DJR Sierra info - Help required please

[racer2_uk]

Hi everybody, I have DJR Sierra number "DJR 1", I am trying to piece together the history of this car, I believe it to be the first of the DJR cosworth's that were later converted to "RS500" spec, was this the car that retired early in the '87 Bathurst, won the '88 ATCC, went to race in the Silverstone TT race in '88, was sold to Robb Gravett for the BTCC in '89, does anybody know if this or parts sounds true ?
I really appreciate any help on this.

Andy Lloyd

[Henry]

I had thought that the Silverstone car was built new for that expedition, and then became the #28 car at Bathurst in 1988. I had also thought that the 1988 ATCC winner resides here in an Australian collector's shed, along with a sumptuous collection of historic Aussie race cars....

If William Dale Jr is around these parts, he might be able to give us the drum..

[amiers]

best way is too talk or write to the man himself.www.shellhelixracing.com. the web site is still using the old address.

[Seton Fanatic]

Are you the same Andy Lloyd that raced in the Wayne Russell-prepared V8Supercar Game Commodore with Shane Cruickshank and Shane Beikoff in the 1998 FAI 1000?

[ROB17]

Andy, the first DJR Sierra (RHD) was the first Group A Cosworth Sierra to have a win anywhere in the world. This occurred during the ATCC round at the old Adelaide International Raceway. This car was later upgraded to full RS500 Spec., and it also sat on pole for the 1987 Castrol 500 at Sandown. It did retire early at Bathurst, but I believe this vehicle went on to become the #18 Sierra John Bowe campaigned in the 1988 ATCC as a new #17 (DJR 3) was built for the 1988 season (the LHD Sierra of 1987 was DJR 2).

I'm pretty sure that a new #17 was built for Bathurst in 1988 (DJR 4), and that DJR 3 became the #28 car and DJR 1 remained the #18 car that eventually finished 2nd.

I am not exactly sure which car raced in the TT at Silverstone, but I suspect it may have been the vehicle that became #28 for Bathurst. I would also imagine that DJR 1 did go to Rob Gravett as this was the oldest Sierra in DJR's posession. I cannot confirm this though.

An interesting stat however would be to find out exactly how many Turbo's DJR 1 blew.

[racer2_uk]

Hi Seton fanatic, you have a good memory ! I drove the commodore in '98 and a cavalier supertourer in the Bob jane 500 in '99.

Thanks everybody for your help.

Andy

[bartman71]

Originally Posted by Henry

I had thought that the Silverstone car was built new for that expedition, and then became the #28 car at Bathurst in 1988. I had also thought that the 1988 ATCC winner resides here in an Australian collector's shed, along with a sumptuous collection of historic Aussie race cars....

If William Dale Jr is around these parts, he might be able to give us the drum..

i believe there is an ex DJR seirra in launceston owned by a promement bussiness man. apparently he also owns 1 of every GT made bar the EB which he traded for an EL.

all but the EB-EL bit i am not sure about as have only been told about it.

[Henry]

"The Great Race" from 1988 describes #18 as being the oldest (and slowest) of the 3 DJR cars at the Mountain that year, and the 28 as the new car (and I believe the Silverstone rocket). I'm pretty sure that someone mentioned that it was the old nail (#18) which went across to Old Blighty for Robb Gravett. There were a few of them from memory: a Valvoline car for Ray Lintott (dunno which car this was)... the car at Buderim... the car in the museum, which I believe was the 1989 Great Race winner, and finished second in 1990 and 1992 if the folklore is correct.

[Crash Test]

Also the Hinton family have a DJR Sierra that is making more and more appearances in local historic competition.

[Group'C']

I think the DJR car that was in the Motor museum in Launceston was Dick's car and is now the one in his own show room.

[racer2_uk]

Hi Guys, thanks for info, I am steadily building up the history, does anybody know how I can contact the "Hinton family" and the Launceston owner ?

