HE might be watching the Bathurst 1000 from an unusual spot this year, but Dick Johnson's advice on how to conquer the endurance epic remains the same - be patient, don't take risks, be in a good position with 25 laps to go.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Like thousands of race fans, this year Johnson will be watching Sunday's 161-lap battle on television at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be very different for the man who won the Great Race three times in a career that saw him make his Bathurst debut in 1973.
Johnson last competed in the Bathurst 1000 in 1999 when placing fourth with his son Steven, but has continued his involvement with the race as a team owner.
Last year he watched on as Scott McLaughlin and co-driver Alex Premat steered the #17 DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang to victory before joining them on the podium to celebrate.
This year McLaughlin and new co-driver Tim Slade rank amongst the favourites, while the sister #12 Mustang of Fabian Coulthard and and Tony D'Alberto will also be trying to snare victory in the Supercars' season-finale.
While the atmosphere will be different for Johnson as he sits at home and hopes his DJR Team Penske outfit can claim victory, his advice on how to win has not changed.
"If I was to go back in retrospect and say to a young Dick Johnson 'How would you attack Bathurst or what would you do?,' My words would be two words - be patient," he said.
"It's a long race, it's not a five-lap sprint, you've really just got to be patient and don't take any unnecessary risks and if you are going to make it a risk, make it on the last lap if you're fighting for the lead."
It's a long race, it's not a five-lap sprint, you've really just got to be patient and don't take any unnecessary risks.
- Dick Johnson
Johnson says keeping out of trouble as the race unfolds and being near the front of the field after the final round of pit stops is another key.
It might sound straight forward, but there are plenty of Bathurst dreams which are dashed before that point - Johnson himself had 14 DNFs next to his name across his 26 starts.
According to the Supercars Hall of Famer, the final 25 laps are where it is decided.
"By the time the last 25 laps come, depending on the weather of course, the track is really gripped up, there's a lot of rubber down, and the cars really, really enjoy that extra amount of grip and that's when you can push the car to it's absolute limit," he said.
"Bathurst is one of those races, being 1,000 kilometres, Bathurst is won in the last 25 laps.
"You plan to have the car in really good shape with 25 laps to go and you know you've done your last pit stop where you know you can get to the end with fuel and everything else and have a car that the guys can actually drive as hard as like a five-lap sprint.
"That's what we plan for and one would hope it's the right plan."
Sunday's Bathurst 1000 is set to start at the revised time of 11am.
