V8 Supercars – Three private Mercedes in 2013

Ford, Holden, Nissan and now… Mercedes. If it is already not lacking in appeal this year, the Australian V8 Supercars looks even more attractive in 2013. But be careful, the entry of three AMG E-Classes is a customer program, and the firm with the star is not will in no way be part of it, at least officially, as David McCarthy, Head of Communications for Mercedes Australia-Pacific, points out: “We are not directly involved, and have no sales and marketing intentions related to this engagement. There is no Mercedes-Benz or AMG money spent. The entire project is financed by Erebus Motorsport ». The cars will be entered by a structure born from the merger between the Stone Brothers Racing team and the so-called Erebus Motorsport. The two teams, who have been working together for almost a year now, made the news official today in Melbourne, through Ross Stone (the boss of Stone Brothers Racing), Betty Klimenko (owner of Erebus Motorsport), Ryan Maddison (Chief Executive Officer of Erebus Motorsport) and Tony Cochrane, Director of V8 Supercars.

Erebus Motorsport is not unknown to Australian motorsport fans as the team shines in the local GT championship with SLS AMG GT3s. The Stone Brothers Racing team, for its part, has great knowledge of V8 Supercars. “Since the beginning of the SBR in 1998, Ford has been very supportive of the team, says Ross Stone. And we have also achieved many successes, with three crowns (in 2003 and 2004 with Marcos Ambrose and in 2005 with Russell Ingall. Editor's note). We also won Bathurst with Jason Bright and Steven Richards in 1998. Leaving Ford wasn't easy, but with the market changing here in Australia I felt it was time for us to take on a new challenge, and it It was through mutual agreement that Ford and we decided to take divergent paths. »

“There has been a lot of speculation about what Erebus Motorsport, AMG and Mercedes were planning to do together, continues Maddison, CEO of Erebus. And we haven't been able to say anything until now. Our arrival in V8 Supercars is a 100% Erebus Motorsport initiative, as a private racing team which benefits from an AMG customer program. A lot of work awaits us between now and the first race of next season. The V8 Supercars is a very tough competition and the road promises to be tortuous. We do not underestimate the task ahead of us as a rookie team, but we will benefit from the expertise and experience of SBR, who are considered one of the best teams in the discipline. They know how to win races and championships.”

The three E-Class will have a 5,0 liter engine. Tony Cochrane, the big boss of V8 Supercars is obviously also delighted with the arrival of a new competitor. An arrival which brings even more diversity to its championship. “That a combination between Erebus Motorsport and SBR arrives on our grids says a lot about the evolution of V8 Supercars, which is becoming an internationally recognized discipline, he exults. With the customer support provided by AMG, this brand joins another global giant, Nissan, in our championship. Our championship is extremely popular around the world and certainly one of the most respected categories. »

If there is already no shortage of spectacle in 2012, fans must already be impatiently awaiting the start of the 2013 season with the new Nissan and Mercedes attractions.