Pit Crew Profile: DJR #12

One of the season’s standout cars has a different structure behind the scenes to other teams.

While Chaz Mostert and his #12 Dick Johnson Racing Falcon did not fair as well as hoped during the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, the young gun has his confidence back and the crew is positive for coming event Phillip Island.

We take a look at a different line-up with #12 – the team’s central data engineer Jared Cox was profiled earlier in the year, so we instead meet some different faces.

Adam DeBorre, race engineer

Ford Performance Racing’s Customer Support Engineer, DeBorre runs Mostert’s car at race weekends as part of the program FPR provides DJR.

DeBorre has extensive experience in international motorsport, having headed straight to the UK after completing high school.

Having grown up on the South Coast of New South Wales in small town Merimbula, DeBorre karted at a young age – “and when I realised I didn’t have any talent as a driver, I thought I’d try and work in the industry”.

He wasn’t immediately sure of what he wanted to do, but began overseas with GTC, the official race team for McLaren cars, as junior data engineer. The team put him through an internal engineering program – three years there led to the BMW LMP1 program, and Le Mans, Daytona and the Spa 24 Hour race.

The next step was a race engineering role with Peugeot.

“I was over there for seven or eight years and finished off my career in Europe with a Porsche Motorsport GT program with one of the factory teams, Group M Racing. That year the team won every race, poled at every event and won Championships. It’s the only time that’s ever been done.”

At the end of 2005, DeBorre moved back to Australia, interviewed with a number of teams and accepted a role to engineer Lee Holdsworth at Garry Rogers Motorsport. From there he shifted to Tasman, moved with Greg Murphy to Paul Morris Motorsport and spent two years at Tony D’Alberto Racing, prior to joining FPR.

His role initially meant helping both V8 Supercar and Dunlop Series teams, providing engineering feedback and assistance, but evolved to engineer Mostert in the Dunlop Series – and move with him to the main game when he was elevated earlier this season.

DeBorre described working with Mostert as a pleasure.

Nickname: The only nickname the 33-year old was prepared to share was ‘Adsy’.

Anthony Tikey, number one mechanic

Tikey took a break from V8 Supercars in 2010 to join the police force, but this year came back to the sport he loves.

“I have a passion about cars and want to learn the most I can about them,” Tikey said. “I missed motorsport and pit stops, so I ended up coming to DJs.”

Having first gotten involved in his home of New Zealand in 1996, when Tikey completed his apprenticeship his boss was a race car driver. “He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes of getting into motorsport. Once I finished my apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to work at Mark Larkham Motorsport in 2003 – that’s where I started in V8 Supercars.”

The team merged with WPS, but Tikey remained there for around five years, before heading to Paul C ruickshank Racing where number one mechanic for John Bowe led to working on Fabian Coulthard’s car.

The 33-year old described Mostert’s win at Queensland Raceway earlier this year as unreal.

Nickname: “People just call me by my surname – it’s an odd surname.” 

Scott Pedley, number two mechanic

Pedley agreed – the win at Ipswich was definitely a highlight for the team.

The 21-year old started with Dick Johnson Racing in 2012, his first year as a number two mechanic after being a number three at Paul Morris Motorsport.

From Harvey Bay, Pedley’s father always worked on cars, so helping him in his younger years garnered the passion for what he does now.

At the workshop Pedley and the other mechanics basically strip the car down, send parts to specialist areas where they can be rebuilt and then put it all together again.

Nickname: Peddles. 

Danny Ervin, number three mechanic

Another to have raced go karts as a kid, Ervin says he “floats around” from subassembly, to being on the wheel stop crew and keeping an eye on the componentry on both DJR cars.

The 34-year old Gold Coaster said he is from a motor racing family – “I had petrol in the veins pretty early!” – and his brother Bobby is an engine builder for the team. While they are in quite separate divisions now, the two have worked closely together in the past.

Ervin started at Tony Longhurst Racing, completing an apprenticeship, also spent a few years at Stone Brothers and has now been with DJR 11 years.

In that time, the standout was winning the 2010 Championship with James Courtney behind the wheel.

“Getting good results is what we strive for – it’s a results driven industry. A good result is a return for hard work.

“We’ve definitely had some strong results with Chaz, it’s definitely picked up the the spirit in the whole factory.”

Nickname: “When Adrian Burgess was here he used to call me Ace. I’m sure I’ve been called a lot of names over the years!”

Pat Rowe, Tyre Technician

After 12 years in the army, Rowe made the move to V8 Supercars a couple of years ago – something he puts down to a love of transport and motorsport.

“I would’ve sold my soul for motorsport right from a young fella. All forms of motorsport I love,” the 38-year old said.

When offered his current role at DJR at the beginning of 2012, Rowe received a phone call from Dick Johnson himself. “I thought someone was giving me a prank call!”

It turns out, Rowe had done a stint with drag racing heavyweight Victor Bray, who he says is mates with Johnson.

Thirty-eight year old Rowe drives the DJR transporter to and from events. But what else does he do a lot of in his role?

“There is so much cleaning involved! When the guys come back they strip everything down and everything’s cleaned and checked.”

Rowe likened racing to the army because in both cases you rely on mates, and everyone has a job to do.

Nickname: “My name is Patrick or Patty – Knick Knack Paddy Whack started. Everything has Knick Knack on it… so has the truck!” 

Steve Amos, engine manager

Having been involved in V8 Supercars on and off for 20 years, Amos has enjoyed seeing the sport develop and described the emergence of this year’s Car of the Future as a highlight, along with the 2010 Championship win for DJR.

“I haven’t got a Bathurst yet – still trying!”

Originally from the Blue Mountains, Amos has been with DJR nine years and also has WPS and HRT on his resume.

He has seen the sport transform, noting the level of competition, budget and technology as the main changes he’s witnessed.

“When I started we certainly didn’t tune with computers – now everything is done with a computer! I always say there’s harder ways to make a living. If you enjoy what you do, you never work.

“It’s also exciting seeing the emergence of young guys like James Moffat and Will Davison who came through.

“The highlight for me, thinking about it, is being able to work for Peter Brock when I was younger, and in my later years the Johnsons as well.”

Nickname: Mozzie.