Supercars spat with champ turns ugly
Kostecki silent as former champions voice frustration
Once is a mistake, twice is careless and three times is a pattern. And Supercars has now lost its last three champions in what must be worrying pattern for the category owners and executive teams.
Defending champion Brodie Kostecki will not be on the start line for the opening race of 2024 due to a convoluted and ugly spat with Erebus Motorsport.
In an interesting coincidence, the purchase of the Stone Brothers Racing team by Betty Klimenko, who renamed it Erebus, saw Shane van Gisbergen walk away from the sport for a short time.
Three-time champion Scott McLaughlin left Supercars for IndyCar and it could be said that once he became a driver for Penske (former co-owners of Dick Johnson Racing), he was always going to end up in the United States.
Van Gisbergen didn’t agree with the Gen3 car and the way it was introduced, so took the option of taking his talent to the US to contest the Nascar series.
On leaving Supercars at the end of last year, the Kiwi had some advice for those who run the category.
“At times, it was hard, as they didn’t really listen to the drivers,” van Gisbergen said. “I tried and others tried, and I just hope in the future, they listen to the drivers and, more importantly, the fans, who have opinions about the new car, but they seem to be doing the opposite. You’ve got to remember the people who are important to the series.”
Erebus released a media statement saying Kostecki “was not in a position to take part” in the opening round of the series.
To compound the rumour mill, Supercars then released a statement that alluded to mental health struggles being the reason for the rift.
This idea was quickly shot down when former Triple Eight co-founder Roland Dane let rip in his regular SpeedCafe column.
“I will be as clear as I can be. This is not an issue of mental health, as alluded to by Supercars, at least not on the part of Brodie,” Dane wrote.
“This is a case of what appears to be a toxic workplace. Other teams and Supercars have seen evidence of this in the past.
“If a mental health issue is defined as someone being unable to cope with a noxious workplace, then maybe I’m wrong. But in my judgment, the probability is that any mental health issues lie with those that create such a workplace, not those who find it hard to be a part of it.”
The only person who can take the high ground is Kostecki, who has remained above the fray and said nothing.
Erebus and Supercars should be having a long, hard look at themselves and how they have handled the situation.
The fallout for Erebus has come at a hefty financial cost, having now lost three high-profile sponsors in CocaCola, Shaw and Partners, and Southern Cross Truck Rentals.
There has been a knock-on effect for Supercars as well, with Boost Mobile, who have previously sponsored Kostecki, saying they have withdrawn from talks about extending their deal with the Gold Coast 500 event around the streets of Surfers Paradise.
McLaughlin summed it up nicely on social media: “The sport should be ashamed. They know the full story and as per usual sidestep around everything and don’t say anything, hoping the storm will settle, like they always have. No protection for drivers, ever.”
A pattern has developed, and there is a lack of understanding from some teams and definitely the category that times have changed and it’s not a “privilege” to race in Supercars any more.
With the loss of Australian Ford and Holden cars, it’s the drivers who are the marquee players now; annoy them and you annoy the fans.