Dick Johnson had a lot weighing on his shoulders in 1981.
Johnson was after redemption following his front-running performance at the previous year’s Bathurst 1000, then a clash with a rock derailed his efforts to take the win.
A large outpouring of emotion came after hearing the star driver’s plight having mortgaged his home to win the race leading to donations coming in from the public.
The public raised $72,000 and was matched by Ford Australia to enable Johnson to get back into competition by building Tru Blu.
Johnson arrived at Symmons Plains for the opening round having to contend with reigning champion Peter Brock and the mighty Holden Dealer Team.
Brock dominated the 1980 season against admittedly weak competition due to the change of regulations with Kevin Bartlett leading the others in his Channel 9 Chevrolet Camaro.
Johnson didn’t contest the championship, but was inspired by the early performance of privateers Garry Wilmington and Murray Carter, even offering to buy the former’s XD Falcon at Lakeside.
Announcing himself as a contender in the Amaroo Park CRC 300, Johnson carried this momentum, into the 1980 Bathurst 1000 by dominating the early running until hitting a rock.
Back at Symmons Plains, Johnson led from start-to-finish to take his maiden Australian Touring Car Championship victory 6s ahead of reigning champion Brock to begin an intense rivalry.
Calder Park was up next and Brock won on home turf, but Johnson then took back-to-back rounds at Oran Park, then Sandown.
Brock then secured successive victories at Wanneroo and Adelaide International Raceway to equal Johnson’s tally, but the Queensland led despite finishing third at Calder Park as disaster befell his HDT rival at Sandown, which ended in retirement.
However, Johnson struck back by winning the penultimate round at Surfers Paradise Raceway to set-up a winner takes all finale at Lakeside.
In front of his home crowd, Johnson took the lead from pole and held onto it for the race’s duration with Brock right behind.
The Lakeside finale is regarded as one of the great races in ATCC history and Johnson celebrated his first title, which was part one of his mission to renew the support provided by the public.
Next up was Bathurst.