One of Australia’s greatest Supercar Drivers, Dick Johnson AM, has inducted five new members into the exclusive Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame today, including drag racing legend, Graham Withers.
The ceremony on the Tech stage at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix brought the number of inductees into the Hall of Fame over a period of 124 years to 93.
In announcing his induction, the Motorsport Australia Hall of Fame summed up Withers’ accomplishments as follows:
“Graham Withers is a three-time Australian Top Eliminator drag racing champion and was runner up on two other occasions. He pioneered drag racing, emulating his American hero Don Garlits.
Withers won his first national title in 1966 in a 1000hp rail dragster only three months after he entered the sport. The category was so new that it was only the second national title held.
Withers was regarded as fearless and escaped several high speed crashes, but went on to become recognised as Australian drag racing’s first full time professional.
His times by today’s standards seem slow but were groundbreaking back then. He claimed his second national title with a pass of 7.87 seconds.
His quest to become the first to crack 200mph (320km/h) was unsuccessful. His fastest achievement was 199.54mph. He crashed trying to find the extra speed.
Graham Withers became a motorsport components innovator. Many of his performance products were taken up the US market.”
Joining Withers in being inducted into the Hall of Fame today were the late Garrie Cooper, Australia’s most successful domestic race car constructor and a former national sports car champion; five-time Motocross Champion, Craig Dack; two-time Speedway Sportsman of the Year, Bill Barrows OAM; and the late Jack Ahearn, who was second in the 1964 World Motorcycle Championship.
Dick Johnson, already a Hall of Fame member, was also made a life time Motorsport Australia Member of Honour.
The stellar lineup of heroes was selected by a panel comprising each of the five disciplines of the sport: Motorsport Australia, Motorcycling Australia, Karting Australia, Speedway Australia and the Australian National Drag Racing Association.
The Hall of Fame concept was adopted in 2016 to honour the top tier of achievers and to inspire the next generation of competitors, administrators and volunteers.
Its membership is so exclusive that it accounts for less than one inductee per year since motorsport first began in Australia on 1 January 1900, the day Federation was declared.
The Australian National Drag Racing Association congratulates Withers and all of his fellow inductees on their induction today.
For more from ANDRA, visit www.andra.com.au