Sportscar ace David Brabham will partner Tim Slade in Erebus Motorsport’s #47 Mercedes-Benz at the Armor All Gold Coast 600 this weekend.
Brabham steps into the seat taken at Sandown and Bathurst by Andrew Thompson.
Thompson was announced for all three races in July, but is understood to have only ever held a two-race deal with the team.
Brabham, a former Le Mans 24 Hour winner, will arrive for the street race fresh from chasing home Russell Ingall’s co-driver, Ryan Briscoe, at the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta at the weekend.
Briscoe won the event by just over one second from Brabham in the LMP2 class of the 10-hour marathon.
The Gold Coast 600 is the final event in the inaugural long distance triple crown – the Pirtek Enduro Cup – for the three, two-driver races in V8 Supercars.
“It’s fantastic to be back racing with Tim in the Heavy Haulage Australia machine and to be doing it in a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG for the first time on the streets of the Gold Coast,” said Brabham.
“This event is one of my favourites worldwide, there is always a great atmosphere wherever you are in Surfers Paradise and around the Gold Coast, so it truly is a pleasure to be coming back here.
“I’ve not driven one of these new cars, but have been keeping a close eye on the development of the Erebus Motorsport squad throughout the year particularly.”
The Erebus crew pulled off a remarkable repair job on the #47 E63 after a heavy Thursday practice crash caused major structural damage at Bathurst.
The team’s chief executive, Ryan Maddison, says the crew have worked tirelessly back at the Yatala base to ensure the car will roll out in top shape for the brutal Gold Coast event.
“The crew have worked tirelessly since Bathurst to ensure that they will deliver a car to contend for wins and it would give us no greater pleasure than to have our first podium at the Gold Coast,” Maddison said.
“It’s great that Erebus Motorsport can add another successful and internationally recognised name to our driver roster in David Brabham.”
The #1 Red Bull Racing Australia Holden of Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell dominates early betting for the opening Gold Coast race with Ladbrokes.com.au listing the pair as $2.40 favourites while the #47 of Slade and Brabham are at $101.
