VALE John Walker: Aussie Open-Wheeler Ace

John – Johnnie or JW – Walker, the 1979 Australian Grand Prix and Gold Star winner died of multiple health issues in Adelaide last Monday, aged 80 (September 27, 1943-May 6, 2024).

In his later years he lived quietly at Thompson Beach, 70km north of Adelaide.

Walker hadn’t quite realised his immense potential as he decided to sell his car and retire from racing when Magnum Wheels owner, Martin Sampson, threw him a lifeline, a fully sponsored ride in his Lola T332 Chev F5000 and later a Porsche 934.  

While the planets hadn’t quite aligned with strong second placings in the 1973 and 1975 Gold Star championships, and in the 1975 Tasman Cup, everything finally came together in 1979. 

Walker won a thriller of an AGP at Wanneroo Park, driving back through the field after an early pitstop as a consequence of the first corner collision between Alf Costanzo and Larry Perkins. Third and second placings at Oran Park and Sandown bagged him the Gold Star from John Bowe. Having realised his goals in a career that commenced aboard an FE Holden way back in 1960, JW announced his retirement.

Somewhat inevitably, the Holden FE was replaced with an Elfin Catalina Formula Junior, Garrie Cooper’s business was just across town. It was the first in a succession of Elfins that took him all the way to Australian National F1. 

Johnnie scored his first Gold Star points in an Elfin Mono in 1965, later finishing second in the in the 1970 F2 Championship in a 600B. His cars were self-run, with the help of some friends and limited support from Gilbert Motor Bodies, Johnnie’s father’s (Howard aka Chalky) business for whom he worked.

Walker stepped up to ANF1-F5000 in 1972, purchasing an Elfin MR5 Repco-Holden then showed the best in the country what he was capable of, finishing fourth in the Adelaide International, final 1972 Tasman round.

Colin Bond with JW at Adelaide International in 1975. Photo: John Lemm

JW had a tricky conversation with Garrie Cooper in June when he switched to a Matich A50! He planned to race in the US F5000 Championship and Frank Matich’s machine was quicker and fully compliant with their regulations. 

After finishing fourth in the Gold Star, and with three point-scoring finishes in three of the four Australian ’73 Tasman rounds he contested, Walker chanced his hand in the US L&M Championship against the best in the world including Jody Scheckter, Brian Redman, Mark Donohue and Peter Gethin.

In a limited campaign, a pair of Top-Ten finishes at Michigan and Watkins Glen covered his costs of $A5,000 and more importantly convinced him he had-what-it-takes. 

By the time Johnnie fronted up for the Australian Grand Prix at Sandown in November his Repco-Holden V8 was fitted to the new Lola T330 he had ordered from Carl Haas before leaving the ‘States.

With a ducks-guts car and plenty of fresh confident authority in his driving, JW was second on the grid and third in the race behind Graham McRae – one of the global F5000 aces of the day – and John McCormack.

From then Walker was always on-the-pace: equal fourth in the 1974 Tasman, winning the Levin round before his Gold Star campaign was scuttled after a Surfers Paradise crash required time-out to rebuild the car around an expensive new chassis.

The updated Lola T332 Repco-Holden that emerged from Gilberts’ race-shop was one of the most competitive 1975 Tasman cars. JW went into the final round at Sandown in a winner-takes-all-battle with Warwick Brown and Graeme Lawrence. 

Walker’s horrific Sandown smash in 1975 could easily have been his last. The horse-rails are solid timber, that top metal bit is the watering system, Lola T332 Repco-Holden. Photo: Robert Davies

John bagged pole powered by Don Halpin’s best ever 520bhp Repco-Holden and then had a still inexplicable 150mph first-lap crash towards the top of Sandown’s back-straight, through the horse-racing fencing…he ‘walked away’ from a prang that could well have taken his life.

While always an open-wheeler man, Walker was offered touring car drives, first competing at Bathurst in a Ford Falcon GTHO Phase 2 in 1970. 

As one of the country’s best, and using a Holden based engine, he attracted the Holden Dealer Team’s attention, doing a one-year deal with Harry Firth, and GM’s Joe Felice to prepare and run an HDT Torana L34 out of Adelaide in local and some national events throughout 1975. 

Colin Bond and Walker finished third in the 1975 Bathurst 1000, John’s best result in four appearances on The Mountain. His final Bathurst run in 1978 was aboard an A9X owned by Warren Cullen but prepared by the Walker team.

Walker’s own business career commenced with the purchase of an existing panel shop which was renamed John Walker Panels in 1974. John’s son, Luke took it over upon JW’s retirement.

Racer, Rob Newman was apprenticed to Walker circa 1975, he and JW prepared the victorious Lola T332 throughout 1978-79. “He was a really tough boss! Everything had to be done properly, perfectly, all of my early lessons stood me in good stead throughout my life.”

“He wasn’t the kind of guy to put his arm around you, and say ‘Well done’, but he passed a couple of cars under brakes on foot getting to me to make sure I was alright, when I rolled my Elfin NG at Mallala one time! And then said, ‘In you get,’ when I had my first Cheetah Mk7 F2 drive an hour or so later. John was an indescribable part of my life, a friend and mentor for over 50 years.”

Auto Action offer our best wishes and condolences to John Walker’s family and legion of friends, fans and supporters.

John’s funeral/celebration of life is being held at the Sporting Car Club, 51 King William Street, Unley, Adelaide this Saturday, 11 May at 10.30am. All welcome. 

Main image is Walker and Lola T330 Repco-Holden flying into Southern Loop at Phillip Island during the October 1973 Gold Star round. Photographer Alan Radley

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