Podcasts · The Karl Stefanovic Show
Dick Johnson Mortgaged His House. Then Australia Saved Him
· 1 h 12 min · S1 E112
Episode Dick Johnson Mortgaged His House. Then Australia Saved Him
He was a Brisbane mechanic who mortgaged the house for a race car he built in his garage, then crashed it on live TV. Australia loved him so much it paid for him to go again.
Dick Johnson is a dying breed. A bloke who fixed his own car, paid his own way, and became one of the most loved sporting figures this country has produced. At 81, he’s still at it. His team won Bathurst this month.
In 1980, Dick mortgaged the family home to chase the biggest race in the country. He was leading when a rock rolled onto the track and ended it all on live TV. Then the phones lit up. Families and kids sent in their hard-earned cash and pocket money, Ford matched every dollar, and twelve months later Dick won the whole thing in a car the public paid for. He still has every letter.
Karl sits down with an Australian icon. Driving the family Holden to swim training at eight. National Service a few huts from Peter Brock. His first race in an $80 ex-taxi. Getting pulled over at 134km/h by a cop who’d chipped in for his comeback. The truth about who really put that rock on the track. And 56 years with Jill, because “if something was broke, we didn’t throw it out. We used to fix it.”
Plus his mum’s best advice: “Tell the truth always, you won’t have to remember a thing.”
00:00 Cold open 00:00 Bathurst 2026 and the fuel drama 05:02 “Before I fall off my perch” 06:43 Microwave pasta after winning Bathurst 09:46 Driving the family car at eight 13:39 National Service with Peter Brock 14:52 First race in an $80 ex-taxi 20:15 His first Bathurst 25:59 Mortgaging the house 28:14 The rock 33:17 Australia crowdfunds a comeback 40:02 Pulled over at 134km/h 44:06 Dick on Peter Brock 48:28 The Sierra years 53:38 Beating the factory teams at Silverstone 56:35 Roger Penske’s lifeline 58:56 A letter from Edsel Ford 61:24 56 years with Jill 62:20 Quickfire questions
This episode is brought to you by Tanda. Tanda makes it easier to be an employer. Check them out at tanda.com.au.
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#DickJohnson #Bathurst #KarlStefanovic
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