Date of Birth: 6th September 1974
Born: Brisbane – QLD
Lives: Gold Coast – QLD
Marital Status: Married to Bree (son Jett 4 & daughter Lacy 9 months)
Height: 189cm
Nickname: Junior
Hobbies: Golf, Boating, Jet Skiing, Dirt Bike Riding
First car: Ford XE Fairmont
First Job: Washing cars
Racing Hero: Senna/Clark
V8 Supercar Championship Series Statistics (as at beginning of 2009 championship)
Starts: 132
Debut: 1994, Oran Park (Rd 10) in #19 Fuddruckers/DJR Falcon EB
Teams: 1994-1995, Dick Johnson Racing, 1997, Alcair Racing, 1998, Racing For Life Racing, 1999-2009, Dick Johnson/Jim Beam Racing
Wins: 2 (2001 Canberra, 2001 Queensland 500), Poles: 1 (2001 Canberra), Podiums: 8, Top: 10s 57
Steven Johnson in 2009
2009 promises to be a landmark year for team Johnson. With a strong finish of third in the teams ranking in 2008, Steve is gearing up for a new year with a new car, new equipment and a new team mate.
2008 was a mixed bag for Steve, with a soft start to the year – he finished strongly with a podium third beside Wil Davison at the Phillip Island 500. He also takes away 6 top ten results for the 2008 season. 2008 was the 4th time that Steve has finished in the top ten individual rankings for the V8 Supercars Championship series, and he is looking forward to bettering that result in 2009.
The sturdy finish to the season has seen a renewed motivation drive Junior to ensure his start to 2009 sees him at his physical and mental best. He is often seen working out in the gym at DJR HQ with his trainer Phil, and setting goals and expectations for the season ahead. Along with a renewed vigor for fitness, Steve will be working with a new engineer in the form of Rowdy (Mark Fenning), a new teammate in the form of James Courtney, and, a new vehicle in the form of the Jim Beam Racing FG Falcon.
The Owners, team and Fans of Jim Beam Racing are all expecting big things from Junior this year. With all of the preparation Steve is currently undertaking, we are all certain he will deliver on those expectations.
Year by year...
2008
Enjoys another strong year … finishes third alongside Will Davison at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island and records six top 10 results for the season with sixth places at Bathurst and the Gold Coast … finishes 10th in the championship, the fourth time he has finished in the top 10 in the championship.
2007
Switches to the colours of Jim Beam and enjoys an improved year …finishes on the podium for the first time in his career with a third-place alongside Will Davison … records another third place result in the Desert 400 in Bahrain and five other top-10 results for the season …finishes 12th in the championship.
2006
Competes in the orange and black colours of First Rock Home Loans … finishes fourth with Will Davison at Sandown 500 and also fourth at Oran Park sprint round … finishes ninth in the championship.
2005
Switches to the blue and white of new sponsor Westpoint … scores a season-best result of fourth at Barbagallo in addition to a fifth at Hidden Valley …finishes 12th in the championship.
2004
Scores a third place in the Sandown 500 alongside Warren Luff … finishes sixth at Eastern Creek and eighth in Pukekohe in addition to seventh at Bathurst with Luff … finishes 10th in the championship.
2003
Moves to the new BA Falcon for Shell Helix Racing … only scores one top-10 result all year with a sixth place on the Gold Coast … qualifies in the top 10 for both endurance events at Sandown and Bathurst but finishes 15th and 13th in each ... finishes 16th in the championship.
2002
A difficult season with a best result of seventh at the Canberra 400 … records three top-10 round results for the year with a best qualifying performance of seventh in Canberra … finishes 14th in the championship.
2001
Enjoys a break-out season with his very first V8 Supercar Series round pole position and round win at the Canberra 400 street race … backs it up later in the year to win the Queensland 500 alongside Paul Radisich … finishes fifth in the championship and the best Ford Falcon driver in the final pointscore.
2000
Signs with Shell Helix Racing to take over the famous #17 Falcon AU from his father on a full-time basis … records a season-high fourth place in the final round at Bathurst alongside Cameron McLean after starting on the front row of the grid. Records five other top-10 results over the course of the year.
1999
Makes an appearance at Calder to fill in for his father and returns to the Shell Helix Racing line-up for the Queensland 500 and Bathurst 1000 … he and Dick finish seventh in the inaugural Queensland 500 and narrowly miss the podium at Bathurst in fourth place in Dick’s farewell to Mount Panorama as a driver. Finishes 23rd in the championship from three starts in the 13-round championship.
1998
Drives a Dick Johnson Racing-prepared EL Falcon under the Racing For Life banner in six rounds of the ATCC with a best finish of fourth at Mallala …finishes 16th in the championship … drives with father Dick for the first time at the Sandown and Bathurst endurance events, however the pair retire from both events … makes a start in the #17 Shell Helix Falcon to fill-in for his father in the non-championship Gold Coast Indy support races.
1997
Makes two starts in the ATCC/V8SCS in a privateer Alcair Airconditioning Commodore at Phillip Island and Sandown, as well as the non-championship Gold Coast Indy event … finishes 37th in the ATCC pointscore from the two starts … competes with Craig Baird in the #18 Shell Helix EL Falcon at Sandown and Bathurst. The duo finish seventh at Sandown and fourth at Bathurst … makes a one-off start in a round of the Australian Super Touring Championship in a BMW at Lakeside.
1996
Makes no starts in the ATCC/V8SCS, only appearing in the endurance events … finishes eighth in the Sandown 500 with Charlie O’Brien and eighth at Bathurst with American Tommy Kendall.
1995
Makes a one-off championship start at Oran Park in a third DJR-run Falcon in preparation for the endurance events …also competes in the Australian Thundersports Series in a highly-modified Mustang. Finishes third in the Sandown 500 with Charlie O’Brien and seventh at Bathurst.
1994
Makes Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercar Championship Series debut in final round at Oran Park in a third Dick Johnson Racing EB Falcon in preparation for the endurance events …qualifies 12th and finishes 14th on debut. Combines with veteran Allan Grice in the non-championship Sandown and Bathurst endurance events in the second Shell-FAI Racing Falcon …finishes eighth at the Sandown 500 and seventh in the Bathurst 1000.
