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Erebus Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan has opened up on the controversial events of Sydney Motorsport Park in a letter to motorsport fans.
Ryan was fined $5000 at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight, with half suspended on the proviso that he completes ‘community service’, as punishment for an expletive-laden post-interview television interview.
The Erebus boss had been fired up after Shane van Gisbergen passed Will Brown for an effective podium position with a final-lap ‘bump and run’.
Brown would indeed be classified third when van Gisbergen was issued a time penalty within minutes of the televised blow-up, but that in itself has now become a talking point as well, with some Supercars drivers raising the possibility of inconsistencies over the enforcement of racing rules.
As well as apologising for his outburst, as he did the following afternoon on the broadcast, Ryan addressed the incident itself, and remains adamant that the penalty was deserved.
Furthermore, amid radio transmission from Brown’s car which some took as indicative that he contributed to the penalty by ensuring van Gisbergen completed the pass at the next right-hander, Ryan also responded to the online abuse which the #9 Camaro pilot and himself are said to have received in the fallout.
See below for the full letter
Brodie Kostecki and Brown are one-two in the Supercars drivers’ championship on the way to The Bend for the OTR SuperSprint later this month.
A message from Erebus CEO Barry Ryan
To all our fans, both of Erebus and motorsport,
I am writing to apologise for my regrettable language during the post-race interview after Race 18 at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday night.
In the heat of the moment, whilst we had secured the win with Brodie, we desperately wanted to make sure we beat our main competitors for the Championship with both cars. However, I realise that my outburst was uncalled for and in future I will try to respond more carefully. My passion will never waver, though I want to apologise for the language used and the distress it may have caused.
I want to acknowledge the decision made by Motorsport Australia officials regarding the penalty for the bump and run on Will. It is evident that such actions, involving front-to-rear contact to gain an advantage, are unacceptable in any form of motorsport, including NASCAR. The side-by-side racing with other cars in the closing stages was remarkable, and I commend the drivers on their ability to race like that whilst still racing cleanly and fairly.
Lastly, I would like to address the concerning issue of online bullying. While I personally choose not to be on social media, I am appalled by some of the messages I have seen directed at our team, Will, and myself. Will did nothing to deserve the hate he received online. No one deserves to be subjected to abuse and unfair treatment, especially from the anonymity of the online world. We understand these comments also come from passion, though we need to be more considerate, not just towards each other, but also to our families and friends who read the comments.
Our team is fully committed to winning the Team’s and Driver’s Championship, and nothing is going to stop us from pursuing those goals.
Thank you to our fans for their continuous support, bring on the rest of the year!
Baz.
