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V8 Supercars’ newly created role of sporting and technical director is set to be filled by current Erebus Motorsport team manager David Stuart.
The experienced Stuart has spent the last seven years at Erebus and its forerunner Stone Brothers Racing, playing a major role in the team’s transition from Ford to Mercedes-AMG for 2013.
Stuart will finish up his duties with Erebus after this month’s Hidden Valley race meeting before commencing his role at V8 Supercars on July 1.
Stuart’s appointment coincides with a re-profiling of Damien White’s role, whose title changes from General Manager of Motorsport to Director – Sport, Operations and Sanctioned Events.
According to a V8 Supercars statement, Stuart will work in conjunction with White and the V8 Supercars Commission to “develop an overall strategy for the future technical direction of the V8 Supercars Championship and Development Series.
“He (Stuart) will act as the conduit between V8 Supercars teams, the V8 Supercars Commission and the V8 Supercars motorsport department while managing the current Sporting and Technical regulations.
“Stuart will assume overall responsibility for ensuring technical parity, including overseeing any parity and performance testing as required, and managing the homologation process for new makes and models of vehicles that enter the championship.”
V8 Supercars says that Stuart was appointed to the position after a recruitment process that included more than a dozen applicants, including several international candidates.
“David has an exceptionally high level of technical, engineering, sporting and management skills that directly translate to this role,” said White.
“Critically, he has performed a lead role in the introduction to V8 Supercars of a new brand through Erebus Motorsport which gives him an in-depth understanding of the complexities of the new generation race car.
“As an engineer and team manager David has an acute understanding of the sporting and technical regulations along with an engineering knowledge to successfully act as the conduit between the teams and V8 Supercars.
“David has enormous respect within the sport which will make him a terrific addition to the existing team which has maintained V8 Supercars as one of the most successful in global motorsport.”
Stuart, whose resume includes a stint at Dick Johnson Racing and extensive experience in motorcycle racing as both a rider and engineer, says he’s looking forward to the new challenge.
”It’s an exciting time to be joining V8 Supercars with the new TV deal coming online next year and it’s an opportunity to further expand my own skills and career in a new position,’’ said Stuart.
“It’s very difficult to move on from a team like Erebus, I’ve been here for a long time and have had a long history with everyone that works here.
“But this is a great opportunity for me to develop further professionally and personally and it will also be a good chance for people within Erebus to challenge themselves further.
“The last seven years with Erebus and Stone Brothers Racing have been fantastic and I’ll look back on my time here as the fondest period of my motorsport career.
“Having the opportunity to work with two motorsport icons like Ross and Jimmy (Stone) and a fantastic crew has been amazing, and then when Erebus wanted to be involved in V8 Supercars and bring Mercedes-Benz into it, to be involved in that project has been absolutely phenomenal.
“I’d like to thank Ross and Jimmy for giving me the original opportunity and also to Betty (Klimenko) and Ryan (Maddison) when we became Erebus, I can’t thank them enough for allowing me the privilege of being team manager at such a great team.
“It’s been great to witness the progress the entire Erebus team has made over the past 18 months and I’ve got no doubt there will be even better results to come in the future.”
Existing Erebus staffers Wes McDougall and Ben Croke will takeover Stuart’s duties at the team.
