DICK Johnson Racing appears to have found its next star.
Eighteen-year-old Kai Allen made a major impression on his first official day as a DJR driver at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Driving the team’s wildcard entry alongside Simona De Silvestro, Allen clocked the fourth-fastest time in the co-driver practice session on Thursday.
While the variables of practice can produce unexpected results, it was the latest sign that the Super2 Series front-runner is the real deal.
Dick Johnson, who is this weekend celebrating the 50th anniversary of his own first start in the Great Race, is keeping a close eye on the rookie.
“Simona and Kai are here to do something which is going to be very, very special I think,” Johnson told V8 Sleuth.
“Not only is it a three-car team from our point of view, but Kai is young, he’s fast, and he’s got a really good head on his shoulders.
“Simona is very experienced and I’m pretty sure she will do a good job. She’s been here before, she knows what it’s all about.
“I think at the end of the day, first of all they’ve got to finish the race. I’ll be extremely happy if they finish without any dramas, just stay out of trouble.
“But to be in the top 10 would be like winning the race.”
Allen is on double duties at Bathurst, balancing his Supercars Championship debut in the Gen3 Mustang with his regular Super2 drive aboard a Triple Eight-built ZB Commodore.
“It’s a bit hard jumping from the Super2 to this,” said Allen during Practice 3 on Friday morning, having moments earlier qualified second for the opening Super2 race.
“But it was good that last practice session yesterday to get to grips with it all and see what the Gen3 is like around here.
“There’s a few little things,” he continued of the differences.
“You feel a little bit different with the ergonomics in the car. It takes a couple of minutes to adjust to it but once I get my head around it, it’s pretty similar, which is really good.”
A Toyota 86 Series graduate, Allen burst onto the Supercars scene in 2022 with a stunning Super3 campaign for Eggleston Motorsport in which he fell just short of the title.
He made the move to Super2 this year with Eggleston and, while nothing has been made official, is believed to have a development deal with DJR.
That’s expected to see the young gun as a DJR co-driver next year before, potentially, a move into a full-time seat with the team in 2025.
Johnson isn’t ready to talk about such details yet, but indicates the Ford squad sees Allen as a long-term prospect.
“A lot depends on where we head in that direction,” he said when asked of Allen’s future as a full-time DJR driver.
“But Kai is certainly one of the guys that we’ve grabbed hold of and hopefully are going to keep.”
Johnson’s grandson Jett is also a potential future DJR driver, making his first appearance at Bathurst aboard a Supercar this weekend in the Super3 Series.
