DJR boss: We need to focus on ourselves, not penalties

Dick Johnson Racing CEO David Noble has urged his team to control what it can control, after Brodie Kostecki was left on the wrong end of a number of incidents in Taupō.

Bathurst winner Kostecki claimed two pole positions at the ITM Taupō Super 440, but left New Zealand with a third place to his name.

The 2023 champion boxed on with Chaz Mostert for the Race 9 win, ultimately coming off second-best. Earlier, he was penalised after tipping Thomas Randle into a spin in Race 8.

Come Sunday, and Ryan Wood was penalised for escorting Kostecki off the road on lap 1 as they disputed the lead. Kostecki dropped down the order, and recovered to fourth.

Kostecki was at odds with how Mostert seemingly got away with it on Saturday, while he was also surprised by the call to penalise Wood on Sunday, despite losing out.

Noble, who joined DJR in late 2022, knows more than most what it feels like to be on both sides of a decision, given his footballing background.

A former Australian rules football coach, administrator and player, Noble served as senior coach of AFL team North Melbourne before joining DJR.

He served as senior coach of SANFL side Glenelg in 2003 and 2004, before serving as an assistant under Neil Craig at Adelaide in the AFL, later becoming an administrator at the club.

When asked about the Taupō calls, Noble cited advice from Craig, suggesting DJR needs to focus on itself, rather than picking fights with officials.

"I work with an old coach of mine, Neil Craig, and it's like, control what you can control and let the umpires work out what they need to do,” Noble said on Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast.

"And I think there's a little bit in that. It's just like, let's just put ourselves in a position where we can continue to get poles, get podiums, win races, and let Supercars and [Driving Standards Advisor Craig Baird] work out the rest.”

Taupō was a breakout weekend for DJR, with Kostecki and Will Davison both standing on the Race 9 podium. Kostecki was third for the weekend, and Davison fifth.

The progress impressed Noble, who added: “You've gotta be up around the mark in order to maximise your opportunities and to bring podiums in, and that's what we're starting to do.

"We're starting to be around the mark more regularly than not. And with that, you create opportunities. You get the rub of the green every now and then, sometimes you don't.

“But you've gotta be there first to really maximise what we think we're building."

The 2025 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440 on May 9-11. Tickets are on sale now.