DRIVING FORCE BEHIND V8 POWERHOUSE
IN 2017 one team has dominated the Supercars landscape – DJR Team Penske.
But the road to the top for Dick Johnson’s crew has been one forged by accepting change.
And that change is the man known as The Captain, Roger Penske. The American billionaire poured his resources into the DJR Supercars outfit.
Heading into the Gold Coast 600 this weekend, the team’s two drivers, Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin are No.1 and No.3 in the standings. CONNOR O’BRIEN looks at the drive behind this incredible transformation.
FROM making up the numbers to being the benchmark team, the rapid overhaul of Dick Johnson Racing has been nothing short of remarkable.
Having hit trouble after their 2010 championship triumph with James Courtney at the wheel, the cash-strapped Stapylton outfit’s two Falcons spluttered to 19th and 21st in a 25-car field in 2014.
Enter US billionaire and motorsport icon Roger Penske.
Three years later, the rebranded DJR Team Penske – also known as Shell V-Power Racing – are setting the pace.
Heading into the Gold Coast 600 this weekend, Fabian Coulthard is leading the series with Scott McLaughlin also in the picture in third.
Coulthard, who joined the team last year, said success had been a matter of when, not if.
Team principal Ryan Story has been on deck since 2012 and has seen first-hand the squad’s “systematic” evolution.
Penske’s desire for Supercars coincided with his trucking empire expanding Down Under and, amid massive interest, he chose to link up with racing identity Dick Johnson.
After considerable due diligence, the 2014-15 Christmas break was used to “Penske-ify” the team’s workshop ahead of their first race under their new banner. A premium was put on presentation, a value held highly by the American.
“It allows for surgical precision on race cars when you could almost eat off the floor,” Story said.
“It’s very special; a very clean and organised workshop, something we are very proud of and that was entirely with Roger’s influence.”
For their 2015 debut, DJR Team Penske cut back to one car “to ensure we could walk before we could run”.
Initial driver Marcos Ambrose didn’t last but it was only one year before they were ready to return to a two-car model. The team then set about becoming a self-sufficient entity able to control their own destiny, upping their staff from 26 in 2014 to now have nearly 40 people based at their Emeri St headquarters.
“That has really allowed us to explore and chart new territories to chase that elusive competitiveness that was certainly in short supply before this season,” Story said.
The wheels were well and truly in motion last season and success has now arrived in spades, completing a phenomenal turnaround.
With an enviable budget and two quality drivers, they have even had the Triple Eight juggernaut playing catch-up.
In 20 races this season, they have secured 15 pole positions and 10 wins. But while major shareholder Penske has been the catalyst behind the revival, Johnson’s influence has not diminished, according to Story.
“The reason DJR comes before Team Penske is because of the respect Roger and the Team Penske organisation have for Dick,” he said.
“One of the things that he still plays a substantive role outside of the commercial operations of the organisation is in running the troops.
“He comes in every day, he greets all of the staff. He knows them, he knows their families.
“To be able to reward his time and some of the struggles he had in recent times both on a personal and professional level with the success we have had now is something I know everyone takes pride in.”
The job is not done yet. Rival star Jamie Whincup is still right in the hunt and DJR’s recent record in Surfers Paradise is not pretty.
“We can’t take anything for granted and certainly we’ll continue to employ the best football cliches we can between now and (the end of the season),” Story smiled.