1981 - The Year That Was

The 1981 season produced the first – and only – direct head-to-head championship battle between Dick Johnson and Peter Brock, with Johnson bouncing back from his heartbreak at Bathurst the previous year to emerge as Ford’s new hero.

The heartbreaking end to Dick Johnson’s early-race lead in the 1980 Bathurst 1000 changed the course of Austral-ian touring-car history.

The goodwill from the public allowed Johnson to regroup and return stronger than before, claiming a championship and Bathurst double that cemented his place as Allan Moffat’s replacement as the Ford frontrunner.

Johnson entered the 1981 season with a new car courtesy of Ford and a total of $144,000 donated by the public and sponsors to get him back on track. He duly rewarded the faith put in him with his first championship race win in the seasonopener at Symmons Plains Raceway.

The Holden Dealer Team’s Peter Brock would be Johnson’s biggest threat throughout the season and won at Calder Park, benefitting from a puncture for Johnson.

The Ford driver fought back with wins at Oran Park and Sandown, where technical failures for Brock handed Johnson the advantage in the championship.

The pendulum swung again at the following two rounds with wins for Brock in Perth and Adelaide, though Johnson responded with victory at Surfers Paradise.

It set up a thrilling championship finale at Lakeside: Johnson, on home soil, one point ahead of Brock.

Johnson scored pole position from Brock and took the early lead, despite breaking a front anti-roll bar in the early stages of the race.

The Falcon used its 5.8-litre V8 to race away on the straights, only for Brock to take advantage of the better handling Commodore to close in on the corners.