Johnson comeback! Fit Dick returns for final goodbye
17/8/2000 0:14 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - Recently retired motorsport icon Dick Johnson will next month do what he promised never to do make a comeback to V8 Supercar racing.
Shell Helix Racing Team Principal, Dick Johnson, looked no further than himself when selecting a fourth endurance pilot for the teams Queensland 500 campaign, and will come out of retirement to partner his son in the race.
Johnson who bid a tearful farewell to the sport that made him a household name at Bathurst last year insists the move does not constitute a comeback, but simply a one-off appearance free of the sinus problems that plagued his final, testimonial year.
"This is not a comeback, I'll be doing it this one time only and then that will be it," Dick Johnson, who underwent successful sinus surgery in December last year, insists.
"I did the best I could last year, but I was so crook I was lucky if I could see where the road went half the time, and I don't want my last memories of racing to be like that.
"I've had some heavy duty surgery which has fixed the problem and now that I'm feeling well I'd love the opportunity to have one last red-hot go," he said.
The decision to reinstate himself into driving duties will see the father and son combination back behind the wheel of the No. 17 Falcon for the final time at Queensland Raceway in September. Paul Radisich and Cameron McLean will share the second Shell Helix Falcon. Indy Lights frontrunner, Jason Bright, will join the team for Bathurst, but was unavailable for the Queensland enduro.
Johnson said the decision was an agonising one, but proved to be the best option in the circumstances.
"We were in a unique situation where we have four drivers for Bathurst but only three of them were available for the Queensland 500, so we had to try and find a driver who was willing to take one race only," the 55-year-old explains.
"Our first instinct was to put a young guy in the car, but with the testing rules the way they are, there was no way we could really give someone a fair go.
"You can't take someone out of Formula Ford or Formula Holden and expect them to be on the pace straight away in a V8 Supercar, they need plenty of miles to get the feel of the car and unfortunately we don't have that luxury," he said.
Johnson Jnr, Steven, is excited about again sharing the car with his five-times ATCC, three-times Bathurst winning father, and believes the package could be good enough to give Dick the perfect send-off (again).
"I'm rapt about the situation, it wasn't an option that I had even considered," Steve Johnson said.
"Dad told me he was thinking about it and once I knew that, he didn't stand a chance!
"We ran strongly at Queensland last year and with Dad 100% fit this year I honestly think we can challenge at the front of the field.
"But win or lose, one thing's for sure, Dad's last race will be on home soil and that will be special, I'm going to do everything I can to help him give the Queensland fans something to really cheer about," he said.
The Queensland faithful will gain their chance to again bid their hero a fond farewell when Queensland Raceway hosts the 500km event on September 8-10.
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