John French (racing driver) explained

John French (born 28 November 1930) is an Australian retired racing driver.

French was born in Millaa Millaa, Queensland,[1] and his long career lasted from the 1960s to the early 1980s. He won the 1962 Australian GT Championship driving a Centaur-Waggott and in 1969 French paired with Allan Moffat to win the Sandown Three Hour race in a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase I. French was well known multi-franchise car dealer selling BMC vehicles, Alfa Romeo, Renault, Peugeot and Subaru in Brisbane. Many of the marques he sold featured prominently in his professional racing career.

Nationally however he is best remembered as Dick Johnson's co-driver to win the crash-shortened 1981 Bathurst 1000 (French was driving the #17 Ford XD Falcon when the race was stopped, but wasn't one of the cars in the accident).[2] He regularly drove the works Ford Falcon GTHO's alongside Allan Moffat, and also drove Moffat's and Ian Geoghegan's Improved Production Ford Falcon GTHOs in the Australian Touring Car Championship rounds when Moffat and Geoghegan were driving their Mustangs.

Career results

SeasonSeriesPositionCarEntrant
1962Australian GT Championship1stCentaur WaggottGP Cars Racing Team
1964Australian Touring Car Championship8thMorris Cooper SPeter Uscinski P/L
1966Australian Touring Car Championship6thMorris Cooper SJ. French
1967Australian Touring Car Championship8thMorris Cooper SJ. French
1969Australian Touring Car Championship10thAlfa Romeo 1750 GTVAlec Mildren Racing
1970Australian Touring Car Championship12thMorris Cooper SBritish Leyland Racing Team
1971Australian Touring Car Championship6thFord XY Falcon GTHO Phase IIIAllan Moffat Racing
Geoghegans Sporty Cars
1972South Pacific Touring Series10thFord Falcon GTHOFord Motor Company of Australia Ltd.
1972Australian Touring Car Championship23rdFord XY Falcon GTHO Phase IIIBryan Byrt Ford
1974Australian Touring Car Championship10thAlfa Romeo 2000 GTV
1975Australian Touring Car Championship9thAlfa Romeo 2000 GTVAlfa Romeo Dealers Aust.
1980Australian Touring Car Championship24thAlfa Romeo 2000 GTV
1982Australian Endurance ChampionshipNCFord XE FalconPalmer Tube Mills
1983Australian Endurance ChampionshipNCNissan Bluebird TurboNissan Motor Co. Australia P/L
1984Australian Endurance ChampionshipNCFord XE FalconPalmer Tube Mills
1985Australian Endurance ChampionshipNCHolden VK CommodoreAlf Grant
1986Australian Endurance ChampionshipNCHolden VK Commodore SS Group ADulux Auto Colour
1987World Touring Car ChampionshipNCMitsubishi Starion TurboRalliart Australia

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Phillip Island/Bathurst 500/1000 results

YearTeamCo-driversCarClassLapsOverall
position
Class
position
1960 Australian Motor Industries Norm BeecheyStandard VanguardD1625th2nd
1964 Ron Hodgson Motors Pty Ltd Ron HodgsonFord Cortina Mk.I GTC1275th4th
1965 BMC John HarveyMorris Cooper SC24DNFDNF
1966 BMC Australia Steve HarveyMorris Cooper SC1278th8th
1967 BMC Works Team Timo MäkinenMorris Cooper SC1277th3rd
1968 Alec Mildren (Qld) Frank GardnerAlfa Romeo 1750 GTVEDSQDSQ
1969 Alec Mildren Alfa Romeo Doug ChivasAlfa Romeo 1750 GTVE0DNFDNF
1971 Ford Motor Co of AustraliaFord XY Falcon GT-HO Phase IIIE1295th4th
1972 Bryan Byrt Ford Pty LtdFord XY Falcon GT-HO Phase IIID1292nd1st
1973 Bryan Byrt Ford Bob SkeltonFord XA Falcon GT HardtopD91DNFDNF
1974 John French Pty Ltd Dick JohnsonAlfa Romeo 2000 GTV1301 – 2000cc71DNFDNF
1978 Bryan Byrt Ford Warwick BrownFord XC Falcon GS500 HardtopA57DNFDNF
1979 Thompson Ford Colin BondFord XC Falcon GS500 HardtopA23DNFDNF
1980 Palmer Tube Mills Dick JohnsonFord XD Falcon3001-6000cc17DNFDNF
1981 Palmer Tube Mills Dick JohnsonFord XD Falcon8 Cylinder & Over1201st1st
1982 Palmer Tube Mills Dick JohnsonFord XE FalconA160DSQDSQ
1983 Nissan Motor Co. Australia P/L Fred GibsonNissan Bluebird TurboA13422nd20th
1984 Palmer Tube Mills Dick JohnsonFord XE FalconGroup C107DNFDNF
Dick JohnsonFord Mustang GTGroup A-DNSDNS
1985 Alf Grant Alf GrantHolden VK CommodoreC0DNFDNF
1986 Dulux Auto Colour Alf GrantHolden VK Commodore SS Group AC11DNFDNF
1987 Ralliart Australia Gary Scott
Akihiko Nakaya
Mitsubishi Starion Turbo11545th
(DND)*
4th
(DND)*

Notes and References

  1. Tuckey . Bill . 1984 . James Hardie 1000 . 4 . 335 . BFT Publishing Group Pty Ltd . 0811-546X .
  2. Web site: James Hardie 1000 Mount Panorama, Bathurst 4th October, 1981 . Unique Cars and Parts . 2010-01-17.