Anton ‘the next Scott’

DICK Johnson has declared Anton de Pasquale the next Scott McLaughlin, with the V8 legend predicting his shock recruit will become the next Dick Johnson Racing champion.

Also tipping that his team’s rivalry with the Red Bull Holden Racing Team would be “same shit – different year”, the sport’s greatest living driver suggested de Pasquale could go on to replicate McLaughlin’s feats after being signed by DJR to replace the triple champion, who has moved to IndyCars.

Switching from Erebus Motorsport in the season’s biggest signing, de Pasquale will get his first shot at proving himself as Ford’s fastest on Friday when he takes on Holden heroes Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen at the season-opening Test Day in Queensland.

“I think he will be every bit as good,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to blow up his tyres too much, but I think he is a real bloody talent.”

Johnson likened his 25-year-old signing to McLaughlin in 2017, when the now three-time champion and Bathurst winner was recruited to DJR/ Team Penske.

“He is very much like Scotty was when he first came to us,” Johnson said.

“He has had a couple of years in Supercars and proved himself to be an exceptional talent just like Scott had. He knows what it is all about and now has an opportunity to go to the next level. I always say the driver is only as good as the people around him and I believe he will now be able to show us how good he is.”

De Pasquale will team up with Will Davison in an all new DJR pairing after Fabian Coulthard was axed in a dramatic post-season shake-up that also saw Roger Penske sell his stake in the team.

Davison returns to DJR after a previous stint with the racing outfit.

“He will be more than rejuvenated,” Johnson said. “You just watch him go. He will be like a kid at Christmas.”

Johnson also said his team would be a championship contender even without the backing of billionaire Penske.