Erebus Academy and Norwell Motorplex have launched a new initiative that provides aspiring drivers with the opportunity to drive a real Supercar.
Using one of the team’s spare Supercars, the two-day event began at Norwell Motorplex on Monday with a focus on car familiarisation, followed by a full day of on-track experience at Queensland Raceway yesterday.
Erebus welcomed six participants, of which currently compete in either Hyundai Excel’s or the TGRA 86 Series.
Working alongside Brodie Kostecki, Will Brown, and Race Engineer George Commins, the young racers focused on essential driving skills such as seating positions, gear shifting, heel-toe braking and understanding basic data.
Kostecki, who regularly trains at Norwell, was excited to have the opportunity to assist the young drivers in this early stage of their careers.
“These kinds of experiences are really beneficial for young drivers,” Kostecki said.
“It’s great that the Erebus Academy and Norwell are able to offer this unique opportunity to not only drive a Supercar, but have access to the team and drivers.
“It’s great for the sport and gives kids an opportunity to learn some fundamentals, and hopefully help them make it to the top.
“For the majority of these drivers, their dream is to race Supercars so most of them were starstruck by the experience.
“It was amazing to see the changes in their confidence levels across the two days and the smiles in their helmets as they pulled in after experiencing the Supercar for the first time.”
Erebus CEO Barry Ryan is thrilled to see the Academy continually expanding and providing young drivers with opportunities that can help propel their careers.
“Our relationship with Norwell was developed through the Erebus Academy as we’re both incredibly passionate about assisting the next generation of Supercar drivers through the ranks,” Ryan said.
“The proof is in the drivers who have come out of Norwell, such as Brodie, and many others who have trained there so it shows that this kind of training is the best direction for young drivers looking to develop their skills.
“It’s great that we can use our combined resources to provide opportunities like these drive days that most young drivers wouldn’t have access to otherwise.”
The joint initiative is not a first for the Erebus Academy or Norwell Motorplex, who have worked together since 2019 on similar programs such as ‘Karts to Cars’ and ‘Creating Pathways’.
Erebus and Norwell are working to develop the initiative further to help encourage future generations of the sport.