DJR determined to join front-running Fords

Team Principal Dr Ryan Story has thrown down the gauntlet to Shell V-Power Racing Team to join its Ford rivals in fighting at the front, highlighting the challenge of unlocking more speed.

The Ford squad started 2024 on the back foot in Bathurst, but hit the ground running in Melbourne with a front-row start for Anton De Pasquale for the opener.

Come last weekend, and Penrite Racing, Walkinshaw Andretti United and Tickford Racing scored a pole each at Albert Park, and fought for victory across the weekend. However, on Saturday and Sunday, Ford drivers collided battling for the lead.

While Triple Eight and Matt Stone Racing Camaros shared the wins, a Ford driver led the race on the opening lap of each sprint, including a Shell V-Power Ford in the opener.

De Pasquale qualified second and jumped Broc Feeney off the line, before ceding the lead at Turn 3 and eventually dropping to seventh.

De Pasquale picked up first-lap damage in Friday’s race and retired, raced to 16th on Saturday, and was a non-starter on Sunday with broken suspension.

Will Davison, meanwhile, scored two top six finishes, and was sixth in the final weekend standings, and second of the Ford drivers.

Story, who oversaw the team’s dominance between 2017 and 2020, believes his team can bounce back and “stir the pot” at the next round in New Zealand.

"It was great to see the Mustangs showing good speed and battling at the front. Now we have to join them," Story said.

"Obviously it was not the weekend we wanted, but the season is only just starting and we’ve got plenty of potential.

"The challenge now is to get things unlocked and with a new track coming up next at Taupō in New Zealand we’ve be looking to stir the pot."

Davison is 10th and De Pasquale 21st, with the team 10th in the teams’ championship standings, heading to the ITM Taupō Super400.