Dick Johnson

Richard Johnson (born 26 April 1945) is a part-owner of the V8 Supercar team Dick Johnson Racing and a former racing driver. As a driver, he was a five-time Australian Touring Car Champion and a three-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. As of 2008, Johnson has claimed over twenty awards and honours, including the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame into which he was inducted in 2001.

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, Johnson was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for his role as a "sports legend".

Early life

As a teen, Johnson attended Cavendish Road State High School in Brisbane, Australia and it was in this area of Coorparoo that he first started driving with his father as a young child. Cavendish Road State High School has named one of their school houses Johnson, in his honour. The house colour is blue.

After leaving school, Johnson was drafted into the Australian Army at the age of twenty and began his two-year National Service in 1965. Although they did not know each other at the time, both Johnson and future touring car rival Peter Brock were stationed together at the Blamey Barracks near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales from 1965 to 1967.

Racing Dick Johnson in the Holden EH at Lakeside in November 1969Despite becoming synonymous with driving Fords, Johnson raced in his early days in a succession of Holdens. Johnson's first race car was a Holden FJ, his first race being at Lakeside International Raceway in November 1964. In 1968 and 1969 he raced his Holden EH and from there progressed to a Holden Torana GTR for 1970, scoring his first Australian Touring Car Championship points at Lakeside in that year. The GTR was upgraded to XU-1 specifications in 1971. Johnson's first drive in the Hardie Ferodo 1000 was in Bob Forbes' Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 in 1973 when they placed fifth. Johnson then had a single race for the Holden Dealer Team at the Surfers Paradise round of the 1974 ATCC where he finished third driving a GTR XU-1. He later purchased the ex HDT Torana in which Peter Brock had won the Bathurst 1000 in 1972 from Barrie Nixon Smith and campaigned the car until his switch to Ford in 1977. The resulting public support where people from around Australia rang their local Channel 7 television station (the race broadcaster) and pledged money to help the team get back on its feet. Eventually the sum of A$72,000 was donated to help rebuild the car. Led by its CEO Edsel Ford II who saw the value of the goodwill in the press surrounding Johnson's crash, the Ford Motor Company of Australia provided a new car shell and promised to match the donation dollar for dollar, resulting in the team receiving $144,000 to help get back into racing.

Johnson's close friend Ross Palmer, the owner of Palmer Tube Mills of Brisbane, became his primary sponsor in 1981 (with Bryan Byrt Ford also still a major sponsor), and with the donated money allowed him to return the next year to win both the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) and the Bathurst 1000 (with John French). Johnson won the ATCC in a famous race-long duel with Peter Brock at the Lakeside International Raceway round. He won the ATCC again in 1982 (the Tru Blu XD Falcon), 1984 (Greens Tuff XE Falcon), 1988 (Ford Sierra RS500) and 1989 (Sierra RS500). He also won Bathurst in 1989 (in a Ford Sierra with John Bowe) and 1994 (in an EB Falcon, also with Bowe). The names Tru Blu, and Greens Tuff, as well as Red Roo (seen in late 1982 only), were product names of Palmer Tube Mills.

With much larger budgets required in the racing industry, Ross Palmer helped negotiate for Shell to be the team's primary sponsor from 1987. The larger budget allowed the team to expand from just one car for Johnson, to a second Ford Sierra RS Cosworth for his then teammate Gregg Hansford.

NASCAR In 1989 and 1990, prompted by Palmer Tube Mills who assisted him in receiving multiple sources of sponsorship and through the company's American offshoot Redkote, Johnson made a brief foray into the NASCAR Cup Series driving a Ford Thunderbird, entering a total of seven races with a best start of eleventh at Sears Point Raceway in his first race, and a best finish of 22nd at Pocono Raceway. Johnson also drove a Thunderbird in the first NASCAR race held in Australia, the 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 at the Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne. Unfortunately for Johnson, he was involved in an early race crash which put him out of the event. Johnson's head strategist and pit crew chief was future NASCAR Hall of Fame honoree Ray Evernham; his work with a Ford team would later catch the eye of then-Ford driver Jeff Gordon, forming one of the dominant driver/crew chief combinations of the 1990s.

Retirement Johnson retired from racing at the end of the 1999 season, though he remains in charge of DJR. He did however make a one-off final appearance in front of his home crowd at the Queensland 500 in 2000 with his son Steven who had taken over driving Dick's famous Number 17 and continued to for over a decade after. Johnson has twice written his autobiography as well as contributing to a third biography.

