Fujitsu to tackle V8 series with DJR.

Today Dick Johnson Racing announced that Fujitsu General has officially come on board as naming rights sponsor to its now two-car expanded team in the Konica V8 Supercar Series.

Named Team Fujitsu, it will run two DJR Ford AU's, with overall championship contender Owen Kelly behind the wheel of number 71 and Jose Fernandez in car 81.

Fujitsu is thrilled to be in partnership with Dick Johnson Racing and is looking forward to long-term success on and off the track.

"Fujitsu General is extremely excited and pleased to be associated with Dick Johnson, a synonymous name in the Australian motor racing industry," Fujitsu general manager of sales and marketing Philip Perham said.

"Fujitsu is very impressed with the professionalism and presentation of the entire DJR organisation.

"DJR prepared a very competitive car last year and Fujitsu believed that by joining the team it would give us a strong chance of winning the overall series in 2004.

"Fujitsu as a company was looking for a means to further enhance its brand image and awareness on a national scale and felt that the Konica series through DJR offered it this opportunity.

"Fujitsu is also excited to be associated with a sport that is dynamic, and continues to grow in popularity each year."

Dick Johnson Racing couldn't be happier with the new business relationship with Fujitsu as it gives it the chance to create its first ever driver development programme.

"Fujitsu is a great company with fantastic people who are passionate about the DJR racing programme," Dick Johnson Racing general manager Steve Chalker said. "Fujitsu is new to the category and wants to leverage its association with not just DJR but the sport, which is good for everyone.

"To have Fujitsu support DJR's Konica and driver development programmes means we can really focus on winning the championship while providing the stepping stones for young people to develop their racing careers.

"The development programme is about harvesting new talent. We want to have the young drivers we select competing against one another on an ongoing basis to see where the real talent lies.

"To grab a kid and give him a few laps on a one off basis tells you nothing; our programme will give the drivers laps at each and every test day with Dick Johnson overseeing the entire programme. This is about finding tomorrows stars."

Fujitsu was pleased to announce that it would be involved in the sport long-term.

"Fujitsu is dedicated to a long-term relationship with DJR - our initial commitment is for three years," Perham said. "Fujitsu sponsored Jose Fernandez for the final rounds of the 2003 Konica series and at Bathurst to see if V8 Supercars was a suitable means for Fujitsu to achieve its sales and branding requirements.

"Once Fujitsu was comfortable with the exposure the sport gave it, it knew it needed to associate with a fully professional team for 2004, hence its partnership with DJR.

"You need to commit to something long-term to see the benefits which is why a three-year deal was negotiated."

For DJR the deal is more than just securing a naming sponsor it's a partnership.

"The Fujitsu deal stretches across the entire DJR team, they are partners in our business, not just Konica sponsors, so you will see them in everything we do," Steve Chalker said. "It is something we try very hard to implement; we want our sponsors to get the most out of the sponsorship. We are all working towards the same thing so it makes sense to work together."

Fujitsu hopes that its involvement with DJR and the Konica Series will provide it with important nationwide exposure.

"On the track Fujitsu would like to see both drivers perform consistently at the front of the field giving themselves the chance of securing the Konica Championship," Perham said. "If they can do this then we feel the television coverage gained will more than satisfy our brand exposure needs.

"Fujitsu will also reward its customers by involving them in its sponsorship activities as the series moves around the country. This is a very important ingredient in ensuring the ongoing support of Fujitsu's products and brand through its distribution channels.

"Off the track Fujitsu is looking to further strengthen its position as the most popular brand of air conditioning product in Australia. Fujitsu also produce plasma display panels of a quality and clarity second to none and motor racing is a very good medium to promote this type of product."

Team Fujitsu will be in action for the first time next weekend at the first round of the 2004 Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series at Wakefield Park.