Andy Lloyd

[anthony81901]

Dick Johnson Racing built 6 Sierras. The first 2 were built for the
start of the 87 ATCC, DJR 1 a RHD car driven by Johnson and DJR 2 a LHD car driven by Gregg Hansford. For the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000, Calder 500 and Wellington 500 Johnson and Hansford were paired in the DJR 1 car with Neville Crichton and Charlie O'Brien in DJR 2 at the Australian rounds and Crichton and team manager Neal Lowe at Wellington. Although following the failure of their own car before the race Johnson and Hansford ended up sharing DJR 2 with Crichton at Sandown. DJR 2 wasn't raced by DJR after 87 and was sold at some point to Robb Gravett.

DJR1 was raced by John Bowe in the 88 ATCC and by John Smith and Alfie Costanzo at the Sandown 500. The pair were due to share the car at Bathurst, but following the early demise of the other 2 cars, Bowe and Johnson commandeered the car from Smith after the 1st stint and the car eventually finished, albeit a distant, second. It too was then sold to Robb Gravett.

DJR3 was built up for Johnson at the beginning of 88. After winning the ATCC this car was air freighted over to the UK for Johnson and Bowe to race at the Silverstone TT. It was then freighted back for Bathurst appearing as the # 28 Robb Gravett / Neville Crichton car, although it was driven off the line by Bowe but died during the 1st stint.

DJR 4 was debuted at the 88 Sandown 500 by Johnson and Bowe who again raced it at Bathurst. For the 89 ATCC DJR3 was raced by Bowe, DJR4 by Johnson.

DJR 5 was debuted at the 89 Sandown 500 by Johnson and Bowe who also it used at Bathurst. DJR4 was raced by Jeff Allam and Gravett. For the 90 ATCC DJR 4 was raced by Bowe and DJR 5 by Johnson. DJR 3 was sold to Ray Lintott and raced in the 90 ATCC in Valvoline colours as # 12.

DJR 6 was debuted at the 90 Sandown 500 by Johnson and Bowe who also raced it at Bathurst. DJR 5 was raced by Allam and Paul Radisich, while DJR 4 was the spare and used during the opening day of practice, being raced later that year at the Eastern Creek 500 and Wellington 500 by Johnson and Bowe.

Johnson stayed with DJR 5 for the 91 ATCC, while Bowe raced DJR 6 for the 1st few races while DJR 4 was refurbished. At Bathurst DJR entered all 3 of its Sierras, DJR 6 for Johnson and Bowe, DJR 5 for Radisich and Terry Shiel and DJR 4 which had been sold to Mark Petch, but as part of the agreement was run by DJR as # 19 with Kiwis Kayne Scott and Gregg Taylor. DJR 3 was also raced by Lintott and Tony Scott. DJR 4 was entered by Mark Petch Motorsport in the Wellington and Pukehoke 500s but driven by Johnson and Bowe.

For the 92 ATCC Bowe raced DJR 5 and Johnson DJR 6. For Sandown and Bathurst Johnson and Bowe teamed in DJR 5, with Shiel and Greg Crick racing DJR 6. The last DJR Sierra appearance was by Bowe at the Adelaide Grand Prix in DJR 5 in November 92.

As mentioned DJR 4 was sold to New Zealand and I think converted to a Sports Sedan, DJR 5 the 89 Bathurst winner and 90 and 92 runner up was retained by DJR and appeared on track at the Melbourne Grand Prix a year or two ago. One of the others was being raced as a Sports Sedan in Shell colours in the mid 90's.

Most of my information is sourced from the Great Race Annual book. Each DJR Sierra could be identified by the location of the front tow hook, no 2 had it in the same place.

[racer2_uk]

hI Anthony, thanks very much for the most comprehensive piece of history I have seen on the DJR sierra's.

Thanks again.

Andy Lloyd

[presto]

Hi Guys/Gals,

A small correction that I should add to Anthony's excellent summary... the last appearance in '92 of a Shell sierra was car #18, not sure of chassis #, winning the Nissan/Mobil series in NZ driven by Paul Radisich and myself. We placed 2nd in Wellington and 3rd in Pukekhoe.

