Mount Gambier teen racing sensation Kai Allen is set to make history this weekend in his Supercar debut as the Dick Johnson Racing team’s first-ever wildcard entry into the iconic Repco Bathurst 1000.
The young driver, currently competing in the Dunlop Super2 Series, will join one of the most successful teams in Supercars’ history to tackle the most iconic event in the Australian Motorsport landscape representing Shell V-Power Racing Team.
The third Shell V-Power Ford Mustang GT will be driven by experienced Supercars driver Simona De Silvestro and rising star Allen.
Swiss-born racer De Silvestro, who was the first full-time female driver in the Supercars Championship (2017), is a former IndyCar and current Porsche Factory driver.
The Shell V-Power Racing Team has revealed the look the pair will carry aboard their wildcard Ford Mustang at the Repco Bathurst 1000 this weekend.
De Silvestro’s first start since 2019, and Allen’s first ever, will come aboard the #98 Shell V-Power wildcard Mustang.
The #98 will carry an inverted look of the team’s standard red livery for Will Davison and Tony D’Alberto, with the Ford predominantly yellow and also draws parallels to the former Shell Helix Dick Johnson Racing Falcons of the early 2000s.
The #98 pays homage to Shell’s 98 octane premium unleaded fuel, Shell V-Power Unleaded 98.
“It’s super cool to see the No.98 Shell V-Power Mustang all stickered up and ready to go, it’s going to stand out,” Allen said.
“I’m sure if we’re fast and put the pressure on it will fill up everyone’s mirrors with lots of yellow.”
“We just saw the car for the first time, and it looks amazing! It’s definitely going to stand out, it looks fast and aggressive, which is always a good thing,” De Silvestro said.
“I think it’s going to look great going down Conrod Straight. I cannot wait to hit the track in the No.98 Shell V-Power Mustang with Kai.”
De Silvestro and Allen completed two test days at Queensland Raceway this week, ahead of the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.
“It went really smoothly for both of us. We’re working on a few changes and a few little pitstops and stuff, it’s been really good – nice and positive. Simona and I are getting really comfortable in the car, we have another (test day) and then head down to Bathurst.”
The car will also carry backing from Harvey Norman, Rheem, Pivotel, WM Waste and National Tiles along with personalised plates ‘SIM KAI’ thanks to sponsor PPQ.
“It’s wonderful to finally be able to share this livery with the public, it’s a standout design that we’re very proud of and we have no doubt it will look fantastic when it hits the track at Mount Panorama,” Dick Johnson Racing chief executive David Noble said.
“The wildcard program has also been a great opportunity for us to create development programs for up-and-coming talent in our engineering and mechanical teams, we look forward to seeing this come to fruition at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
“I’d like to thank our partners Viva Energy Australia, Rheem, Pivotel, WM Waste, Harvey Norman, National Tiles and PPQ for their support of the No.98 Shell V-Power Mustang, the countdown to the Repco Bathurst 1000 is well and truly on.”
Viva Energy Retail’s Andrew Egan said the business was excited to support Simona and Kai as part of its long-standing partnership with the Dick Johnson Racing Team.
“It’s no surprise that we’re delighted the car will be emblazoned with 98, the octane rating of our premium fuel – Shell V-Power, as we know it means high performance and a winning attitude,” he said.
“Bathurst 1000 is an iconic race, so adding two brilliant new drivers to the already successful Shell V-Power Racing Team will give fans more reasons to cheer them on and we hope will see similar success to the team at previous Bathurst events.
“We wish Simona and Kai, along with Will, Alex, Anton and Tony all the best for the upcoming endurance event and look forward to a sea of Shell red and yellow on the podium.”
Dick Johnson Racing team manager Mikey Flynn, chief engineer Perry Kapper and technical director Mark Fenning will oversee the third Dick Johnson Racing Ford, with seasoned data engineer Ed Williams making his Supercars debut as race engineer.
Williams has seven years’ experience with Dick Johnson Racing, working as a design, performance and data engineer.
Allen’s 2023 Repco Bathurst 1000 will kick off Thursday afternoon with the first Dunlop Series practice session of the weekend before hopping into the #98 Mustang for the first time around the mountain in the afternoon as part of the Repco Supercars Championship first practice session for all drivers.
