Greens'-Tuf Livery Unveiled Ahead of 1000
Dick Johnson Racing has this morning unveiled a new generation V8 Supercar wrapped in the colours of old.
2013 marks 30 years since Johnson steered the Greens’-Tuf Ford Falcon XE around Mount Panorama and landed in the trees during qualifying.
While there wasn’t much left of that car, Johnson’s team managed to acquire another Falcon and rebuild and paint it as an exact replica of the machine crashed on the Saturday.
Now, another replica will race at this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Steered by young gun Chaz Mostert and Dunlop Series competitor Dale Wood, the FG has had a number change to align with the famous #17 – and was unveiled at the Mountain this morning.
Just 21 years of age, Mostert is ecstatic to represent the team and line up for his first main series Bathurst.
Speaking to v8supercars.com.au on the even of the unveil, Mostert hadn’t even seen the new look in the flesh – he is based in Melbourne, the team in Queensland – but was confident it would excite a few of the fans.
“Obviously we’ve got a new livery for this weekend, a bit of history with Dick Johnson Racing, so it’s fantastic to be a part of,” Mostert said.
“I can’t wait for the racing to start!”
He described the opportunity to steer #17 as pretty special.
“This is what made our sport V8 Supercars as we know it. The moment why this livery is so special was a pretty scary moment in racing history around Bathurst.
“It’s fantastic to be able to race this livery this weekend, 30 years on.”
Mostert has been keeping busy racing in the New Zealand V8 SuperTourers, so feels he hasn’t had much time to get caught in the hype of the upcoming 1000.
“Hopefully I’m fighting fit and looking sharp out there!
“There’s heaps of different emotions at the moment – I never knew as a young guy when I was watching Bathurst at a campsite with family friends of ours, that I’d be racing there one day in the main series, which is pretty cool.
“It gets a little bit nervous, it’s the biggest race I’ve ever been in, in my life distance-wise, and it’s one of the hardest tracks I’ve ever driven on as well, so there’s a lot of stuff to take in this weekend.
“I’m just really excited to get out there with the other guys and hopefully we can be up in the top 10 somewhere.”
Mostert praised co-driver Wood’s efforts at the Wilson Security Sandown 500, where the pair finished 14th despite a strong showing early in the weekend.
In fact, the young driver felt he let his teammate down, after landing a drive through penalty for speeding in pitlane, placing them back in the order.
“There’s no doubt we’ve got some good car speed happening at the moment, hopefully we can mirror-image Sandown going into Bathurst and we’ll see how we end up.
“Me personally, I’ve just got to try and limit my mistakes and hopefully we should be within the top 10.”
Mostert broke through for his first career win in his rookie season, at Queensland Raceway in July.
While he has raced at Mount Panorama in the Dunlop Series, he finished second in both races last season, behind Nick Percat who will take to the wheel alongside Holden Racing Team’s Garth Tander. Percat and Tander have previously been a winning combination at the circuit.
Click here to read the weekend’s Saturday Sleuthing article detailing the original Greens’-Tuf Falcon, and here to read team boss Dick Johnson’s comments when the revival of the paint scheme was announced.