In 2014, DJR announced that 51% of the team was sold to legendary team owner Roger Penske establishing DJR-Team Penske, which fields two cars in V8 Supercar racing. In 2019, Scott McLaughlin and Alexandre Prémat scored Johnson his first Bathurst 1000 win in any capacity since 1994. Penske later sold his share in the team back to Johnson at the end of the 2020 Supercars Championship and the team reverted to Dick Johnson Racing.

Racecam Johnson's laconic nature and quick wit were put to good use by longtime Bathurst 1000 TV broadcaster Channel 7 when they first put one of their racecam units in his Tru-Blu Ford Falcon for the 1982 James Hardie 1000. Johnson and co-driver John French were also wired for sound so the commentary team could talk to the drivers while racing around the track. From then on Johnson's cars were rarely without a TV camera sitting where the passenger seat usually was, especially when Seven was televising the race. His laconic commentary and a seemingly endless list of one-liners quickly became a favourite with Australian race fans, even those who normally followed Holden drivers such as Peter Brock and Allan Grice, both of whom also became exponents of using racecam.

Some of Johnson's quotes while on racecam were: "I've got one black BMW in front of me, one behind me. Frank Gardner and his All Blacks" – 1985 ATCC, Round 5 at the Adelaide International Raceway while he was sandwiched between the black JPS Team BMW's of New Zealanders Jim Richards and Neville Crichton. Gardner was the JPS team manager. "The old Volvo must have its truck suspension in" – 1986 ATCC, Round 4 at Adelaide International. Ironically Robbie Francevic's Volvo emerged as the race winner. "This race is like the Irishman who won the Tour de France I tell ya. He had to go on a lap of honour" – 1986 James Hardie 1000 "This is where I lose so much time. I mean, this part of the track is just so boring" – 1986 Bathurst referring to his V8 Ford Mustang's lack of grunt compared to his competitors on the run up Mountain Straight. "It's missing and carrying on like an old sheila" – 1988 ATCC, Grand Finale at Oran Park Raceway after turbo boost problems with his championship winning Ford Sierra RS500 saw him relinquish the lead mid-race to teammate John Bowe. With the opposition nowhere in sight, Bowe later slowed enough to allow Dick to win the race and followed him across the line in a 1–2 form finish. "Winton? Its like running a marathon around your clothesline" – 1990 ATCC, Round 4 at Winton after Channel 7 commentator Mike Raymond asked him what the definition of Winton was. "Then Brock got past me would you believe, unfortunately, and that thing of his like, I nearly choked to death on Mobil 1. It looks like the last train to Ferny Grove" – 1990 ATCC, Grand Finale at Oran Park after problems with the Sierra saw him drop out of race winning and championship contention. He was referring to the Peter Brock Sierra's habit of belching black oil smoke out of its exhaust whenever he lifted off the accelerator. "The Sierra on one cylinder has got as much grunt as the Commodore" – 1991 ATCC, Round 5 at Winton after his misfiring Sierra had been passed by the V8 Holden Commodore of Larry Perkins. "You've got to be joking" – 1995 ATCC, Round 3 at Bathurst. Channel 7 had just crossed to Johnson with Mike Raymond asking "Are you lonely?". Johnson's quote came just seconds before he spun his Ford EF Falcon into Caltex Chase, seemingly distracted by Raymond's interruption. However, as the TV camera's soon picked up, the rear wing of the Falcon had collapsed at over as he was turning into the fastest corner on any Australian race circuit, at the same moment that Seven crossed to talk to him.

