DJR 2025 drivers deadline set
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 16 August 2024
Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) has revealed fans can expect a pre-Bathurst call on its to-be-announced 2025 driver line up.
With both Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale, who have raced there since 2021 are out of contract at the end of the year, there is great speculation surrounding who will steer the Shell Mustangs.
One contender ruled out is current co-driver Kai Allen, who is off to Grove Racing due to the “timing was just not right”, whilst reigning champion Brodie Kostecki has been floated.
DJR CEO David Noble has offered an update at the Tasmania SuperSprint, stating a call should be made around the end of September.
“To be fair when one of our owners (Brett Ralph) is overseas at the moment – he is back this week – it has been a little tricky just narrowing down some conversations and bits and pieces,” Noble said.
“We have just got to do our due diligence.
“I understand that everybody keeps looking at us, but we have just got to do the right work and make the right decisions and when the time is right.
“We’ll let everyone know.”
On DJR overlooking current co-driver and Super2 champion Allen, things did not quite line up.
The 19-year-old explained to AUTO ACTION he will forever be fond of his time at DJR, but timing did not quite align between the parties.
“I have been in the DJR stable for a while and I am super grateful for what they have given me through the wildcard with Simona (De Silvestro) and all the development since,” Allen explained.
“But unfortunately the timing just was not right with them and had to part ways.
“I fully understood they had to do what they had to do with their business.
“From there I started looking and had a lot of offers, not just from Groves, but from other people as well.
“It got to the point where I wanted to step up and couldn’t do another year in Super2, so the opportunity and timing was right with the Groves and it felt like it was meant to be.”
Noble backed that up, stating DJR had been in regular discussions with Allen’s manager.
“There was a constant dialogue with myself and Dave Ellis (Allen’s manager) in regards to where the timing was,” he said.
“We just weren’t in a position where we could legitimately stall and felt like we had to do the right thing for Kai if he did have other options and I had that open conversation with Dave.
“We’re happy that we’ve been able to support him, but slightly disappointed that we couldn’t continue that journey.
“But I’m also excited that he has been able to get into the category.
“There’s no harsh feelings from our side of things.
“We just could not commit at the right timeframe for them, and they took the opportunity.”
Image: Mark Horsburgh
Tasmania SuperSprint schedule
Practice 1: 1: D. Reynolds 51.1376 2: J. Golding +0.1061 3: J. Le Brocq +0.1628
Practice 2: Sat 11.05-11.25
Qualifying: Sat 13.00-13.40
Race 17: Sat 16.10 (55 laps)
Practice 3: Sun 10.20-10.40
Qualifying: Sun 12.40-13.30
Race 18: Sun 15.05 (55 laps)
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