Wheel turns for Johnson after tough times

A year ago Dick Johnson, the genial Queenslander and multi-Bathurst winner, was in financial trouble and looking to walk away from motorsport for good.

But then Johnson — perhaps best remembered for having a spectator throw a rock at his Falcon that caused him to crash out in 1980 — secured Jim Beam as a naming rights sponsor for his two-car operation, assuring Johnson's son, Steve, and co-driver Will Davison of a drive.

A commercial deal with Ford rivals Triple 8 that sees Team Vodafone supply Johnson's team with engines also has helped. Yesterday Johnson, watching nervously from pit lane, cracked a smile as Steve Johnson and Davison pushed the red and white Ford to be the quickest in first official practice for Sunday's 1000km enduro, stopping the clock at 2min08.0740sec.

It was a change of luck for the Johnson-Davison pairing after brake problems cost it any chance of fighting for a podium position at Sandown three weeks ago.

They managed just 29 laps before parking the car in the pits. “The car felt nice and comfortable today,” Steve Johnson said.

“We went into the race at Sandown fairly confident, but our eyes are firmly on the bigger picture this weekend.

“It is a totally different car to the one I drove here at Bathurst a year ago.”

Another change to Steve is his body shape. He comes into the race 22kg lighter than last year. “I'm still having four meals a day, but I'm simply eating smaller portions,” he said.

Co-driver Davison, who completed six laps in the middle stages of yesterday's practice sessions, said the improvement in the No17 red, white and black Falcon has been 12 months in the making.

“We've come here full of confidence, it's a pleasure to drive and it bodes well for a good weekend of racing,” Davison said.

The Toll HSV Dealer team of series leaders Rick Kelly and Garth Tander was second-fastest, followed by Ford Performance Racing's Steven Richards and Mark Winterbottom.

“The car was pretty good all session,” Tander said.

Tander's only concern was sand that had blown on to the circuit by a strong breeze across the top of the mountain.

“The sand was a worry and it changed every lap, so you didn't know how hard to push coming down the hill,” he said.

Rounding out the top five were James Courtney and David Besnard in the Stone Brothers Racing Falcon, then the Holden Racing Team combination of Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly.

Veteran driver Russell Ingall is showing no signs of slowing down. He finished eighth.