28 July 2014: Over 7000 fans were on hand at this year’s Open Day at Dick Johnson Racing’s Queensland headquarters on 27 July to witness the unveiling of the team’s retro livery for the 2014 Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama in October.
The livery celebrates the 20th anniversary of Dick’s win on the mountain, when he teamed with John Bowe to take the chequered flag after a faultless drive against strong competition. The new livery will grace the #17 car to be driven by Dick’s son, Steven Johnson and David Wall.
The events of the 1994 race at Bathurst are firmly etched in Dick Johnson’s memory.
After the race, Dick had this to say” In my mind, there’s no question this was my best win there, and I know it’s the one I’ll remember as being something very special.
“I always felt we had the fastest car out there and the best overall package, but in the wet opening stages we couldn’t show the legs we knew we had.”
According to Dick, it was an easy decision to celebrate the win with a retro livery for the 2014 Supercheap Bathurst 1000 in October, especially as there will be another Johnson in the #17 car, with son, Steven returning to co-drive with David Wall.
PAYCE’s Managing Director, Brian Boyd, an avid motorsport enthusiast, said Dick’s win 20 years ago in the #17 Ford was outstanding and is considered one of his most memorable drives.
“That year, the Bathurst race had all the right ingredients for a good race, with changing weather conditions and strong competition,” he said.
“At the end of the day, Dick and John were well-deserving of the win, after coming out on top of a hard-fought battle in the closing stages,” he said.
“This year’s Bathurst 1000 will be the first time the PAYCE brand has been on the DJR car for this event and it’s a privilege to be associated with such an iconic livery to celebrate this auspicious occasion.
“PAYCE joined the team of Dick Johnson Racing as a major sponsor at the beginning of the 2014 season and it’s been exciting to be part of DJR and the V8 Supercars competition.
“We are continually impressed with the professionalism and dedication of everyone at DJR and look forward to a successful second half of the season, with Bathurst the standout event,” Brian Boyd said.
