AFTER being a fixture at the pointy end of the Supercars pitlane for years, Dick Johnson Racing’s lowly garage position at Taupō was an unfamiliar sight commented on by many.
In the first round where the new-for-2024 live pitlane order properly came into effect, the proud Ford squad’s slow start to the season had it occupying the 21st and 22nd bays on the weekend.
DJR ensured that situation won’t be repeated come Round 4 in Western Australia, getting its act together in impressive fashion.
A pair of third-place finishes helped Anton De Pasquale win the round and the associated Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, while Will Davison was second on Saturday before a ragged 19th yesterday.
The haul of points lifted DJR all the way up to fourth in the teams’ championship – within nine points of Erebus Motorsport in third.
“It is a motivator, but I think it’s about your position and how you embrace that challenge,” DJR chief David Noble said, when asked if their undesirable placement towards pit entry had fired them up.
“It’s not about complaining where you are; you’re there for a reason.
“Sometimes the sport tells you where you are, and that’s where we landed.
“So for us it’s about getting back to work, staying positive, staying really aligned as to what our beliefs were, and getting these guys a car that could actually do something out on the track.”
DJR and Noble vow they’re not done yet, with Triple Eight continuing to set a high benchmark at the top end of town.
“To get some reward and get some nourishment for our effort is really good,” said the former AFL player, coach and administrator.
“For us, it’s only the start of where we want to get back to.
“We said at the start of the year, we wanted to hunt.
“That was our theme, we wanted to hunt down the opposition this year, and we have got more work ahead of us.”
In the drivers’ standings, Davison is ninth and De Pasquale 12th.
