Dick Johnson Racing has announced the signing of Anton De Pasquale and Will Davison to the team for the 2021 Supercars Championship.
It marks an all-new driver lineup for the squad which has won the past three consecutive drivers’ championships with Scott McLaughlin, and three of the last four teams’ titles.
De Pasquale joins from Erebus Motorsport, his departure having been confirmed by the Victorian-based operation earlier this week.
It ends a three-year stint with the Betty Klimenko-led team with whom he both made his championship debut and won his first race.
“I really enjoyed my time at Erebus, it was like a big family, and I am grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to step up into the main game,” said De Pasquale.
“Now, I’m ready to take the next step in my career. I’m excited at the possibilities of what I’ll be able to achieve at the Shell V-Power Racing Team and with Will as my teammate.”
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The 25-year-old will be joined by Davison, who returns to the squad for which he drove for three years from 2006 (following a year as a co-driver alongside Steven Johnson in 2005).
For Davison, it marks a return to full-time competition after stepping out of a primary driver role midway through the 2020 campaign.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the championship winning team, and after a strong weekend at Bathurst, I feel I’m well-positioned to have my best season yet,” said Davison.
“I’ve always maintained close relationships with Dick (Johnson) and Ryan (Story) over the years. I’m massively motivated to be back where my Supercars career started, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Anton.”
Managing Director and Co-owner of the Shell V-Power Racing Team, Ryan Story, added: “They are an excellent combination. They are both fast, they both have runs on the board, and they will do very well for Dick Johnson Racing and the Shell V-Power Racing Team.
“Will is someone who is incredibly experienced and also well-known to the team. He really kick-started his full-time Supercars career here and drove for us from 2006 to 2008. So it’s somewhat of a homecoming, and we are please he’s joining the fold.
“In the case of Anton, he is one of the up and coming, next-generation drivers in the sport, and he’s shown his tremendous talent on the track and his professionalism off it. He’s a driver’s driver.”
Johnson hailed the new additions to the championship winning operation, and the prospect of reuniting with Davison after more than a decade.
“Will and Anton are great new additions to our team, and I couldn’t be happier,” he said.
“I’ve known Will forever, and he showed again at Bathurst his exceptional speed and maturity. Anton is someone who caught my eye even before joining Erebus in 2018 with his exploits overseas. He’s a real talent and a future champion of the sport.”
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