Dick Johnson Racing is weighing up interest to run a third car in the 2012 V8 Supercars Championship.
According to team manager Malcolm Swetnam, the famous Queensland-based team has fielded “more than one” approach to enter a third car next season.
Last year, DJR ran three cars – two Jim Beam Racing and Jonathon Webb’s Mother Energy Falcon. At the end of the year, Webb’s team took its Racing Entitlements Contract to set up its own single-car operation.
Speedcafe.com understands that a similar deal could be struck with West Australian Dean Fiore, who currently runs an ex-Triple Eight FG Falcon under his own Triple F Racing banner. Fiore says that he is still assessing his options for 2012.
DJR team manager Malcolm Swetnam says that he is chuffed with the level of interest that he has received, but remains cautious on accepting any offer.
“If we were to run three, we’d run three all at the same level,” Swetnam told Speedcafe.com.
“There’s no use having one star car and two ‘lepper’ cars. You’ve either got to do it right or not do it at all.
“We would only run it if it’s going to be competitive. I have no interest in running a billy at the back.
“I don’t doubt that we could do it, but we’re going to do it on our terms, and on our terms that suits a potential partner that we do it with.
“It’s flattering that we’ve been approached by more than one person. All I’d say that we must make sure that it’s the right deal for all concerned.”
Swetnam says that a new business ethos within the organisation will make them ‘think before they do.’
“There’s a changed dynamic at DJR. The team is still ‘DJR,’ but it’s very much more now a business that happens to be a race team, rather than just a race team,” he said.
“We would approach anything we do in a pragmatic way that secures the future of the business, and secures the future of the people that work inside the business.
“The days of putting a mate’s sticker on the car are behind us.
“I don’t like the word ruthless, but we have to be more focused on how we perform so we secure the team’s future.”
