BEFORE a difficult Sunday, Triple Eight’s closest points competitor across the Melbourne SuperSprint had been… Erebus Motorsport.
In a small step towards its glories of 2023, Erebus ran consistently inside the top 10 with both cars at Albert Park.
Across the opening three races, the 274 points Jack Le Brocq and Todd Hazelwood accrued was more than any other combination besides Triple Eight’s Broc Feeney and Will Brown.
That had Erebus back up to fourth in the teams’ championship, only for a solid weekend to be upended by a pair of incidents in Race 4 of the Melbourne SuperSprint.
A multi-lap scrap between Hazelwood and James Courtney ended with the #99 TFH Camaro driver being turned around, leaving him to claw his way back to 15th.
The news was worse for Le Brocq, who was running ninth on the opening lap before Turn 13 contact with Thomas Randle ended his race.
“I had a really good start. I was holding position, just trying to stay out of the carnage there. It was pretty full-on, a lot of cars going left, right and centre,” said Le Brocq.
“Unfortunately I got hit by the car – the green one – that has hit every other car on-track this weekend.
“It’s a bit of a shame, blew the steering rack up and that was our race.”
The reference to Randle came as the #55 Castrol Mustang driver endured an eventful weekend, including being involved in a trio of incidents in the Friday race (with Bryce Fullwood, Ryan Wood and Cameron Hill).
The Sunday shenanigans relegated Erebus to fifth in the teams’ championship and both drivers to outside the top 10 in the overall points, but nevertheless there were signs of progress.
Next up is Taupō Motorsport Park, where Le Brocq and Hazelwood are set to soon take a reconnaissance trip to, as various rivals have done today.
“We’re going to go over there and check out the track there,” said Le Brocq.
“It’s going to be pretty cool, it looks like an awesome track from what we have seen on YouTube and the videos and bits and pieces, so hanging out for it.”
The ITM Taupō Super400 will be held across April 19-21.
