Johnnie Walker

Who is Johnnie Walker?

Johnnie Walker is a former Australian racing driver. Born in Adelaide, he first raced Holden FE's in the 1960s. After competing in the Australian Formula 2 Championship he graduated to Formula 5000 where he drove an Elfin MR5 and a Matich A50 before switching to the Lola marque in late 1973.

Walker finished second in 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 Park.

In 1975 he was highly competitive in the famous 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 Bathurst 1000 where they placed third in a Holden Torana SLR5000 L34.