barry and I decided we were in this together and we decided to move forward.”
Rapid and successful car development cleared Erebus of their ‘underdog’ label when – in just their second season as an essentially new squad – David Reynolds and Luke Youlden won the highly sought-after Bathurst 1000.
In doing so, Erebus, became just the second team in history to win both the Bathurst 12 Hour and Bathurst 1000.
“If you look at most teams, they didn’t get their first podiums until way down the line,” Klimenko said.
“It was our second year with AMG, and our first year with the Holden, then Bathurst the year after.
“Whatever we have done we have done it in fast forward, and it’s been amazing.
“We are a family and what we do, we do it together; that’s what has made the journey so amazing, is the fact that people love being with us and what takes us forward.”
Now across 99 starts to date, Erebus has claimed 6 race wins, 7 pole positions, 24 podiums and a best of fourth in the team’s championship last season.
Reynolds, who was fastest in practice yesterday, will also notch up a career milestone today, making his 150th Supercars Championship round start.
Qualifying kicks off at 12:25pm today AEDT, where last year the team scored pole position with Reynolds and Youlden.