July 28, 2024
They were famous teammates in their days at the top of the Australian Touring Car Championship and now Dick Johnson and John Bowe are to be reunited as Guests-of-Honour at the Historic Leyburn Sprints.
“Dick and JB”, as they are still known everywhere in racing, will be part of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Australian Grand Prix run at Leyburn in 1949. They will join 1970s Formula 5000 legends and fellow guests Warwick Brown and Bruce Allison, whose participation was announced recently, plus motor-racing identities Ron Harrop, Brian Gelding and John Harris.
The drivers will take part in a range of activities to celebrate the anniversary, including autograph sessions and the official opening and commemoration ceremony. Bowe also will compete in a Ford Escort.
Sprints President Tricia Chant said the addition of Johnson and Bowe to the racing VIPs list was great news for spectators.
“Dick and JB are two of the most popular personalities in Australian motorsport with a true enthusiast’s feel for the type of grassroots event we stage at Leyburn. It will be an honour to have them here alongside our other guests,” she said.
“They will be part of the biggest Sprints since the event was founded in 1996. There will be a wonderful range of attractions on- and off-track.”
Dick Johnson AM and John Bowe AM both members of the Supercars Hall of Fame, have long and distinguished records in Australian racing. They competed as teammates in the Dick Johnson Racing team from 1988 to 1998, winning the Bathurst 1000 in 1989 and 1994.
Johnson is a beloved hero of Australian motor-racing, winning three Bathurst 1000 races and five Australian Touring Car Championships. He was officially appointed a Q150 Icon in 2009.
Still closely involved in DJR’s Shell V-Power Racing Supercars team, Johnson and his wife Jill have been long-time supporters of the Historic Leyburn Sprints and frequent attendees.
Bowe has a prolific history as a racing all-rounder. Since starting as a 16-year-old in Tasmania, he’s driven open-wheelers, sports cars and touring cars at the top level.
His trophy tally includes two Gold Star Australian Drivers Championships, an Australian Touring Car Championship, Australian Sports Car Championship, two Bathurst 1000 wins, six Touring Car Masters titles and a Bathurst 12-Hour win. He raced five times in the Australian Grand Prix, in 1984 at Calder qualifying in second place ahead of Formula 1 drivers Keke Rosberg, Andrea de Cesaris and Lucio Cesario.
Bowe retired from TCM competition after the 2023 season but now makes some appearances in a BMW GT4 and will guest-drive a friend’s Ford Escort at Leyburn.
“I’m very excited to be at Leyburn,” he says.
“I’ve been invited many times, but could never find the time. I’ll see all the car and race fans very soon!”
Fellow VIP guests Harrop, Harris and Gelding are well-known in racing circles. Harrop is a former driver but became better known as an engineer of performance parts for road and race cars.
John Harris and Brian Gelding, like Johnson and Bowe, were associated closely with Fords during their racing careers. Harris raced Ford Falcon GT HOs in the 1970s and was the figure behind the well-known Bryan Byrt racing team. Gelding is a “small Ford” specialist and worked for many years as a crew member for Jim Richards.
