Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan has indicated the team took a step backwards in a bid to ultimately go forwards during the Darwin Triple Crown.

Out of the 12 two-car teams in pit lane (including the second garages of Tickford Racing and Brad Jones Racing), Erebus took home the third-least amount of points from Hidden Valley Raceway. It now sits more than 100 points off a top five ranking in the teams’ championship.

Will Brown recovered from a Saturday DNF and 20th in Race 17 to finish the event on a high with seventh, while Brodie Kostecki had his worst weekend of the season with 10th, 16th and 24th.

It ends a streak Erebus had held since last year’s Bathurst 1000 of recording at least one top five finish from each round.

“It’s not where we wanted to be this weekend but we’re working on a lot of different things to try to actually win more races, not just be fifth to 10^th,” said Ryan, who heaped praise on his pit crew’s efforts.

“Sometimes you have got to take a little step back to go forwards, so we’ll call it that.”

Kostecki’s Race 18 was affected by an early puncture sustained in a Turn 1 clash with Jayden Ojeda, and noted qualifying poorly had been costly.

“That’s what happens when you qualify 25th. I just had a shocker today in qualifying and went backwards on some changes and yeah, just no good,” said the #99 driver.

“Car was pretty good in both races and the first one today we pitted Lap 5 and almost survived for P11 there and got swamped on the last lap.

“The car felt not too bad, but just you get caught up in the carnage when you qualify shithouse, that’s what happens.”

Round 7 of the Repco Supercars Championship takes place on the streets of Townsville across July 8-10.