Career results Season Series Position Car Team 1970 Australian Touring Car Championship 16th Holden LC Torana GTR 1971 Australian Touring Car Championship 13th Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Dick Johnson 1973 Australian Touring Car Championship 42nd Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 Holden Dealer Team 1974 Australian Touring Car Championship 13th Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship 23rd Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship 28th Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship 22nd Ford XB Falcon GT Bryan Byrt Ford 1977 Australian Sports Sedan Championship 10th Ford XB Falcon GT Dick Johnson 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship 10th Ford XC Falcon GS500 Bryan Byrt Ford 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship 29th Ford XC Falcon Cobra Bryan Byrt Ford 1981 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Ford XD Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1982 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Ford XD Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1982 Australian Endurance Championship 6th Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship 6th Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1983 Better Brakes AMSCAR Series 11th Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1983 Australian Endurance Championship 11th Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1984 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1984 Australian Endurance Championship NC Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1984 World Sportscar Championship NC Chevrolet Monza Re-Car Racing 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship 2nd Ford Mustang GT Palmer Tube Mills 1985 Australian Endurance Championship 8th Ford Mustang GT Palmer Tube Mills 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship 6th Ford Mustang GT Palmer Tube Mills 1986 Australian Endurance Championship 14th Ford Mustang GT Palmer Tube Mills 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship 6th Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Team 1988 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1988 European Touring Car Championship NC Ford Sierra RS500 Redkote Racing 1988 Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship NC Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1988 World Sportscar Championship NC Veskanda Chevrolet Bernie van Elsen 1989 Australian Touring Car Championship 1st Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1989 NASCAR Cup Series 47th Ford Thunderbird Dick Johnson Racing 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship 4th Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series 63rd Ford Thunderbird Dick Johnson Racing 1990 Australian Endurance Championship NC Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1991 Australian Endurance Championship NC Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1992 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Ford Sierra RS500 Shell Ultra Hi Racing 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship 5th Ford EB Falcon Shell Racing 1994 Australian Touring Car Championship 8th Ford EB Falcon Shell FAI Racing 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Ford EF Falcon Shell FAI Racing 1995 Australian GT Production Car Series 12th Mazda RX-7 SP 1996 Australian Touring Car Championship 10th Ford EF Falcon Shell FAI Racing 1996 Mobil New Zealand Sprints 5th Ford EF Falcon Shell FAI Racing 1997 Australian Touring Car Championship 7th Ford EL Falcon Shell Helix Racing 1998 Australian Touring Car Championship 10th Ford EL Falcon Shell Helix Racing 1999 V8 Supercar Championship Series 10th Ford AU Falcon Shell Helix Racing

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Points 1970 D. Johnson Holden LC Torana GTR CALR1 BATR2 SANR3 MALR4 WARR5 LAKR6 SYMR7 16th 1 1971 D. Johnson Holden LC Torana GTR SYMR1 CALR2 SANR3 SURR4 MALR5 LAKR6 ORAR7 13th 1 1972 Dick Johnson Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL BAT SAN AIR WAR SUR ORA 7th 16 1973 Dick Johnson Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL SAN WAN SUR AIR ORA WAR 42nd 1 1974 Zupps Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL SAN AMA ORA SUR AIR 13th 6 1975 Dick Johnson Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL AMA ORA SUR AIR LAK 23rd 21976 Dick Johnson Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 SYM CAL ORA ORA SAN AMA AMA AIR AIR LAK LAK SAN AIR SUR PHI 28th 41977 Bryan Byrt Ford Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop SYM SYM CAL ORA AMA SAN AIR LAK SAN AIR SUR PHI 22nd 71978 Bryan Byrt Ford Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop SYM ORA AMA SAN WAN WAN CAL LAK AIR 10th 151979 Bryan Byrt Ford Ford XC Falcon Cobra SYM CAL ORA ORA SAN WAN SUR LAK AIR 27th 21981 Palmer Tube Mills Ford XD Falcon SYM CAL CAL ORA SAN SAN WAN AIR AIR SUR LAK 1st 831982 Palmer Tube Mills Ford XD Falcon SAN CAL SYM ORA LAK WAN AIR SUR 1st 571983 Palmer Tube Mills Ford XE Falcon CAL SAN SYM WAN AIR SUR ORA LAK 6th 701984 Palmer Tube Mills Ford XE Falcon SAN SYM WAN SUR ORA LAK AIR 1st 134 1985 Palmer Tube Mills Ford Mustang GT WINRet SAN3 SYM2 WAN3 AIR3 CAL2 SUR4 LAK2 AMA2 ORA2 2nd 192 1986 Palmer Tube Mills Ford Mustang GT AMA SYM SAN AIR WAN SUR CAL LAK WIN ORA 6th 110 1987 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Team Ford Sierra RS Cosworth CAL SYM LAK WAN AIR SUR SAN AMA ORA 6th 72 1988 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth CAL SYM WIN WAN AIR LAK SAN AMA ORA 1st 150 1989 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMA SYM LAK WAN MAL SAN WIN ORA 1st 107 1990 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMA SYM PHI WIN LAK MAL BAR ORA 3rd 83 1991 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth SANR1 SYMR2 WANR3 LAKR4 WINR5 AMAR6 MALR7 LAKR8 ORAR9 9th 27 1992 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Ford Sierra RS Cosworth AMAR1 AMAR2 SANR3 SANR4 SYMR5 SYMR6 WINR7 WINR8 LAKR9 LAKR10 EASR11 EASR12 MALR13 MALR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 8th 134 1993 Shell Racing Ford EB Falcon AMAR1 AMAR2 SYMR3 SYMR4 PHIR5 PHIR6 LAKR7 LAKR8 WINR9 WINR10 EASR11 EASR12 MALR13 MALR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 5th 93

