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Ryan Story, who has returned to Team Principal duties at Dick Johnson Racing, had warned before the Thrifty Bathurst 500 season-opener that the squad’s recovery would take time given its focus on Ford homologation duties.
His caution was vindicated when the Stapylton-based squad left Mount Panorama just 10th in the Supercars teams’ championship, with Will Davison’s 10th in Race 2 its best race result of the weekend.
DJR does have the opportunity, however, in this near-four-week period between the Bathurst 500 and Melbourne SuperSprint to take stock of its own race team.
“I think what we’ve tried to do with the restructure internally is to allocate the priorities out a little bit, so there’s a little bit more split between the race team, homologation, and the engine shop,” CEO David Noble told Speedcafe.
“So, there’s three areas within the workforce.
“It would be good, now that we’ve got the first race under our belt, to be a little bit more settled within homologation and engines, to actually do a little bit more of a deep dive into our own stuff.”
Story had offered a blunt assessment following Race 2 at Mount Panorama, admitting, “There is obviously plenty of room for improvement because we’re not where we want, and need, to be.
“We seem to have reasonable one-lap pace but there is still a lot to learn about how we manage a race over the stints.”
DJR did at least have a stronger Sunday than Saturday, with both Davison and Anton De Pasquale making the top 10 shootout, before race results of 10th and 15th versus 16th and 21st in Race 1.
“We think we have [made progress],” said Noble, post-Race 2.
“Certainly, through quali, we looked a lot better, and then couldn’t quite maximise that in the shootout.
“To end up with one in the top 10, from yesterday [ie after the Race 1 performance], is encouraging, no doubt.
“So, lots to learn and unpack.”
The other source of encouragement for DJR as a group is that it has at least produced what appears to be a more potent package for its fellow Ford teams.
While two teams collectively locked out both podiums (and both front rows) at the Bathurst 500, one of those was Walkinshaw Andretti United, through the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Mustang of Chaz Mostert.
Although WAU co-owner Ryan Walkinshaw believes there is “a little bit of work to do on the engines,” he also declared that, “we are a hell of a lot closer than we were last year.”
Noble said, “The encouraging thing was the overall capacity of the Fords across the weekend.
“It looked very encouraging; credit to WAU for getting on top and getting a terrific result, so there’s some hope there, for sure.”
Davison is 15th in the drivers’ championship and De Pasquale 19th ahead of the Melbourne SuperSprint at Albert Park on March 21-24.
