MOTORSPORT: Erebus supercar pioneer re-emerges

The key architect of billionaire Betty Klimenko’s ultimately aborted bid to get Mercedes-AMG into Australian Supercars racing has returned to motorsport… With one of AMG’s key racing teams.

Ryan Maddison was CEO at Erebus Motorsport V8 when it took over Stone Brothers Racing and entered V8 Supercars (as it was then known) with three Mercedes-AMG E63s in 2013.

Backed by Klimenko’s substantial personal wealth, Maddison was the pivotal campaigner who overcame the opposition of the local distribution arm of Mercedes-Benz -- for whom he had previously worked. Eventually, Erebus gained factory approval and was included within AMG’s Customer Sports program.

After three years, two wins and tens of millions of dollars spent, Klimenko parked the Benzes and swapped to Holden Commodores for the 2016 season, citing the support offered by the local brand for Supercars racing.

Maddison, who had been with Erebus since its inception racing in the GT3 category in 2011, departing the team at the end of 2015 to form a consultancy, Sector 4 Management.

Now he has been appointed to a senior business and performance role at the German Team Black Falcon, an elite AMG’s ‘Performance Team’ in the GT3 category and winner of the 2016 Nurburgring 24 hour, 2015 Dubai 24 hour and 2013 Dubai 12 hour. Team Black Falcon is best known locally for its second in the 2012 Bathurst 12-hour.

Maddison acknowledged the irony of getting back into motorsport with Mercedes-Benz and AMG after the turbulence of 2012-15 left him battered.

“I left after a lot of hard work to achieve results and something I'm proud of for the sport and team,” he said of the period.

“While the [Erebus] journey was highly publicized, there really are only a few who know the full details of what occurred from start to where I finished,” Maddison told motoring.com.au in an email.

“All in all I am happy to be once again working closely with AMG. At the end of the day, the desire on behalf of the brand of Mercedes-Benz and AMG to succeed is the centre-point for all decisions and strategic direction.”

Maddison also made it clear that he was excited to return to professional motorsport.

“It is an industry I am highly motivated by,” he said.

“The pace that change needs to occur I enjoy; the common interest and appreciation for the automotive industry at the highest level of challenge is like a Magnetic North for me.”

Maddison said he remained on good terms with Klimenko, who also shifted the team to Melbourne from the Gold Coast for 2016 and hired David Reynolds as lead driver.

Reynolds drove to a strong third at Phillip Island in the sixth race of the 2017 championship last Sunday. This year motoring.com.au’s own Luke Youlden will co-driver for Reynolds in the endures.

“I am pleased to say the relationship with Betty is still positive after Erebus,” Maddison told motoring.com.au this week.

“I am pleased to see their [Erebus] consistency improving with the major change they have taken on in the past 18 months.

“Betty will always be respected by myself, I have said several times I don’t know too many that have an equal passion for the sport and commit to it in phase one of a start-up.

“Not too many single teams can say they fielded drivers and race wins of the caliber of Bernd Schneider, Maro Engel, Thomas Jager and Mika Hakkinen,” Maddison said.