Dean Fiore and Steve Johnson are the Jim Beam Racing drivers in an expanded DJR operation in 2012
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6:00 AM Mon 30 January, 2012
Source: BigPond Sport
Dick Johnson Racing's expansion to three, and a yet-to-be confirmed fourth entry for this season has seen a major expansion for the Gold Coast based team in the off-season.
After undertaking a recruitment drive at the end of last year, Jim Beam Racing's team manager Malcom Swetnam told BigPond Sport his team has now increased its number of staff in line with the increase in their operational requirements.
"Overall I was pretty happy with the quality of applicants we received," said Swetnam.
"Among them we have a couple of ex-DJR employees that have returned and a couple that have joined us from other branches of the sport such as F1 and World Touring Cars, and everyone's working hard to be as best prepared as we can for the start of the season."
Swetnam said he was confident the iconic DJR team would once again successfully handle the expansion to a multi-car operation.
"Something I realised very early on when I joined the team was that we had more than enough room and resources to run more than two cars. Now that we've expanded we've actually got the place running far more efficiently."
"We have plenty of resources and space to prepare multiple cars in the workshop, the biggest change has been upgrading from one race transporter to three."
Dean Fiore and Steve Johnson will campaign the teams' #12 and #17 Jim Beam-backed Falcons this year, however their new liveries will remain under wraps until days before the opening event of the 2012 Championship, Adelaide's Clipsal 500. (Click here for news on Dean Fiore's DJR deal.)
"Dean's car came to our workshop before Christmas and since then it's been taken back to a bare shell, realigned and refurbished as a full-spec DJR car." said Swetnam.
While Swetnam wouldn't be drawn on a rumoured fourth entry, it is expected that former Paul Morris Motorsport driver Steve Owen will be confirmed under the DJR banner in the coming weeks.
Former Jim Beam Racing-backed driver James Moffat retains his #18 this season but will unveil a new Norton 360-sponsored livery in the week leading in to the official test day at Sandown Raceway.
All V8 Supercar teams and drivers will participate in the official pre-season test at Melbourne's Sandown Raceway on Saturday, 11 February.
The opening round of the 2012 Championship, Adelaide's Clipsal 500, will be held from March 1-4.
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