Erebus explains motivation behind DJR chassis deal

Erebus boss explains motivation behind DJR chassis deal
Barry Ryan keen to grow Erebus into manufacturing powerhouse
Erebus has won both championships, Bathurst in last 18 months

Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan is keen to establish his team as a manufacturing powerhouse alongside motorsport, after striking a chassis deal with Dick Johnson Racing.

From 2025, DJR will swap PACE Innovations-built chassis for Erebus-built chassis, marking a key change for both Supercars teams.

For DJR, the move is part of a rebuild that includes signing Erebus driver Brodie Kostecki and engineers George Commins and Tom Moore.

For Erebus, meanwhile, it’s an opportunity to built chassis for customers, with the team having already achieved championship and Bathurst success in recent years.

Recent reports have also linked the Blanchard Racing Team to a deal which would see the Ford team run at least one Erebus-built chassis next season.

All told, Ryan wants Erebus to be able to create business and generate income beyond owner Betty Klimenko.

“We’ve always been a team that’s held close to our chests, we didn’t want to build for other people, we didn’t want them to have stuff that makes us go fast,” Ryan explained in Adelaide.

“But now we’ve ticked some big boxes, Betty has ticked some big bucket list items and she’s proud of what we’ve done.

“Betty doesn’t need a motorsport team that wins 10 championships in a row, that’s not her core business.

“Now we’re trying to turn it into a business where we can establish Erebus as a manufacturer that can make money and make it not something that can be a burden on Betty, potentially.”

Erebus chassis have been built by renowned fabricator James White since 2017, with Ryan quipping that he’d like all teams to run Erebus equipment.

White’s attention to detail has been labelled as key to Erebus’ growth as a leading team in Supercars, with the Mount Gambier-based White building two Bathurst winners (2017 and 2024) and the team’s 2023 title-winning Camaros.

“I’d love to have every team in pit lane running our chassis, that’d be the ideal situation,” Ryan added.

"Then we can all say we’ve got the same shit and shut up.”

Kostecki will be replaced by rookie Cooper Murray in 2025, with Jack Le Brocq returning for a second season.