Now, the event is a must win, blue ribbon event on the calendar and this weekend as part of the opening nights of the “Festival of Sprintcars’ the pocket rockets will race for the honour of being the JA Classic Champion.
A stalwart of the Formula 500 divisions for many decades, including actively racing for fifty years, Johnny has accomplished it all, piloting the famous #94 all over the country with much success.
Inducted into the Speedway Australia Hall of Fame in 2016, he was the first West Australian to win an Australian title in any car division, claiming the 1973/74, 1974/75 and 1976/77 Formula 500 (TQ) Championships.
He also claimed the WA Title on six occasions, his first in 1967/68 and his last in the 1979/80 season. This on top of three second places and five third places over an ever larger period, gives him fourteen podiums across thirty one years.
Johnny is one of the all-time greats at Claremont Speedway, grabbing sixty seven feature races at the venue between 1958 and 1994, more than double the next best of 31. He raced all over the country notching up countless feature wins, and when Claremont closed he continued to compete at the Perth Motorplex where he won a total of two features, as well as claiming a Track Championship at the age of 63.
Although now retired from racing, Johnny has continued to actively serve on the Formula 500’s WA Inc committee and is still the Chief Scrutineer for the club, a position he has enjoyed for many years now, but this alone is not why we continue to honour Johnny.
Back in his heyday, Johnny was still working hard behind the scenes, often seen wandering around helping others a majority of the time for little or no charge. He always tried to keep guys out there racing for the good of the division, rather than looking at what was best for himself.
He builds engines, successful ones.
Assisted travelling racers.
Even worked on the grader at tracks like Bibra Lake.
He is a long-time club person for both Formula 500’s WA and other associations, the role of scrutineer one he still plays today. The go to man for technical advice, scrutineering and a stalwart of the division.
So yes, his on-track achievements made him Hall of Fame worthy.
But his efforts off track make him a legend of a man.
A gentleman.
And that is why, for the fourth time, we honour him this weekend with the Johnny Andersson Classic.
JA Classic Winners
2020/21 Matt Brown
2021/22 Thomas Davies
2022/23 Dylan Beveridge (Tas)
2023/24 Cody Turacchio
2024/25 ?????
Don’t forget to grab your tickets to this weekends Barbagallo Australian Mr. Sprintcar Nationals! Featuring the Johnny Andersson Formula 500 Classic