DJ and JB drove the new for '93 #17 V8 Supercar Shell Falcon. JB crashed it at Wellington badly enough that it wasn't repairable for the Pukekhoe event.

Cheers!

Mike Preston

[pete55]

Well there's a name from the past. I always wondered why you didn't continue in the sport Michael. I used to love seeing you punt that VL Commodore around, especially at Amaroo.

[Group'C']

Welcome aboard Mike

How did you come to get the drive in the DJR car? Did it cost you?

and you were a treat to watch in those production cars

[mixxer]

Hey Pesto (sorry couldnt resist)
Was the Waldock,Preston sierra a DJR unit

[presto]

Hi Guys,

Pete55 - in my heart I've never left the sport - I just don't have a drive anymore! Like a lot of other young guys trying to break through in the early 90's, money or the lack of was my biggest problem. Sadly those were the days when we had as few as 12 touring cars on the grid, the Australian economy was through the floor, and $'s for motor racing mostly came from the ciggie companies or those with rich dads. Also the idea of taking on a young guy back then was considered only for the mentally deranged - luckily for the new generation that idea is out the window.

Group C - the drive in NZ came about through Ross Stone. When I got a break to get into Group A with the Playscape Team in 1990, Ross was the team manager, Campbell Little was our engine builder, and Phil Curtis was one of our mechanics - there's some current day "big" names! We placed 3rd at Sandown and 6th at Bathurst in my rookie year.

Ross was subsequently poached by DJR to be their team manager at the end of '91 due to the speed and reliability of the Playscape sierra (remember DJR used to have "real" Lowe as team manager... well he was good at self-promotion).

I nearly got the drive in the 2nd Shell sierra at Sandown/Bathurst in '92 to partner Terry Shiel. Four of us had a tryout at Lakeside to get a "free" drive but without any pay offered; myself, Mark Larkham, Terry Bosnjack and Greg Crick. The criteria was you had to be the quickest/most impressive during the test day. I was the quickest but another driver offered sponsorship $'s (he was the 3rd quickest) and the then cash-strapped team went with him; he duly wrote-off the car at Bathurst...

Six weeks later Ross called me up and asked me if I'd like to do the NZ series with them - naturally I jumped at the offer - and as luck would have it we were fortunate enough to win the series, in my 3rd and 4th Group A drives.

Mixxer - no, the Playscape car wasn't a DJR sierra, it was built from scratch as a customer car by Ross and Jimmy Stone, etc back when they used to run Andy Miedecke in '89. That team subsequently became the Playscape team in '90.

There are some people around here with long memories - I ran the VL turbo back in '87 + '88! and my last race was Bathurst '94 Thanks for the mentions guys!!

Cheers!
Mike

[Group'C']

Thaks for that info Mike, it makes a good read.


Those Stone boys have put some good cars together (even if they are Fords) over the years ,and there still doing it.

[mixxer]

Thanks for the answer Mike, running 6th at Bathurst that year was a good effort, was that the year Kevin got Hewson as a wheel changer

[pete55]

Michael, have you thought of having a bit of fun in something like Aussie Racing Cars or Historic Tourers. You might even get to drive a Sierra again as there are still a few of them around.

[Camaroz]

Originally Posted by racer2_uk

Hi Guys, thanks for info, I am steadily building up the history, does anybody know how I can contact the "Hinton family" and the Launceston owner ?

Andy Lloyd

Andy,

Gary Hinton - hintonplastering@bigpond.com

Cheers.

[GTRMagic]

Does Mr Hinton still have his VL Commodore turbo once used in production cars??

A recent article in MRA talked about the VL turbos, and some of the modifications the scruitineers didnt like all that much... this car had more than a few of them from memory....

[pete55]

I remember the race at Calder when the Hinton machine was an absolute rocket. I think it was disqualified after that race.