For the start of the 1974 Formula One season, the previous year's DN1 was driven by new Shadow driver Jean-Pierre Jarier for the first two races of the year and was retired from both. Jarier drove a DN3 for the remainder of the season. Peter Revson, a race winner for McLaren, had also joined the team and had use of the DN3 from the start of the season. The DN3 showed immediate promise with Revson qualifying it fourth and sixth respectively for the first two races of the year. However, he was killed in testing prior to the South African Grand Prix and Shadow missed the race.