The Shell V-Power Racing Team drew on the versatility of its staff to ensure its recent COVID-19 outbreak did not hamper its strong start to the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship.
The Ford powerhouse was forced to shut its workshop down for a number of days following the season-opening Sydney SuperNight after several staff members contracted the coronavirus.
A knock-on effect was that the overhauled Ford Mustang Gen3 prototype was unable to make it to Queensland Raceway last week for a shakedown, given that Dick Johnson Racing is the Blue Oval homologation team for the championship.
It has nevertheless been assured that the new-look Mustang will make it to Symmons Plains this weekend for demonstration laps and post-event testing, and that DJR will be firing on all cylinders for Round 2 of the current season.
DJR enters the Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint leading the teams’ championship, and second in the drivers’ standings courtesy of Anton De Pasquale.
“For the most part, [the outbreak] fell at the right time off the back end of the SMP event,” team principal Ben Croke told Speedcafe.com.
“We did have to shuffle a few people around for a few days to help out in the different parts of the workshop but that’s why we have got the team of people based at Stapylton that we do.
“We’ve got pretty much most situations covered with people that can step in and do another job to help the team out.
“We’re happy with our preparation. We had some people that have worked on cars in the past that are in different departments now jump in and do some prep work – nothing that they haven’t done before – and did a really good job of that.
“The cars are at the high standard that we maintain and set for ourselves.”
Now, DJR is determined to build on the momentum it took out of Sydney Motorsport Park.
“It was a solid start,” reflected Croke.
“We would have liked to have got a win on the board, but both cars performed strongly at times over the weekend and consistently and got a good, solid points haul – something that we probably didn’t really leave Bathurst with at the start of last year.
“We’re already better placed, we feel, and we were okay in Tassie last year as well.
“So, go down there and make sure we keep up the momentum that we have built.”
Its drivers De Pasquale and Will Davison each took two podiums from three attempts at Symmons Plains last year.
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