Carlin and DJR?
News has just broke in the second issue of Motorsport eNews weekly webzine that Carlin Motorsport, having failed recently in an attempt to take over David Price Racing GP2 team are now looking at purchasing Dick Jonhson Racing!
DJR are the oldest V8Supercar team in the paddock, having been formed from the ashes of the Bryan Byrt Ford team in 1980. Dick Johnson's assault on Bathurst in 1980 is the stuff of folklore and the pivotal moment of Australian domestic racing of the last forty years when Johnson crashed avoiding a massive rock that had fallen onto the circuit while leading the race in its early stages. A tearful Johnson devastated by the near destruction of the car, and his life savings embeded within it was rescued by a massive public telethon held during the remainder of the race telecast. His subsequant one point championship win the following year racing against Peter Brock revitalised motorsport in this country who soon forgot that Alan Jones was world champion.
Since then Johnson has won Bathurst three times and his team has won six touring car championships. The team has struggled badly financially in the last four years and the last three have been badly underfunded.
But Carlin? This is left field thinking for the British Formula 3 heavyweight, but not new thinking as Triple Eight Race Engineering and Prodrive are already heavy investors in V8Supercar, and Tom Walkinshaw's involvement is almost 20 years old.
Still this is most unexpected.
DJR are the oldest V8Supercar team in the paddock, having been formed from the ashes of the Bryan Byrt Ford team in 1980. Dick Johnson's assault on Bathurst in 1980 is the stuff of folklore and the pivotal moment of Australian domestic racing of the last forty years when Johnson crashed avoiding a massive rock that had fallen onto the circuit while leading the race in its early stages. A tearful Johnson devastated by the near destruction of the car, and his life savings embeded within it was rescued by a massive public telethon held during the remainder of the race telecast. His subsequant one point championship win the following year racing against Peter Brock revitalised motorsport in this country who soon forgot that Alan Jones was world champion.
Since then Johnson has won Bathurst three times and his team has won six touring car championships. The team has struggled badly financially in the last four years and the last three have been badly underfunded.
But Carlin? This is left field thinking for the British Formula 3 heavyweight, but not new thinking as Triple Eight Race Engineering and Prodrive are already heavy investors in V8Supercar, and Tom Walkinshaw's involvement is almost 20 years old.
Still this is most unexpected.