EREBUS Motorsport CEO Barry Ryan has issued a written apology in the wake of his expletive-laden television interview at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Ryan was furious following Shane van Gisbergen’s last-lap overtake of Will Brown in Race 1, which was later deemed to be a bump-and-run punished in the form of a five-second penalty for the Triple Eight star.
But Ryan had already had his say by that point and did not hold back.
“Shane can’t keep f***ing doing that shit. It’s bullshit,” he said on the live broadcast.
“He hit him up the arse and passed him. You can’t do that shit. So we’re just going to make sure he gets done this time, not let off, because we’re sick of it.”
Ryan was subsequently fined $5000 by Motorsport Australia, half of which has been suspended.
Barry Ryan’s open letter in full:
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.
