Dick Johnson AM
Champion Touring Car Driver
Five-time Australian Touring Car Champion, three-time Bathurst 1000 winner, and racing icon. Renowned for his skill, humour, and decades of experience, Dick now leads Dick Johnson Racing and shares behind-the-scenes stories from his extraordinary career, captivating audiences with insight, passion, and legendary Australian motorsport tales.
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Dick Johnson AM is one of Australia’s most successful and celebrated touring car drivers, renowned for his exploits on the track and his laconic humour off it. Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Johnson claimed five Australian Touring Car Championships, three Bathurst 1000 victories, two Sandown 500 wins, and the 1995 Eastern Creek 12-Hour Production Car race.
Dick began racing in 1964 with a Holden FJ, first attracting national attention in 1970 with a sixth-place finish in the Australian Touring Championship in a Holden Torana GTR. Switching to Ford in 1977, he quickly became a dominant force in touring car racing, famously overcoming a Bathurst crash in 1980 to win the iconic race in 1981. He went on to secure multiple championship titles, including a dominant 1988 season where he won eight of nine races.
In 1994, Dick achieved motor racing’s grand prize, winning the Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst alongside long-time partner John Bowe, followed by a second consecutive Sandown 500 victory and the 1995 Eastern Creek 12-Hour win. In 1997, he made history by contesting the Top 10 Shootout for the 20th time at the Primus 1000 Classic and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to motorsport and charitable causes.
Since retiring from driving in 1999, Dick has taken a hands-on role with Dick Johnson Racing, sharing decades of experience both on the track and in the workshop. He remains a familiar face to Australians through his long-running association with Shell Helix television commercials, an unbroken partnership since 1969.
A humorous and engaging speaker, Dick Johnson delights audiences with behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes from his extraordinary racing career, offering insight, passion, and a uniquely Australian perspective on motorsport.
