How 'simplified' DJR defied Taupō hangover

Will Davison fourth, Anton De Pasquale sixth in Race 10
Davison seventh, De Pasquale eighth in championship
DJR "simplifying things," says Davison

Pressure was on the Shell V-Power Racing Team to prove its Taupō speed was more fluke, and the team returned serve in Perth after ‘simplifying’ its Ford package.

Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale finished fourth and sixth in the Perth finale on Sunday, having returned to form in New Zealand with three podiums between them.

The team’s Taupō form followed a tough first two rounds of 2024, with its 2023 campaign headlined by a win in Townsville amid inconsistency.

The Ford homologation team has now strung together two strong rounds, and both drivers are in the top eight in the points.

De Pasquale was seventh overall for the round, behind both sets of WAU, Tickford and Triple Eight cars.

“There's so many people scratching their heads, same story. But we are getting there, we are starting to simplify the car,” said Davison, who is just 55 points from fourth in the championship.

“Definitely still not quick enough, but I think, considering we didn't roll out here as we wanted, like everyone talked about, can we carry it over from New Zealand? We didn't, but we've made good inroads throughout the weekend.

“So, bit-by-bit we're simplifying things and hopefully we'll fire a shot soon.”

There are still frailties, such as Davison being undone by a throttle position sensor issue in Saturday’s race. However, the team turned it around on Sunday to have the #17 top Q2.

"We're realists and we were better than yesterday's race,” Davison said on the broadcast after Sunday’s race.

"We obviously had the mechanical last night, which cost me a top 10. But good signs overnight.

"Like, it was one of those nights where we were frustrated, we were really digging in to the computer, late conversations with the engineer, and made big changes to both our cars, and got some good reward in qualifying.

"Q3 not ideal, but to top Q2, that segment showed really good potential for us to be one and three there. So some really good lessons learnt, and a good race.

"We literally had a rope between our cars for 50-odd laps and that was all we had, but I'll take the fourth.”

Davison and De Pasquale are seventh and eighth, and the team fifth, heading to the next round in Darwin on June 14-16.