It is the 54th time Darren Smith and Garry O’Brien have had the opportunity to corner someone, in this someone who could be described as the publicly unknown face behind the future of Australian motorsport.

Johnson’s dad was a speedway driver in West Australia before Grant was born and switched to circuit racing in a Holden Torana XU-1 when young Johnson was the pit crew and boyhood fan.

In next to no time, Grant saddled up for his first race in a V8 VL Commodore and promptly bunkered at Wanneroo’s Turn 1 while trying to outbreak a Ford Escort.

He was unperturbed with that inauspicious start and drove the local V8 Supercar rounds in the mid to late 90s.

He went to Bathurst and other events over that period, where he co-drove with the likes of Nathan Pretty and Darcy Russell in Commodores. Kerry Wade and he also raced in the second Larkham Orrcom Racing in the enduros.

The last outing came off the back of Johnson winning the MoPro competition for a season in the Konica V8 Development Series. He finished fifth in the second tier Supercar series and placed fifth also in the Super Touring Championship in a Ford Mondeo.

Johnson was tagged with the nickname Grunta when he moved to the V8 Utes series. He won two championship there in Commodores while he also competed in the state Saloon Car championship and took part in the annual Nationals as well as other rounds of the Australian series.

He raced with Team Mirage in Europe and several endurance events in Malaysia with other Australians like Mark Eddy, Dean Fiore, Francoise Jouy and several times with Jim Hunter and Gavan Bullas.

Grant Johnson has an impressive resume. Besides the two Ute titles, there are three national Saloon Car titles, six Saloon Car state championship as part of 11 state titles in all.

It is well worth the time to hear his story. Also catch up on the other 53 grassroots racing podcasts from those who started there and talk through their racing careers.