Erebus announces Russell enduro contract renewal

David Russell will co-drive with Brodie Kostecki for a fourth Supercars enduro season in a row in 2024, Erebus Motorsport has announced.

The duo claimed second in both this year’s Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000, and also shared a third place in the 2021 Great Race.

The only time they have missed out on a podium as a pairing was last year’s Bathurst 1000 and, even then, Kostecki took the chequered flag in fourth position.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to continue building on the last three years with Erebus and with Brodie,” said Russell.

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“To know we will have that continuity next year coming off the back of a very strong endurance campaign is great and we definitely have some unfinished business.

“Myself and Brodie, as well as Erebus as a whole, have a desire to win races and that’s something that’s firmly on our minds as we go into the 2024 endurance campaign.”

Supercars Championship leader Kostecki qualified on the front row at Sandown and pole position at Mount Panorama, while Russell was among the quickest co-drivers in the field.

The performances had marked the #99 Coca-Cola Camaro out as a major threat for victory, whereas Erebus had been a more underdog proposition when Russell joined the fold in 2021, one of the final years of Gen2 and a rookie campaign for both of the squad’s full-time drivers.

“It was a bit of a clean slate for Erebus back in 2021 with two new main drivers and two new co-drivers joining the team,” he recalled.

“I’m so proud to be a part of Erebus’ journey and to have been part of that transitional phase as well as this year’s Gen3 introduction, it was a no-brainer for me to continue with the team.

“I really enjoy seeing Brodie go about his role as the main driver. He’s an incredible driver and it’s going to be great to continue our relationship and continue building off each other’s strengths.

“Our goal for next year, as it always is, is to win races and we’re both confident in our abilities to do that.”

READ MORE: Russell seeing growing maturity in Kostecki

Erebus CEO Barry Ryan thinks highly of the 41-year-old from Casino, in Northern New South Wales.

“I consider Dave to be the best co-driver in pit lane so I’m really excited to continue working with him in 2024,” said Ryan.

“Brodie and Dave have proven themselves as one of the strongest enduro pairings on the grid and I have no doubt they’ll continue to be at the pointy end at next year’s enduro events.”

There is no word yet on who will partner Jack Le Brocq in Car #9 when he returns to Erebus next year, after Will Brown was joined again by Jack Perkins in that entry in the enduros of 2023.

The announcement is the second piece of major co-driver news in recent days with Brown’s future team, Triple Eight Race Engineering, having named Scott Pye as one of its steerers for next year’s long-distance races.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship continues next weekend (October 27-29) with the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.