DICK Johnson Racing has thanked Triple Eight after its long-time arch-enemy came to the rescue during qualifying for the AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
The right-front wheel on Will Davison’s #17 Mustang came loose while heading out for a mid-session run, forcing the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner to park up near pit exit.
He remained stranded there for some time before Triple Eight chimed in with some Good Samaritan heroics.
“We had to run and get an extension because our spike couldn’t actually reach that far, so the lads got to it pretty quickly,” Triple Eight team manager Mark Dutton explained to V8 Sleuth.
“It’s like anything: you hesitate for a little while to see, ‘do you guys need help? Do you want help? Is it something that is as simple as the wheel has fallen off because it is not done up or has something mechanically failed?’
“Because we didn’t know that, we didn’t get to it quicker, but the lads jumped in and helped out and let them keep going in the session.”
DJR chief David Noble offered his gratitude to the organisation which will replace it as Ford’s homologation team in 2026.
“You can’t thank them enough for jumping in and trying to help,” said Noble.
“We were trying to get a trolley down, they said they’d put one out.
“It allowed Will to get out and get back in for the last run. Otherwise you have got to push him back.
“I think we still would have got it done but in order for us to get through, a big shout out and thanks to them.”
Noble however said his team must look itself in the mirror after a string of mechanical woes, particularly on the #17 side, this season.
“We’ve had too many incidents and issues, so yeah, we have got to get our processes and procedures better,” he said.
“We’ll have a look at what it was and fix it. But they are all opportunities to grow and get better.
“We know we have a younger and more inexperienced group but you can’t continue having (problems). You have got to get better at it.”
All told, Davison could only manage 21st on the grid – but in better news, Brodie Kostecki grabbed provisional pole, meaning he will be the final runner in the upcoming Top 10 Shootout.