First to 500: DJR to reach milestone in Adelaide

The final round of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will double as a significant round for Dick Johnson Racing, which celebrates 500 championship rounds.

The Ford team, which runs under the Shell V-Power Racing Team banner, will become the first team to record 500 championship rounds later this month.

With the VAILO Adelaide 500 the 604th round in championship history, DJR will have competed in 83 per cent of all championship rounds.

DJR debuted at Symmons Plains in 1981, with eponymous team owner Johnson doing the championship/Bathurst double in the same year.

In 43 years of competition, DJR has taken 148 wins, 154 pole positions, 314 podiums and 10 drivers’ championships. It has also won the Bathurst 1000 on four occasions, most recently in 2019 during its Team Penske era.

Last year, DJR became the first team to reach 1000 championship races, with the Adelaide opener its 1031st race.

Its closest rival in the round start stakes is Ford counterparts Walkinshaw Andretti United, which will make its 417th appearance. WAU chalked up 400 rounds last year, with 405 of its 416 appearances coming with Holden before a blockbuster move to the Blue Oval for 2023.

The milestones will continue into next season, with the first round of 2024 set to be the 150th rounds for Erebus Motorsport and Team 18, which debuted in 2013.

Penrite Racing brought up 200 rounds at the NTI Townsville 500 in July, having debuted as Kelly Racing in 2009. The team has been owned by the Groves since 2022, and recently returned to the winners’ circle courtesy of David Reynolds at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.

Track action at the VAILO Adelaide 500 will commence on Thursday November 23. Tickets are on sale now.

Most ATCC/Supercars rounds (active teams)*

499: Dick Johnson Racing

416: Walkinshaw Andretti United

324: Brad Jones Racing

285: Tickford Racing

277: Triple Eight Race Engineering

205: Grove Racing

148: Erebus Motorsport, Team 18

79: Matt Stone Racing

36: Blanchard Racing Team

24: PremiAir Racing *Correct to 2023 Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500