Dick Johnson (Australian auto racing)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**Dick Johnson**

Born:
Occupation:
Children:	Steven, Kelly
Website:	Dick Johnson Racing

Dick Johnson (born in Queensland, Australia) is the 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 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.

He started out as a battling back-marker in the 1970s. Despite becoming synonymous with driving Fords, Johnson raced in his early days in a FJ Holden then a Holden Torana.

In 1980, during the Bathurst 1000, his car was destroyed after hitting a rock that had fallen (or been thrown) onto the track. The resulting public support—AU$70,000 was donated to help rebuild the car—threw Johnson into the big time. The Ford motor company promised to match the donation dollar for dollar. His first primary sponsor to escalate him into the big arena was Ross Palmer, owner of Palmer Tube Mills of Brisbane, Australia, allowing him to return the next year to win both the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) and the Bathurst 1000 (with John French. He won the ATCC again in 1982 (the Tru Blu XD Falcon), 1984 (Greens Tuff XE Falcon), 1988 (Ford Sierra RS500) and 1989 (Ford Sierra RS500). He also won Bathurst in 1989 (in a Ford Sierra with John Bowe) and 1994 (in an EB Falcon, also with John Bowe). The names Tru Blu, and Greens Tuff were product names of Palmer Tube Mills. With much larger budgets required in the racing industry, Palmer helped negotiate for Shell to be primary sponsor.

1 NASCAR
2 Trivia
3 References
4 External links

[edit] NASCAR

In 1989 and 1990, prompted by Palmer Tube Mills who assisted him in receiving multiple sources of sponsorship, Johnson made a brief foray into the Nascar Winston Cup, entering a total of seven races with a best start of 11th at Sears Point Raceway in his first race, and a best finish of 22nd at Pocono Raceway.^[1]

Dick Johnson retired from racing at the end of the 1999 season. He remains in charge of the team, but his son Steven has taken over driving Johnson's famous Number 17.

[edit] Trivia

Dick has an allergy to penicillin and displayed a sign on his race suit velco belt, below his name saying: "PENICILLIN ALLERGIC".
Dick was good friends with on track arch rival Peter Brock and was one of the first people with Brock and Dick's friend Jim Richards to hold the Peter Brock trophy.
He also runs an insurance and communication company First Rock Home Loans and V8 Telecom.

Preceded by Peter Brock Jim Richards	Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1981 (with John French)	Succeeded by Peter Brock Larry Perkins
Preceded by Tony Longhurst Tomas Mezera	Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1989 (with John Bowe)	Succeeded by Allan Grice Win Percy
Preceded by Larry Perkins Gregg Hansford	Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1994 (with John Bowe)	Succeeded by Larry Perkins Russell Ingall

Teams contesting the 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series
Toll HSV Dealer Team	Holden Racing Team	Tasman Motorsport	Stone Brothers Racing	Ford Performance Racing	Jack Daniel's Racing
1 Rick Kelly 16 Garth Tander	2 Mark Skaife 22 Todd Kelly	3 Jason Richards 51 Greg Murphy	4 James Courtney 9 Russell Ingall	5 Mark Winterbottom 6 Steven Richards	7 Shane Price 11 Jack Perkins
WPS Racing	Team BOC	Dick Johnson Racing	Supercheap Auto Racing	Team Kiwi Racing	Britek Motorsport
8 Max Wilson 10 Jason Bargwanna	12 Andrew Jones 14 Brad Jones	17 Steven Johnson 18 Will Davison	20 Paul Dumbrell 50 Cameron McConville	021 Paul Radisich	25 Jason Bright 26 Alan Gurr
Garry Rogers Motorsport	Team Sirromet Wines	Autobarn Racing	TeamVodafone	Paul Cruickshank Racing
33 Lee Holdsworth 34 Dean Canto	39 Fabian Coulthard 67 Paul Morris	55 Steve Owen	88 Jamie Whincup 888 Craig Lowndes	111 John Bowe