IT WAS all change at DJR ahead of the 2021 Supercars season; McLaughlin and Coulthard departed and De Pasquale and Davison joined the party. While their careers are at different points, DALE RODGERS discovers that actually, both have similar stories to tell of their road to the famous Ford team.

New driver line ups always ensure a level of intrigue in the Repco Supercars Championship. Will there be tensions? How will the dynamics work with the engineers? Will one emerge as the leader?

For Dick Johnson Racing, 2021 arrived with not only two new drivers, but also the well documented change to team structure following the departure of the Penske Organisation. With much speculation about how the team would perform in 2021, many of the doomsday merchants have had to eat their words as a string of podiums and a breakthrough one – two result for the team achieved at Round 4 of the Repco Supercars Championship at The Bend.

But what about the drivers? Will Davison and Anton De Pasquale were signed to pilot the two DJR Shell V-Power Ford Mustangs in 2021, and, on the surface, it is a mix of youth and experience. However, it is not until you delve into the CVs of these two drivers that the similarities of their racing backgrounds become evident.

Both were Karting Champions at a State and National Level.

Both scored Australian Formula Ford Championships under the tutorage of Michael Ritter and the Sonic Team.

Both left Australia to race in Europe at a similar age.

And both competed in Formula Renault albeit in the British and European Series.

A classic pathway that now sees them as teammates in the iconic DJR Supercars outfit.

The Race Torque caught up with the duo to look at their careers to date – starting with that decision to head to Europe.

“I think it really hasn’t changed from when Will did it to when I did it. There is possibly a more distinct ladder now, but I am not sure there if there is really any correct way to do it? I’m not sure,” Anton De Pasquale said.

“You just have to go over there and have a crack at things and see where it puts you.”

When quizzed about the decision to leave and indeed sitting on the plane ready to go as a young driver, Will Davison recounted what went through his mind.

“You are pretty single minded at that point. You are not thinking too much more than a couple of days in advance. You are running in the moment, I suppose,” he said.

“You have got your ideal plan, your five-year plan in your head, but while I felt privileged to be going there you don’t have the luxuries that some of the well-funded competitors have. For us (once Davison was in the UK) it was a week at a time. But, yeah, you jumped at the chance to get there. Amazing times when I look back.”

De Pasquale had similar thoughts: “It was pretty daunting,” he recalled.

“I was heading to Austria, a non-English speaking country, and didn’t know anyone on the other side. You don’t know what to expect, having never been over there before.” 

“It was actually pretty cool. You learn a lot of life skills as well away from the track. It makes you, I guess, more courageous for the rest of your life,” Anton said. “It is one of the harder things to do and just doing it is an accomplishment. I would not change it for anything, but probably do it a bit differently.”

As so many young Australian racers who take the plunge to leave our shores find out, the reality of budgets and opportunities that present themselves often close the chapter on an International career. Both Davison and De Pasquale had to accept that decision and the cards that were dealt and retuned home.

However, when you look at the list of drivers who have tried to establish themselves overseas but not gone all the way, they are both in very good company.

Craig Lowndes had a shot at F3000. Scott Pye and Tim Blanchard both tasted success in junior open wheel competition, even newly-crowned Gold Star winner Joey Mawson has returned home to chase success domestically. All will tell you that the experience was worth every bit of effort and it is fair to speculate that they all became better racing drivers because of it.

Being in contention for a seat in a top team feels good. And to roll out and driving for such iconic brands, for Dick and the fan base is cool.It is a big step coming from where I was, a big change moving out of home, as well as having more pressure on you in a bigger team, but you’ve got to enjoy it as it is a very cool thing!

– Anton De Pasquale

Anton De Pasqaule has a very interesting take on it.

“I did not really go there to say I was going to make Formula 1 or do this or do that. We budgeted for what in fact would have cost to do a Super 2 Series anyway. What’s to lose? But ultimately it is how the dice rolls. You come back and you have learnt what you needed to, you have done all these things that you could never have done if you just stayed here,” De Pasqaule explained.

“It is a very cool thing. You race against some really good guys on some of the most iconic tracks. We were never in a bad position to come home. There are many people around the world who wish they could race Supercars,” he added.

For Davison, it was a little different as whilst some amazing doors were opened, some slammed shut just as quickly. After a season of Formula Renault, Davison progressed to Formula 3 with expat Aussie Alan Docking, but all the while things were developing, and he was soon on his way to Germany to test against some of the hottest names of that time.

“Thinking back to some of the crossroads we faced, it is so clear in my head of the timelines of certain decisions we made. At the end of the day, we pushed as hard as we could,” Davison recalled.

“Then I got a call from HWA in Germany to go fly me over and test with Gerhard Unger. They were introducing the Mercedes engine into F3, and Jamie Green, Danny Watts and I could have gone to European F3, but it was clear the test was aimed at the DTM Series.”

Davison was single minded on an open wheel path and was soon back in the UK chasing the F3 title. He was in the running for the Renault F1 junior program and remembers to this day when he received the call from Mark Webber to say he had not been selected.

“I never look at people who have made it with envy, because I understand how easily you can catch the wave or miss it, and I have caught waves here in Australia which others have missed,” he added.

So, both the new for 2021 DJR drivers gave the European career a great shot and both have now carved successful careers in the main game here in Australia. And both drivers arrived in leading teams in relatively quickly.

“It is quite difficult to get into Supercars in general, let alone get into a team that is competitive where you can get results quickly. That is a mission in itself,” De Pasquale said. “If you can do that, it does give you an opportunity to race for a team like DJR. You don’t want to be moving around too much as the longer you can stay with a good team the better relationships and performance should come.”

On that note, the significance of driving for Dick Johnson Racing even without the Penske connection is not lost on either Davison or De Pesquale.

“Being part of a big team with a massive fan base was a really good learning tool for me as a young guy. To be in with Dick and see the enormity of the team in Australia was pretty cool for a rookie,” Davison recalled of his first stint at DJR back in 2007.

“They had come off some bad seasons so the pressure to perform was maybe a little less for me in the first years. So, to be back all these years later is very special for me. I remember a few years back when DJR bought the Shell V-Power livery back. I thought that was so cool. I really do appreciate the chance to drive the famous #17.”

De Pasquale also is relishing the chance to prove himself in one of the sports best known teams.

“Being in contention for a seat in a top team feels good. And to roll out and driving for such iconic brands, for Dick and the fan base is cool. It is a big step coming from where I was, a big change moving out of home, as well as having more pressure on you in a bigger team, but you’ve got to enjoy it as it is a very cool thing!”

So, after a few moths together, racing each other, settling in with new engineers and spraying each other with Champagne a couple of times on the podium already, how do these two drivers rate each other?

We asked them to describe each other in a couple of words. Will kicked off and described Anton as “cool, calm, chilled out with an even temperament.”

Over to Anton who said; “Will is thorough in racing and in life, which is a good thing. A good bloke.”

DJR looks like it has got two distinctly different but in so many ways similar drivers to pilot the Shell V-Power Mustangs to the top of the pack over the next few seasons. And in this post Penske era, they cannot be discounted.