D’Alberto, 39, is set to remain with the squad as a co-driver in 2025, this time pairing with Will Davison while recruits Todd Hazelwood and Brodie Kostecki team up in the other Shell Ford.
A 10th campaign as a DJR driver draws D’Alberto to within a year of John Bowe’s legendary stint at the team. Only Dick and son Steven Johnson have more consecutive DJR seasons to their names.
There’s a sense of a full circle moment for D’Alberto as he brings up the decade too, returning to car #17 for the first time since his inaugural year, where he paired with Scott Pye.
“I’m absolutely rapt to be one of the longest-serving drivers at Dick Johnson Racing. I didn’t ever think I’d get to that stage,” D’Alberto told Speedcafe.
“It’s been a really cool part of my career representing those guys.
“I’ve been through so many different stages of their progression, from when Penske came in and the whole build-up to being dominant, then a bit of a decline and now a resurgence, trying to get ourselves back to the top.
Secure your spot today.
“It hasn’t all been plain sailing, but it’s been an amazing journey.”
D’Alberto, who made his first Bathurst 1000 start in 2005 and spent 2008-13 as a full-time driver with his family’s own team, is still chasing a maiden Supercars victory.
He’s twice finished third for DJR in the Great Race, with Fabian Coulthard in 2017 and Anton De Pasquale in 2023.
“To partner with Will next year, it doesn’t get a lot better than that to be honest,” said D’Alberto of his 2025 pairing.
“He’s won the race twice, he’s been in the category a long time and rightly so, he’s an amazing driver.
“(The #17) is obviously a very special number for the team as well. It does bring a little bit more pressure, I reckon, car #17, just the whole history behind it all.”
The length of D’Alberto’s DJR tenure is particularly impressive given the lack of job security that comes with co-driving for a top team.
Each season, the market is shaken up by the latest drivers who fall out of the full-time field. The experienced co-drivers cannot afford a bad year.
“Generally, they’re two-year deals but like a lot of these contracts, it’s a little bit more on their side than mine,” D’Alberto admits.
“It’s that way on purpose. I need to prove my worth each time I get in the car. Clearly, I’ve done something right to be there for so long.
“I’ve had many main drivers come and go, I’ve partnered up with a few and somehow, I’ve lasted all those changeovers.”
D’Alberto will again tackle two Mount Panorama endurance races next year, confirmed earlier this week to be returning to the Adrian Deitz Lamborghini entry for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
Having parked his TCR Australia program, D’Alberto aims to keep sharp in GT3 machinery in the lead-up to The Bend 500 and Bathurst 1000.
“The plan at the moment is to do as many races as Adrian can in the GT car,” he said.
“He’s got a busy work schedule, so I’m not sure how many that will be, but I’ll try and do as many GT races as I can.”
Discussion about this post