Favourite emerges in Erebus sale

Speedcafe understands that Aaron Hickman is now the favourite to take over the Bathurst 1000- and Supercars Championship-winning team.

While Hickman himself may not necessarily have name recognition in the sport, he is the founder/CEO of lighting company Vailo, which is the naming rights sponsor of the Adelaide 500.

He is one of two names to have been floated in the rumour mill as potential buyers of Erebus, the other being the founder of TFH Hire Services, Brett Thomas.

TFH has backed Erebus since the start of the 2024 season, but the prospect of Thomas extending his involvement from sponsorship to team ownership was dismissed quite unequivocally by the man himself when he spoke to Speedcafe this morning.

When asked if he is going to buy Erebus, Thomas gave a polite but firm “No.”

Asked then if he had had any talks at all, he gave the same response: “No.”

Speedcafe sought clarity that he is limited just to sponsorship of the team at the moment, to which Thomas responded:

“Yes, at the moment, yeah.”

He then added, “That's hilarious. I've heard that a few times myself.

“But, I do know who is.

“There you go.”

Naturally, Thomas declined to divulge who that might be, although Hickman is now the leading contender.

For both, the rumour that they would buy Erebus from Klimenko does have a certain logic.

Thomas is already engaged with the team, and what is understood to have been an initial three-event deal to back both of its Chevrolet Camaros has now been extended to a full season on the #1 entry of Brodie Kostecki.

That adds to a portfolio which includes professional and semi-professional sporting teams in rugby league, rugby union, and Australian Rules Football – such as the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Queensland Reds – and even junior basketball.

Thomas himself also has a good relationship with Erebus CEO Barry Ryan, who has owned a 50 percent share in the TRC underpinning Kostecki's car since mid-2019.

Hickman, though, has also been active in Supercars sponsorship through Vailo, which has had pride of place at the Adelaide 500 since its comeback event in 2022 (then as ‘Valo').

Vailo, like TFH, is active in other sports also, including with AFL's Adelaide Crows and Greater Western Sydney Giants, the A-League's Adelaide United, and the Dewar Shield rugby union competition in Hickman's native South Australia.

In the meantime, Thomas's relationship with Erebus/Barry Ryan has helped put Kostecki into one of TFH Hire Racing's TA2 cars as part of an expanded line-up from this month's Trico Trans Am Series round at The Bend.

“I get along pretty well with Barry so it wasn't too hard; I only had to ask the question,” explained Thomas.

Kostecki will join Todd Hazelwood, his fill-in for the first two events of the Supercars season and his co-driver for the upcoming enduros, and Josh Thomas in the TFH Hire Racing outfit.

It is a move which allows the team to tap into the 2023 Supercars champion's skill but also gives him seat time after missing the start of the Supercars season, and Thomas said the motivation was “a bit of both.”

“I've known Brodie for quite a while,” he added.

“Brodie is a good young man, so it was just to help the team; it was good for Brodie, it was good for us.

“So, we bought a new Mustang for him, which is ready to go.

“Todd and him are mates, so it just sort of works for everybody.”

Erebus management last week denied that a sale is imminent, and opted not to comment on anything else related to a long or short term sale.

The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship continues on May 17-19 with the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint, while Trans Am is next in action with the Shannons SpeedSeries on May 31-June 2.

The 2024 Vailo Adelaide 500 takes place on November 14-17 as the Supercars season finale.

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