Erebus Motorsport’s leader, Barry Ryan, has voiced his frustration with the Chevrolet drivers competing in the Supercars series, especially following a disappointing season initiation. Out of the first nine races, Ford has secured victory in seven, while Chevrolet has managed only one win, thanks to Anton de Pasquale at the second race in Sydney. Following this event, de Pasquale remains the top Chevrolet performer, placing sixth overall, but a recent race in Taupo saw him finish a mere tenth, the highest position among his Chevrolet counterparts.
These lacklustre results prompted a review for parity changes in the vehicles ahead of the upcoming event in Christchurch, but Supercars has announced that no modifications will be implemented. Ryan candidly expressed his doubts about the current driver’s abilities, suggesting that no “A-grade drivers” are representing the Chevrolet camp. He believes the team lacks competitive edge since they haven’t had multiple race winners this season.
Ryan’s own drivers, Cooper Murray and Jobe Stewart, are languishing at the bottom of the championship standings, positioned 23rd and 24th respectively. Moreover, Erebus Motorsport itself is last in the teams’ rankings. The situation has worsened for Chevrolet after the successful Triple Eight team transitioned to Ford, taking along Will Brown, the most recent Chevrolet champion.
The Chevrolet lineup is further weakened with the departure of last year’s champion Brodie Kostecki to Dick Johnson Racing, leaving it without a titleholder among its drivers. In response to the challenges, Ryan indicated that General Motors has explored possible driver acquisitions to enhance their performance.
Pre-season adjustments to the Camaro were made in a bid to align its aerodynamics with those of competitors like the new Supra and Mustang. However, Ryan argues that the aerodynamic tweaks have not been sufficient, leading to a reliance on an unfavourable balance of grip that hampers the car’s speed after a few laps. He has called for a reversion to previous car setups to restore competitive balance and ensure that their setups function effectively again.
With the new race weekend set to kick off at the Ruapuna circuit near Christchurch, Ryan hopes for improvements after a challenging start to the season. The series will now commence racing a day earlier than previously scheduled.