Complete World Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points 1987 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Team Ford Sierra RS500 MNZ JAR DIJ NUR SPA BNO SIL BAT CLDovr:13cls:9 WEL FJI NC 0 Not registered for series & points

Complete World Sportscar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points 1984 Re-Car Racing Chevrolet Monza MON SIL LMS NUR BHT MOS SPA IMO FJI KYL SAN NC 0 1988 Bernie van Elsen Veskanda C1 Chevrolet JRZ JAR MON SIL LMS BRN BHT NUR SPA FJI SAN NC 0

Complete European Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Points 1988 Redkote Racing Ford Sierra RS500 MNZ DON EST JAR DIJ VAL NUR SPA ZOL SIL NOG NC 0

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 DC Points 1988 Shell Ultra Hi Racing Ford Sierra RS500 BAT WEL PUK FJI N/A 15

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Pts Ref 1989 Dick Johnson Racing 38 Ford DAY CAR ATL RCH DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR PHO ATL 47th 322 1990 DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 63rd 189

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1973 Bob Forbes Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 D 154 5th 5th 1974 John French Pty Ltd John French Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV 1301 – 2000cc 71 DNF DNF 1976 Bryan Byrt Ford Graham Moore Ford Capri Mk.I RS3100 2001cc - 3000cc 154 10th 2nd 1977 Bryan Byrt Ford Vern Schuppan Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 3001cc – 6000cc 124 DNF DNF 1978 Bryan Byrt Ford Vern Schuppan Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop A 153 5th 5th 1979 Bryan Byrt Ford Gary Scott Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop A 24 DNF DNF 1980 Palmer Tube Mills John French Ford XD Falcon 3001-6000cc 17 DNF DNF 1981 Palmer Tube Mills John French Ford XD Falcon 8 Cylinder & Over 120 1st 1st 1982 Palmer Tube Mills John French Ford XE Falcon A 160 DSQ DSQ 1983 Palmer Tube Mills Kevin Bartlett Ford XE Falcon A 61 DNF DNF 1984 Palmer Tube Mills John French Ford XE Falcon Group C 107 DNF DNF John French Ford Mustang GT Group A - DNS DNS 1985 Palmer Tube Mills Larry Perkins Ford Mustang GT C 159 7th 7th Larry Perkins Ford Mustang GT - DNS DNS 1986 Palmer Tube Mills Gregg Hansford Ford Mustang GT C 162 4th 3rd 1987 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing Team Gregg Hansford Ford Sierra RS500 1 3 DNF DNF 1988 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 A 22 DNF DNF John Smith John Bowe Alfredo Costanzo Ford Sierra RS500 160 2nd 2nd 1989 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 A 161 1st 1st 1990 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 A 94 DNF DNF 1991 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 1 123 DNF DNF 1992 Shell Ultra Hi-Tech Racing John Bowe Ford Sierra RS500 A 143 2nd 2nd 1993 Shell Racing John Bowe Ford EB Falcon A 96 DNF DNF 1994 Shell FAI Racing John Bowe Ford EB Falcon A 161 1st 1st 1995 Shell FAI Racing John Bowe Ford EF Falcon 110 DNF DNF 1996 Shell FAI Racing John Bowe Ford EF Falcon 161 2nd 2nd 1997 Dick Johnson Racing John Bowe Ford EL Falcon L1 17 DNF DNF 1998 Dick Johnson Racing Steven Johnson Ford EL Falcon OC 60 DNF DNF 1999 Dick Johnson Racing Steven Johnson Ford AU Falcon 161 4th 4th