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The Team Norton DJR Falcon is unloaded from the transporter in preparation for the Sandown Test Day.
The Newly Expanded Four-Car Team Focus on Set Up at Sandown Test Day
11-Feb-2012
Sandown Raceway turned on its best 'Melbourne weather' for the V8 Supercars pre-season testing today, with patches of blinding sun and torrential rain.
The morning session saw new recruit, Dean Fiore, driving car 12 for Jim Beam Racing in his first run in a DJR prepared car, step up into 3rd position.
The team used the first session of the day to test several different car set ups, all of which were affected by the vastly different cool and warm, wet and dry conditions.
Steve Johnson's Jim Beam Black Falcon underwent the most significant set up changes which meant he only managed 10 laps, but still pushed up into 18th.
James Moffat, driving his newly branded Norton car, ended the 3 hour session in 17th. Steve Owen underwent a steep learning curve in his first run with his new team in a DJR Ford. The team were happy with the productive morning for car 49, completing the session in 19th.
After the one hour public grid walk at lunch, the team headed back out in sunny conditions. Steve Johnson led the four-car team onto the track, firing off a P1 in the first few laps. The weather turned once again, and the drivers who had been quick in the sunshine headed into the pits.
The weather cleared and Moffat stepped up and set a quick time, catapulting into 1st place. After a showery hour and a half of the second session, Moffat was still in P1 whilst Johnson remained in the top 10. Owen was up to 15th, whist Fiore was yet to head out onto the track, with his car undergoing further set up changes.
The first test day of 2012 ended in bright sunshine with the DJR drivers only separated by 0.2 second, just one car length. They finished; 9th (Steve Owen), 12th (James Moffat), 14th (Dean Fiore) and 16th (Steve Johnson).
All four cars were frequent visitors to the DJR pit garages throughout the day. The overall aim of testing for the team was to experiment with different car set ups using the different tyre compounds available for the 2012 Season and not finishing position.
The team were pleased with the consistency of the cars and how the dynamics of the newly expanded team worked.
The first race of the 2012 V8 Supercar Championship begins on Thursday 1st March at the Clipsal 500, Adelaide, South Australia. The new 2012 livery of the two Jim Beam Racing cars of Johnson and Fiore, will be unveiled on the eve of the event. All members of the 2012 Dick Johnson Racing Team Mates program will receive an exclusive preview of the new livery before it is revealed to the general public. You can join Team Mates here.
