Dick Johnson and 'The Rock'

[Pepscobra]

Was going through some old clips of Bathurst on youtube and came across the incident where Dickie hit the rock in 1980.

Got me thinking... did they ever work out how the rock ended up on the track back then?
Wouldn't it be great if, after all these years and being the 50th Anniversary of Bathurst, the person/people who threw the rock on the track came forward and told their side of the story? Maybe even a reunion with Dick?

In a funny way, that incident helped Dickie become a household name and made him a celebraty.

[Kieron]

Dick is having a dinner evening centered around the rock story, from memory one of the guest speakers is a guy who saw how the rock got there so the story should be out there soon mate.

[b0son]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/...-1225917280050

[99AUXR]

Australia's most loved drivers celebrates his milestone.

Pun Intended?

[Pepscobra]

Still, I wonder if the two drunk guys that dislodged the rock have ever been identified, or even realized what they'd done.

My favourite ever driver is old Dick and Tru-Blu was awesome.

[castellan]

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

[FPV414]

Originally Posted by castellan

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

You sound so proud of the fact that you almost killed someone.

[Simple6]

Originally Posted by castellan

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

I call troll.

[Mercury 8]

Originally Posted by castellan

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

Bull. Dick was leading the race and was first to see the rock. He could not dodge it as there was a tilt tray parked beside it trying to pick it up. He had a choice,back of a tilt tray or a rock. The tilt tray was on the track to retrieve a busted car and came across the rock and thought they should remove it. It would be interesting to hear from the guys in the tilt tray.

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by castellan

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

he didn't dodge the rock
he hit it and had a dent in his alloy fuel tank to prove it

reknaw - when told that johnson hit the rock, his reply was "oh, i hit that", and then claimed that johnson lost control of the falcon avoiding the rock
maybe i am missing something, but i thought he hit a gemini, not a rock

[oceanwave54]

I had never known about this episode in motorsport so looked it up. A good sum up here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnnKmBiYBGw

I noticed in the interview, Johnson mentions never racing at Bathurst again until fences are up around the track, was his pushing for it the reason they went up?

[Pepscobra]

Yeah, getting the guys on the tilt trays recollection of the event would be great too.

[greenfoam]

In the end it was caused by erosion from the building of the road itself. Poetic justice really if you look at it from that angle :!). No one got hurt so it isn't that big of a deal as far as history goes. He got revenge on nature when he took out all those trees entering onto conrod anyway lol

[05_ENFORCER]

Lucky they did a runner after the fact.
The crowd would have lynched them both.


.

[XD ESP! XELR8]

That's why I love the tru blue XD, over the greens tuff..

Friend of mine was at the race, but was to young to remember..

Brother in laws at Bathurst now, yeah I tried lol (work)..

Still got some tees from the 80s Bathurst..

[mad cow]

Originally Posted by castellan

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

well that makes you a troll and a ******.. the only "dickey boy" is the one you are playing with in your pants.....

the real person who dislodged the rock contacted johnson by phone only a few years ago. he appologised and explained that it wasnt deliberate at all and was just a care of drunken clumsiness..

[bigwil]

Well whoever roll that rock onto the track must of had rocks in their head.

[FGII-XR6]

and people wonder why they now limit alcohol at the track. these guys sped a fortune etting their cars competitive and 2 drunken morons can spoil it is seconds. personally I think alcohol should be banned from the track to keep things safe

[RegSpec]

Originally Posted by castellan

He has that rock in his shed.

Not so grasshopper......its actually in a glass case in his office....

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

and people wonder why they now limit alcohol at the track. these guys sped a fortune etting their cars competitive and 2 drunken morons can spoil it is seconds. personally I think alcohol should be banned from the track to keep things safe

..lol...read your Sig

[gtxb67]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

and people wonder why they now limit alcohol at the track. these guys sped a fortune etting their cars competitive and 2 drunken morons can spoil it is seconds. personally I think alcohol should be banned from the track to keep things safe

a rock can be dislodged by anyone - drunk or sober
it could be argued that the rock wasn't the problem, rather there were huge tray trucks driving around the track very slowly and often being just out of a blind corner
1 rock has fallen on the track in the history of the race - kangaroos are more prevalent and drunks don't pick them up and throw them on the track

i am a non drinker and always have been, but to ban alcohol there would be a harold scruby like thing to do - a huge over reaction. the incident happened during the transition period of the dangerous 60's through to the very safe mid 80's. if drunks were such a problem, there would have been many, many more incidents on the track. off track however is another subject entirely, but even 12 years ago, they had family areas up top where alcohol was banned. one on track incident in 52 events - hardly worth an over reaction

[Rodp]

Never saw that interview - was great to see his passion for the sport and the public recognising that and getting behind him to get him back on the track.

Been in the pits at Bathurst a couple of times and Dick was always generous with his time, talking to fans behind pit lane only moments after a stint in the car.

[XD ESP! XELR8]

Dick just did a interview..

The rocks at Bathurst in there museum..

[Peuty]

It usually lives in the museum at Stapylton. As do I, usually.

[XRDeeze]

Originally Posted by castellan

That was me and i said to dickey boy that it was me.
He has that rock in his shed.
Hitting that rock was the best thing that happened for him.
I gave $ 12 to him back then and last year i asked if i could claim the interest on it and he did not come at it, and after all i did for him

The rock was meant for Brock but he dodged it. as them commodores handled better then the falcon and dickey boy admits that to.

lol thats a dedicated post. I call bs...but would be funny if it were true..

[mad cow]

judging by his lack of reply i would assume he is just a fat troll in need of a long shower..

[castellan]

Originally Posted by BionicXR6T

Not so grasshopper......its actually in a glass case in his office....

Yes but it was in a glass case but not in his office when i seen it.
It was not me, but i did say it to him
Old dickey boy is a old type queenslander and likes to be a smart arss him self and he likes it if someone has a go to, trying to wind him up.

[Mel-D]

Some jokers pushed it at the right/wrong time.

[RASER]

THE actual rock is most likely still around the track, its normal when cleaning a track just to sweep and throw everything to side in the quickest possible time.

But alas, its like Ali boxing shorts, there are now thousands of the one pair that he was wearing.....lol

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by au3xr6

and people wonder why they now limit alcohol at the track. these guys sped a fortune etting their cars competitive and 2 drunken morons can spoil it is seconds. personally I think alcohol should be banned from the track to keep things safe

i thought they banned alcohol so you have to buy it from on-site vendors at triple the normal price.