John Walker (3 September 1944 – 6 May 2024) was an Australian racing driver.
Biography Johnnie Walker was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 27 September 1943,James Cockington, Keep walking, Australian Muscle Car, Issue 66, March / April 2013, pages 103 - 112 He first raced in the early 1960s at Mallala in his Holden FE road car. After competing in the Australian Formula 2 Championship, he graduated to Formula 5000 in 1972, driving an Elfin MR5 and a Matich A50 before switching to the Lola marque in late 1973.
Walker finished second in both the 1973 and 1975 Australian Drivers' Championships before breaking through to win the title in 1979 in his Lola T332 Chevrolet. He also won the 1979 Australian Grand Prix at Wanneroo Raceway.
In 1975, Walker was highly competitive in the Tasman Series going into the final round at Sandown as equal series leader with Warwick Brown and Graeme Lawrence. However he crashed his Lola on the first lap demolishing 50 metres of the horse racetrack's running rails.
Walker drove several touring car races for the Holden Dealer Team in 1975-1976 including co-driving with Colin Bond in the 1975 Hardie Ferodo 1000 where they placed third in a Holden Torana SL/R 5000 L34.
Walker died on 6 May 2024, at the age of 79.
Career results Results sourced from Driver Database.Johnnie Walker - Driver Database
Season Series Position Car Team 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship10th Elfin Catalina Ford Gilbert Motor Bodies 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship18th Elfin Mono Gilbert Motor Bodies 1967 Australian 1½ Litre Championship9th Elfin Mono Gilbert Motor Bodies 1968 Australian Drivers' Championship9th Elfin Mono 2B Ford Gilbert Motor Bodies 1968 Australian 1½ Litre Championship4th Elfin Mono 2B Ford Gilbert Motor Bodies 1969 Australian Drivers' ChampionshipNC Elfin 600B Ford Gilbert Motor Bodies 1970 Australian Drivers' ChampionshipNC Elfin 600B Ford Gilbert Motor Bodies 1970 Australian Formula 2 Championship 2nd Elfin Gilbert Motor Bodies 1971 Australian Drivers' Championship13th Elfin 600B City State Racing Team 1971 Australian Formula 2 Championship4th Elfin 600B Ford 1972 Tasman Series12th Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden City State Racing Team 1972 Australian Drivers' Championship 4th Matich A50 Repco-Holden 5AD / City State Racing 1973 Tasman Series 9th Matich A50 Repco-Holden Johnnie Walker 1973 Australian Drivers' Championship 2nd Lola T330 Repco-Holden John Walker Motor Racing 1973 SCCA L&M Championship21st1973 SCCA L&M Championship Review (Part 1), www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 26 April 2014 Matich A50 Repco-Holden Johnnie WalkerOfficial Entry List, The Glen L&M Championship Race, www.myf5000.com Retrieved on 26 April 2014 1974 Tasman Series4th Lola T330 Repco-Holden 1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship7th Elfin 622 1975 Tasman Series 2nd Lola T332 Repco-Holden 1975 Australian Drivers' Championship 2nd Lola T332 Repco-Holden John Walker 1978 Rothmans International Series4th Lola T332 Chevrolet Magnum Wheels 1979 Rothmans International Series11th Lola T332 Chevrolet Magnum Wheels 1979 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Lola T332 Chevrolet Magnum Wheels 1981 Australian Sports Car Championship4th Porsche Turbo Magnum Wheels
Complete Tasman Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DC Points 1972 City State Racing Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden PUK LEV WIG TER SUR WAR SAN AIR4 12th 3 1973 Johnnie Walker Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden PUK LEV WIG TER SUR4 WAR4 SAN5 AIRRet 9th 8 1974 Johnnie Walker Lola T330 Repco-Holden LEV1 PUK7 WIGRet TERRet ORA2 SUR5 SAN3 AIRRet 3rd 21 1975 Johnnie Walker Lola T332 Repco-Holden LEV4 PUK4 WIG3 TER4 ORA3 SUR1 AIR3 SANRet 2nd 30
Complete Bathurst 500/1000 results Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps 1970 Aunger Accessories / Fairway Ford Kym Aunger Ford XW Falcon GTHO Phase II E 18 DNF DNF 1971 City State Racing Team Malcolm Ramsay Holden LC Torana GTR XU-1 D 124 18th 11th 1975 Holden Dealer Team Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 D 154 3rd 3rd 1978 Settlement Road Motor Wreckers Warren Cullen Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback A 152 7th 7th
References
Australian Motor Racing Annual, 1972, page 40 Racing Car News, November 1972, page 61 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1974, pages 59, 75, 208 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1975, pages 46, 70 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976, pages 65, 108, 117–120, 188 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1977, pages 104-110 Australian Competition Yearbook, 1978, page 115