Erebus targets Bathurst after Payne clash, shock DNF

Jayden Ojeda insists Erebus Motorsport is motivated to make it count at Mount Panorama after a promising Sandown turned into a nightmare.

Both Erebus Camaros ran in the top four during the day, with the Jack Le Brocq/Ojeda entry hunting a podium in the closing laps.

However, a collision with Matt Payne at Turn 4 late in the race consigned the #9 Camaro to 20th, which was bitter pill to swallow after the Le Brocq/Ojeda car started 19th.

After a robust first stint from Brodie Kostecki, Todd Hazelwood challenged Jamie Whincup before contact led to a puncture, dropping the #1 down the order.

Hazelwood and Kostecki fought back before a late-race electrical failure brought their efforts to an early end. All told, after a day full of promise, Erebus had a DNF and 20th to its name, and dropped to 10th in the teams’ standings.

When asked on Supercars.com’s Schick Cool Down Lap podcast if the team is extra motivated for the Great Race, Ojeda said: "Yeah, a hundred percent.

“Both cars were super strong, the #1 was as quick as the #9 and they had their problems throughout the day as well.

"I hadn't even done a race run up until this race, so it was sort of going into the unknown a little bit. But no, I was happy with my stints, and yeah, super motivated going into Bathurst.

"I think the team's got really strong cars and even though it was Jack and Todd's first time in those cars at the start of the year, they were really strong and the set-up's evolved.

“Hopefully we can roll out at Bathurst and have a good run.”

Payne later cited the Le Brocq contact as “awkward,” but said he "felt like I was up the inside pretty safely.”

Regardless, the race pace was a statement of intent from the reigning champions, given the Le Brocq/Ojeda car didn’t turn laps in the morning Warm Up due to a fuel pump issue. In the same session, Erebus was fined after the #1 was released without a wheel attached.

“Thinking about what could have been. A bit of a shame to end our day the way we did after running P4, coming from P19,” Ojeda said.

“At the start of the day, obviously the fuel pump issue in the warm up. Big turnaround, the car was really strong in the race. I was really happy with my stints and managed to sort of plug away and move forward, which is always good.

“Kept it clean and kept it straight, which after looking up and down the pit lane, there's not many cars that don't have much damage."

The 2024 season will resume in Bathurst on October 10-13. Tickets are on sale now.