DJR Team Penske co-drivers revealed
Newly expanded DJR Team Penske has announced Luke Youlden and Tony D’Alberto for this season’s Pirtek Enduro Cup.
The drivers have a combined total of over 25 starts in the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Youlden will continue his long-running partnership with Fabian Coulthard while Tony D’Alberto pairs for the first time with Scott Pye.
Youlden has a long and impressive track record in the endurance races, this year marking his 17th Bathurst 1000 start.
He first paired up with Fabian Coulthard in 2013 at Brad Jones Racing and the two have enjoyed a solid relationship in the long distance races since then.
A move to DJR Team Penske in 2016 by Coulthard and engineer Phil Keed makes Youlden’s appointment a seamless transition as the team focuses on the 2016 championship.
“I was hoping that my association with Fabian would continue when he announced his move to DJR Team Penske and I am thrilled that it has come together,” Youlden said.
“We work very well together and having Phil as our engineer is huge bonus. To drive for this team is a real highlight of my career. Dick Johnson and Roger Penske are such huge names in motorsport so to represent them on track is very special.”
Also securing D’Alberto means DJR Team Penske locked away BJR’s obvious replacement for BJR’s Freightliner car, after D’Alberto paired with Tim Slade for the past two seasons.
The 2007 Dunlop Series champion, D’Alberto has achieved multiple top 10 finishes at Bathurst and Sandown, earned a podium on the Gold Coast, and more recently has turned his hand to the Australian GT Championship in a Ferrari 458.
He is well-matched to Pye and brings a great deal of experience to the team.
“I am really pleased to join DJR Team Penske and partner up with Scotty for the enduro races,” D’Alberto said.
“I think the team did a great job last year and they were starting to look strong when it mattered late in the season. Scotty and I get on very well and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of car #17 and support the team at the test day tomorrow.”
DJR Team Penske Managing Director Ryan Story was pleased with the signings for 2016.
“It is so important now to lock down co-drivers as early as possible,” Story said.
“Many of them have long-term contracts with teams and become a very important part of the program during the year.
“The level of experience that Luke and Tony bring to DJR Team Penske fits our needs perfectly. Luke will work with a group he is already familiar with and Tony has already shown a great depth of knowledge with the way the team works.
“We’re very confident that we will field two competitive cars in the Pirtek Enduro Cup with these four blokes.”
The DJR Team Penske squad will be on track at Queensland Raceway tomorrow for its pre-season test day.
