DJR Team Penske has confirmed it will run only one car in the 2015 V8 Supercars Championship.
The newly-formed DJR Team Penske entity has scaled back under the new alliance, with the team unable to find the necessary funding to campaign a second car for Scott Pye.
The Queensland based team which has not run less than two cars since 1986, will field just one car for returning two-time champion Marcos Ambrose.
With Pye expected to be out of a full-time drive in 2015, the 2010 British Formula Ford champion could line up alongside Ambrose for the Pirtek Enduro Cup events.
Speaking to Speedcafe.com, a DJR spokesman said it was disappointing to lose Pye, but cutting back to a single-car operation for its first year will allow the team to concentrate on building for the future.
“2015 will be a building year for us,” he told Speedcafe.com.
“We will have a one-car program in place with car #17 and Marcos. The current #16 REC will be used by Super Black Racing, subject to all the necessary approval from V8 Supercars.
“Scotty Pye is an outstanding talent and it is extremely disappointing for us that due to other circumstances, we will not be able to accommodate him in a full-time seat for next season.”
Seven of the team’s workforce including David Wall’s former engineers Chris Stuckey and Jarrod Bowles, are also expected to lose out as part of a staff restructure.
Ambrose’s entry will be engineered by current DJR employee Mark Fenning, while team manager Jeff Swartwout and technical director Nick Hughes who joined the team at the tail end of the season will continue in their current roles, having both previously worked in Roger Penske’s sportscar and NASCAR operations, before the DJR takeover.
The team’s second Racing Entitlements Contract will now be leased to Super Black Racing for 2015 with the two teams set to share pit facilities.
I find it extremely difficult to believe that such a person and personality as Dick Johnson would find such hard going in raising funds for the second car entry, after all he has contributed to the sport over so many years and the fact that his very name connected to anything would most certainly generate interest and money, my theory is that Mr Penske has given a couple of his ( now not needed in America ) engineers a bit of a going away present by floating Dick’s boat for a while until it fades away into nothing, as it surely will with what seem to be such tight budget restraints and an old timer at the wheel who will never catch up, (sorry Marcus luv ya but!!! you know) all this Penske hype will fade and poor old Dick will still be here trying to save face. Don’t worry Dick, myself and I’m sure a lot of others will always remember you for you, I wish the very best for you and family whatever the future holds. (opinions are free this one is mine)