Dick Johnson Racing will mark 30 years since its famous Greens’-Tuf Ford Falcon XE crashed through the trees at Bathurst by running a retro livery in the 2013 race.
The all-green scheme is set to be sported by the Chaz Mostert/Dale Wood Falcon, which will switch its regular #12 plate with the #17 previously run on the sister Tim Blanchard/Ashley Walsh car for the meeting.
The move comes just a year after DJR harked back to another of its legendary looks, Tru-Blu, as part of the 2012 Bathurst event’s much-hyped 50th anniversary celebrations.
Like Tru-Blu, Greens’-Tuf was a brand of Johnson’s then major sponsor Palmer Tube Mills. Johnson’s cars carried green colours for four seasons; the final two years of Group C Falcons followed by two years of Group A Mustangs.
Although winning the 1984 Australian Touring Car Championship, Johnson’s crash through the trees at the exit of Forrest’s Elbow during the previous year’s Hardies Heroes qualifying run-off at Bathurst was arguably the brand’s most memorable moment.
Johnson’s team subsequently leased another Falcon from privateer Andrew Harris and set about transferring its own running gear into the donor chassis ahead of the race.
Johnson and co-driver Kevin Bartlett completed just 61 laps on Sunday before falling foul of mechanical trouble, while Harris and his co-driver Gary Cooke managed a gallant 10th having switched to a Commodore that had been bought by Ross Palmer as part of the unique deal.
The return of the Greens’-Tuf scheme was communicated to DJR club members on Tuesday. A public announcement is expected to take place as soon as today (Wednesday).
“Last year we decided to bring back the Tru-Blu colours to the team, however we were one of many teams to arrive with a retro livery,” wrote Johnson in a team newsletter.
“I was knocked out by the impact it had, so to mark the 30 years of the Greens’-Tuf Falcon we are doing a full green livery on the #17 Falcon.
“The 1983 race was an amazing weekend. Building a new car from scratch in the garage and again seeing the generosity and passion of people to see DJR succeed was full bore.
“I hope again I can acknowledge and bring back some good memories for all those passionate fans and supporters.”
DJR heads to Bathurst as a recent race winner thanks to Chaz Mostert’s effort at Queensland Raceway in August.
The team has been in repair mode since Sandown, however, following a major accident for Walsh during the early stages of the 500.
