Question - what year did DJR debut?

[basman]

I'm considering collecting models of some of the great teams of motorsport, particularly those competing in their third decade or more. Those teams I am considering are AMG, Schnitzer, Penske, Joest, NISMO and locally, DJR and HRT.

What I am unclear is the year Dick Johnson became team owner - I can guess sometime in the late 70's / early 80's however the Jim Beam website is unclear as to when this team actually commenced. Were his XB/C's DJR cars or Bryan Byrt entered?

[smokey_dj]

dont have that answer for you but maybe try a more personal website of his or possibly his workshop/museum website up in qld also cant help you with that infor for the sites but might give you a bit more to bite on till someone who knows gets on here

[david5]

What about his entries in early Holdens, EHs & Torana's ? Did he call himself DJR then ? :confused:

[gab73]

I believe Dick has always been a team owner, early mid sixties.

[brchi17]

while Dick has in the main always been a team owner/entrant from pretty much day one, I was of the understanding that the tag/name of Dick Johnson Racing was not widely used until he signed the big deal with Shell at the end of 1986 in preparation for the 1987 season in the Sierra's.

So I would say that officially DJR begun at the start of the 1987 ATCC under the sponsored name of Shell Ultra Hi Racing Team.

cheers :)

[SDK]

Agree with brchi17, yet as far as team owner goes Dick would have owned the team back in the 1970's. We all obviously remember that he was not a paid driver as such at Bathurst in 1980. He also did most of his engine work himself.

Basman, for HRT are you starting them as at 1988 or going back to the early HDT days? Similar principles for DJR I guess.

[XR8]

I'm pretty sure it was painted in big white letters down the sides of the transporter he used when he was racing the Mustang, and it may have been there in the last years of racing the Kermit XE.
I'll have a hunt through some of my old Dick Johnson Team Australia Racing newsletters if I still have any of them...

Ed :)

[Pug205]

It was on his truck around the time of Bathurst 1982 as well ;)

[stone15]

1970 which means that they have constested 39 years. 6 campships and 42 round wins.

[SDK]

Take your word for it stone15, yet would it be fair to say that DJR never contested a full ATCC until 1981?

[stone15]

I got that out of the 2008 v8 championship series tv guide.

[racer69]

From 1977-1979, the cars were Bryan Byrt entered cars with Dick Johnson doing the driving. Johnson didn't own the XC.

I'd be more inclined to say DJR re-started in 1980

In magazines during 1985 and 1986 his team is referred to as Dick Johnson Australia Racing also

[rayman]

From 1977-1979, the cars were Bryan Byrt entered cars with Dick Johnson doing the driving. Johnson didn't own the XC.

I'd be more inclined to say DJR re-started in 1980

In magazines during 1985 and 1986 his team is referred to as Dick Johnson Australia Racing also
I am with you racer69. 1980 would be the start of DJR.

[spiderken17]

Even though the team name might not have been Dick Johnson Racing in 1980, if he owned the team and the name was some sort of variation of DJR then i would still consider it Dick Johnson Racing from that point onwards.

[basman]

Thanks for the info guys - I'll start from 1980!

[stone15]

I don't know how the teams work if it is by name or when they lease or buy a lience.Like kellyracing they still hold their results from the champship and bathurst even though the team is on there third name change.All because they owned the liences and not walkinshaw.So the answer to this Question should be, when did Dick race first under his own lience?

[Rob]

Except "licences" are pretty much a modern day V8 Supercar thing. There was no franchise system back in the good old days.

[racer69]

Exactly, if we base it on owned licences, DJR didn't start until 1997! (the first year AVESCO introduced the silly things)

I'd count the likes of the Zupps XU1 to be part of the DJR history, not the Bryan Byrt XC or Moore Capri etc.. though

With Kelly Racing, considering they've started afresh with workshop, cars etc etc... i consider it a brand new team, no matter what the V8SA guide says :)