Hazelwood is filling in for Brodie Kostecki for at least the first event of the 2024 Supercars Championship, although insiders expect that the 2023 champion will not return to the driver’s seat at Erebus.
Nevertheless, the Camaro which Kostecki would drive is bearing the number he earned by winning that title.
After a brief red flag period for a stricken Super2 entry, the #1 Camaro exited the pits at about 12:10 local time/AEDT for its first ever miles.
The assembled Erebus crew, including Jack Le Brocq sporting a black team t-shirt, took to the pit wall to watch on during the run, which is presently into its fourth lap, including out lap (at 12:16 local time).
The #9 Camaro which Le Brocq is set to drive remains in pit lane for the time being.
With Winton Motor Raceway being exactly 3.00km in length, a shakedown may last up to 20 laps in total (per car), given Supercars regulations limit such running to 60km.
Hazelwood would be expected to drive Car #99 at the Bathurst 500 given Rule E1.4 of the Supercars Operations Manual states:
1.4.1 Competition Number one (1) will be allocated to the previous Season’s Driver’s Champion.
1.4.1.1 The previous Season’s Driver’s Champion’s Competition Number will not be allocated to any other Driver and will remain allocated to the Team
1.4.1.2 If the previous Season’s Driver’s Champion does not use the number 1 it will not be allocated to any other Driver.
George Commins, Kostecki’s engineer since he was elevated to a full-time drive in 2021 with the Barry Ryan-led squad, can be seen in the above photograph on the radio.
Also in attendance are David Russell, who was re-signed as an Erebus co-driver after sharing second place with Kostecki in both of last year’s enduros, and Jayden Ojeda, who has been linked to a drive with the team later this Supercars season.
Both of the Erebus Camaros are today sporting a black and white livery with the team’s own branding on the doors.
Notably, a number of sponsors still feature in the livery, despite naming rights backer Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and others confirming their departures in recent days.
Several Super2 drivers have also been testing at Winton today and tomorrow, with the bulk of the southern-based Supercars Championship squads to test tomorrow.
Update 12:17 AEDT
Car #1 returns to pits.
Update 13:29 AEDT
Both Car #1 and Car #9 have just started a run.
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