NASCAR to take to streets of Townsville
23 Jun 2023
The grandson of Supercars’ Hall of Fame inductee and five-time Touring Car Champion Dick Johnson will drive a genuine NASCAR racing machine around the Reid Park Street Circuit as part of the NTI Townsville 500 next month.
The third-generation racer Jett Johnson, son of three-time Supercars’ race winner Steven, will saddle up inside the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet SS, where fans will hear the Chev V8 burble as he completes demonstration laps.
This will be the first time it has been on-track in anger.
Johnson’s NASCAR drive won’t be the only time he hits the track at the NTI Townsville 500 this year.
The 18-year-old will also contest the third round of the Dunlop Super3 Series in his regular Nissan Altima. Jett currently sits third in the Super3 Series standings.
“It’s going to be really cool to take the NAPA NASCAR to Townsville,” said Johnson.
“It’s a genuine NAPA NASCAR that raced in the States, and it’s all American – it’s loud, it looks good and it’s going to be very cool to race on track. I’m sure that all of the fans are going to love it.
“I’ve driven this car on a few occasions and it is so much fun. It’s loud, it moves around and I’m super excited to do a couple of extra laps over and above what I’m doing in Super3.
“This is a genuine NASCAR that was raced by NASCAR champion Chase Elliott. It’s great that we have it here in Australia, giving everyone a real taste of that raw American racing.
“I’ve been to Townsville and raced there, and I absolutely love it. It’s such a cool track, such a cool environment, and when it comes to racing. It’s just so much fun. I’m excited to get back to the streets of Townsville to have a crack in the NAPA Supercar and the NASCAR.”
The NASCAR laps add to what is already a stacked entertainment lineup for this year’s trip to North Queensland.
Entertainment already announced for 2023 NTI Townsville 500:
A Saturday night performance by Ministry of Sound Classical Orchestra
A spectacular Supercars drone light show featuring 500 drones
Celebrations for the 150th round of the Dunlop Super2 Series
Shane van Gisbergen’s 500th career race start
A new-look driver parade for Supercars drivers on track
The concert is included in a same day event ticket for fans, being a three-day, two-day, Saturday Trackside, Grandstand or Corporate ticket.
It will be the second time that Johnson will drive the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet SS after completing demonstration runs at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival back in March earlier this year.
NASCAR racing and the Johnson family have a connected history too. Dick Johnson competed in a number of NASCAR events in the United States in the 1980s, as well as events in Australia at the Calder Thunderdome.
The NAPA NASCAR that Jett will drive was built by leading NASCAR Cup squad Hendricks Motorsport for oval racing purposes.
The Chevy was imported to Australia three years ago for promotional purposes and has appeared at a variety of events including at Repco Supercars Championship weekends.
For those inquisitive fans wanting a closer look, the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet SS will be on display at the Townsville event all weekend.
The NTI Townsville 500 is the sixth round of the Repco Supercars Championship and will be held on 7-9 July. Tickets are available through Supercars.com and Ticketek.
The event is proudly supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
