How Erebus Motorsport shrugged scandal-plagued season to win Bathurst 1000

Erebus Motorsport seemed on the cusp of implosion barely six months ago, but on Sunday took victory in the fastest-ever Bathurst 1000.

Having been there or thereabouts for much of the weekend, Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood announced themselves as the car to beat by taking pole in the top-10 shootout on Saturday afternoon.

They then led 160 of 161 laps to claim victory in Australia's biggest motor race.

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The celebrations were well-deserved. Speaking to Nine's Today on Monday morning, Kostecki indicated they went long into the night.

"I've had about an hour (sleep), I think Todd's had about an hour as well," he said.

"We're hoping just to get through this interview without doing a disappearing act like what's happened in the past," a reference to Shane van Gisbergen's infamous (dis)appearance on the same program in 2022 to vomit.

But given the off-track antics that have dogged the team all year, this victory would be perhaps their sweetest.

Historically, Erebus have been quick at Bathurst. With David Russell, Kostecki had finished on the podium at Mount Panorama in two of their three starts in the 1000.

But those came in years Kostecki and Erebus were a front-running car. This season, they've been far from it.

Perhaps a reflection of the team's season to-date, Kostecki's appearance on Today was in a bucket hat, a sponsor-less team polo, cargo pants and crocs.

Off the back of winning a maiden championship in 2023, Kostecki made the shock decision to stand down from the start of the 2024 season amid allegations of bullying within the team.

Behind the scenes, there had been rumours of discontent circulating for months. After news of Kostecki's departure was made public, the team faced allegations it was a "toxic workplace".

But for the reigning champion to elect to sit on the sidelines rather than defend his crown, even in such an environment, sent shockwaves through the sport.

Much of the finger pointing was directed at CEO Barry Ryan. Team owner Betty Klimenko copped criticism for not sacking him.

Their handling of the situation led two of the team's biggest sponsors, including soft drink giant Coca-Cola, to pull the pin, and a third to withdraw from extension negotiations.

Another was left fuming after he was told he would be blocked from continuing his long-term personal sponsorship of Kostecki upon his eventual return.

Then they lost co-driver David Russell, who had driven with Kostecki in the endurance races since 2021.

In May, Ryan was again at the centre of "public humiliation" allegations, accused of calling a journalist into the team garage, only to scold him in front of nearly the whole team for his coverage of the saga.

Behind the scenes, Klimenko was working away to sell the team. There was believed to have been only one bid, from South Australian businessman Aaron Hickmann, of lighting company Vailo. He owns title sponsorship of the season-ending Adelaide 500. The sale fell over in June, for which Klimenko would later blame negative media coverage of the team.

Months of speculation surrounding his future in the sport was ended in August when Dick Johnson Racing announced Kostecki would drive for the iconic team from 2025.

But somehow on Sunday afternoon, amid all this off-track drama, the team managed to win Australia's biggest motor race.

And it was no fluke. Kostecki qualified on pole, and he and Hazelwood then led 160 of the 161-lap race to take a dominant victory.

In the space of only about seven months, Erebus had gone from the penthouse to the outhouse and back again. Although it was soured somewhat by a spray at a rival team's engineers mid-way through the race.

Police are also investigating allegations one of the team's data engineers and his partner were attacked leaving the team's afterparty in the early hours of Monday morning.

For Kostecki himself, results have been hard to come by since his return. He's had only one other podium finish this season to-date – on the Sunday in Darwin.

At Bathurst on raceday, the team were faultless. In fact, the only black mark for the entire weekend was in a crash-filled qualifying session on Friday afternoon when Kostecki brushed the wall at the ultra-fast Reid Park and buckled two wheels.

At 5:58:03, this was the fastest-ever Bathurst 1000. It was the first time the six-hour mark had ever been broken.

A Supercars journeyman who lost his full-time ride at the end of last season, it was Hazelwood's first ever Supercars race victory.

"Some people go through their whole career without winning a race, let alone this race," Kostecki said on Today.

"To be able to win this race with my mate Todd here ... absolutely awesome. The team did a fantastic job. Didn't make a mistake the whole weekend."

Aside from a soft interview with the host broadcaster at the Bathurst 500, and an interview with motorsport magazine Auto Action – which Klimenko has since been announced as a part-owner of – Ryan and Klimenko have barely spoken to the media.

Usually after winning the biggest race in Australia, several key team personnel are given the opportunity to speak to the broadcast. At the conclusion of Sunday's race the broadcast spoke to Hazelwood and Kostecki, as well as race engineer George Commins.

Klimenko and Ryan were notable admissions.

As official team representative on the podium, Klimenko was given the microphone, but she kept her message brief.

"This is magic, and this is for the people who believed in the black," she said, before thanking the crowd gathered underneath.

Two race meetings remain in the Supercars season, at the Gold Coast and Adelaide.