Dick Johnson

Dick Johnson was born in Brisbane, Queensland on April 26, 1945. His first race was in 1964 with a FJ Holden. He rose to prominence in 1980 when he broke down on national television when explaining that a rock ended his race while in the lead. The next year he won a shortened race (120 Laps) in an identical car. In 1983 on his Hardie Heroes run he crashed his Greens TUF XE Falcon coming out of Forrest Elbow. After coming to a stop through the trees the car was a write off but in a remarkable feat Dick bought a rivals car and repainted it overnight to compete the next day. Noted for his on air one liners Dick was heard to say that they would use the warm up lap before the race to dry the paint. In 1988 while leading the race Johnson's car spun out due to a punture on Conrod Straight doing close to 270km/h. After finishing second in 1992 Dick near caused a riot by saying to the anti Nissan crowd 'I thought we'd won for Ford'. In 1993 he was sandwiched into the wall at Reid Park by a slower competitor and in 1994 after setting a lap record in the warm up he slammed the wall coming out of The Cutting on his Tooheys Top Ten run. His 1995 race was cut short while leading when Glenn Seton nudged John Bowe into the wall coming out of The Cutting. In all his three Bathurst victories he hasn't once driven the car across the finishing line, that honour falling to his co-drivers!

Bathurst Starts:
  • 1973 - Holden Torana XU-1 with Bob Forbes (5th)
  • 1974 - Alfa 2000 GTV with John French (fire, lap 71)
  • 1976 - Ford Capri with Graham Moore (10th)
  • 1977 - Bryan Byrt Ford Falcon XB GT with Vern Schuppan (oil pressure, lap 124)
  • 1978 - Bryan Byrt Ford Falcon XC with Vern Schuppan (5th)
  • 1979 - Bryan Byrt Ford Falcon XC with Gary Scott (accident, lap 24)
  • 1980 - Tru Blu Ford Falcon XD with John French (accident, lap 17)
  • 1981 - Tru Blu Ford Falcon XD with John French (1st)
  • 1982 - Tru Blu Ford Falcon XE with John French (disqualified, lap 160)
  • 1983 - Greens Tuf Ford Falcon XE with Kevin Bartlett (electrics, lap 61)
  • 1984 - Greens Tuf Ford Falcon XE with John French (gearbox, lap110)
  • 1985 - Greens Tuf Ford Mustang with Larry Perkins (7th)
  • 1986 - Greens Tuf Ford Mustang with Gregg Hansford (4th)
  • 1987 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with Gregg Hansford (differential, lap 3)
  • 1988 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with John Bowe & John Smith (2nd)
  • 1989 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with John Bowe (1st)
  • 1990 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with John Bowe
  • 1991 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with John Bowe
  • 1992 - Shell Ford Sierra RS500 with John Bowe (2nd)
  • 1993 - Shell Ford Falcon EB with John Bowe (accident, lap 96)
  • 1994 - Shell FAI Ford Falcon EB with John Bowe (1st)
  • 1995 - Shell FAI Ford Falcon EF with John Bowe (accident, lap 110)
  • 1996 - Shell FAI Ford Falcon EF with John Bowe (2nd)