The Roaring Season

Thanks Tony, great info! Re the person that got the 1980 body off Dick Johnson, I don't think it was John I got that info from, it was from a couple of older books/magazines.

Just got this message from Chris Donnelly.
Hi Tony, The photo was actually taken by QLD Photographer Alan McConnell if you want to give credit to the actual photographer. To clarify a post by Steve Holmes, John English didn't buy the body off Dick Johnson (despite what he may have suggested). The bent body shell of the 1980 Rock Car was "given (donated)" to my father John Donnelly by Dick Johnson, in Dick's words "if you want it" because Dick didn't think it would be much good after the hit!!.

The English car in the photo below in Pye Audio colours is a replica of English's ex-Allan Moffat Falcon XD (that Moffat ran in Federation colours in 1980). I believe the Bowden's now own this vehicle. Regards, CD.

Wow, what an awesome post Tony! I'll email John English and ask him the full history on the rock car. He did actually tell me earlier in the year, but I'd had a couple of beers at the time, so my memory wasn't as sharp as it could be!

By shear accident I stumbled across Chris Donnelly on Facebook and he has some shots of the John Donnelly/Simon Harrex Falcon at Bathurst in 1984. He states that it was originally the Johnson "Rock" car body. The car still exists and they (Donnelly's) would like to buy it back but its current owner will not part with it.
PHOTO COURTESY Alan McConnell
[attachment=0]John Donnelly Falcon 1984.jpg[/attachment]

When asked about the car and how much of the car they actually got off Dick, the reply was -
Just the bent body shell . The roof still has evidence of the hit as no matter how we tried to pull it straight, the roof would spring back to where it was. It's hardly visible, but when you took a close look at it you could see it. When we got it, it had no swinging panels or running gear. When we rebuilt it using standard panels, it ended up about 200kg heavier than when DJ had it, proving how much effort DJ went to to make it LIGHT!

I had been told that this car was built from the same "Rock" car but can't confirm although by coincidence it does have the name English on it and the guys that had it on display were very quick to point out it was a replica of the English car.
[img]http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq204/TGPhotography/50th%20Anniversary%20of%20Touring%20Cars%20-%20Legends/LS007-4.jpg[/img]

Beautiful photos Tony! Thanks for posting. Thats really a handsome car. Thats Johnsons 1981 car, with which he won the 1981 ATCC, and Bathurst, and 1982 ATCC. Pretty special car. I spoke with John English earlier this year about the 1980 'rock' car, as he bought the body off Johnson. I think from memory he said its sat in someones shed, but hasn't been seen for a long time.

Gold Coast V8 Supercars event in 2009.
[img]http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq204/TGPhotography/Australian%20Touring%20Car%20Legends%202009/A1GP-0557-5.jpg[/img]

As it is now as shown in the Bowdens Own Gallery;
[attachment=0]552970_10150687399535741_911718746_n.jpg[/attachment]

Tru Blu as seen at the 50th Anniversary event at Lakeside in 2011 - being driven by John French at the time.
The livery has changed just slightly since then as the car has been restored graphics wise to exactly how it ran at Bathurst instead of just one of the rounds.
I have yet to see it in the flesh as it is now.

[img]http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq204/TGPhotography/50th%20Anniversary%20of%20Touring%20Cars%20-%20Legends/LS347-4.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i448.photobucket.com/albums/qq204/TGPhotography/50th%20Anniversary%20of%20Touring%20Cars%20-%20Legends/LS337-4.jpg[/img]

[b][i][color="#0000FF"]I was sitting on the bank probably 50 meters from the rock incident, wasnt aware of anything until car hit the .rock., but I do remember walking thru the pits late on saturday afternoon just after the last practice session & a couple of aussies tried to a sponge a can of 4xxx each off Dick who was sitting on a couple of race tires going thru the everything that was happening... his reply to the spongers was as dry as we have come to expect....yeh boys, I could give you a beer, but these fellows working on the car would probably kill you & then me! Felt sorry for those crew guys, been there myself, bloodshot eyes, havent slept for a couple of days etc etc, glad I didnt see them after it hit the rock the next day!![/color][/i][/b]

[quote="hilstwist"]Just want to echo previous comments. A great read! Many thanks! I am now going to order a 1/43 model of that trublue XD to go with my XE green Palmer tubes one! have meaning to do that for a while.Too many models too buy not enough $s and space is an issue too!![/quote]

Sounds like I need to be on commission with those model companies Steve!

Thanks everyone, I appreciate that. Glad you enjoyed it.

Great read,this will get us all in the mood for this week-end .

By far the best thing I've read anywhere for a while.

Just want to echo previous comments. A great read! Many thanks! I am now going to order a 1/43 model of that trublue XD to go with my XE green Palmer tubes one! have meaning to do that for a while.Too many models too buy not enough $s and space is an issue too!!

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed it. I spent a few weeks on that one! Been wanting to write it for a while. Thats the beauty of this site, writing a few indepth articles here and there among the photo collections etc is why it was created.

The greatest ever Bathurst story, told well. Can't wait for Sunday.

[video=youtube;yA_garPb6DM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA_garPb6DM[/video]

That coffee table book looks better each story!

Wonderful article Steve, watching that race (for the first time) as a seven year old made me a Ford guy, and DJR fan forever!

Extremely well written Steve. You certainly have a way with words and being able to get the story across in a very readable way. Thanks

Steve
Well written and very enjoyable article.
You may as well continue with more of the Johnson story now.....
Trips to England to show the works Sierra's how its done, running a Nascar in USA etc

At least he started in a Humpy......

Ellis