Steve Johnson took Tania Sherley for the ride of her life at Queensland Raceway yesterday
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6:00 AM Wed 24 August, 2011
Source: BigPond Sport
Jim Beam Racing’s Steve Johnson is chasing his dream of an endurance victory, but yesterday he took time out to fulfil someone else’s dream.
Johnson and the Jim Beam Racing crew turned Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus sufferer Tania Sherley’s dream into reality with some hot laps at Queensland Raceway in the #17 Jim Beam Racing Falcon.
Sherley is wheelchair-bound and Dick Johnson said he was lucky to share the experience with such an inspiration woman.
“Tania has been dealt an unlucky hand in life, with a congenital birth defect and heart condition; disabilities which have prevented her physical involvement with the family passion of motor racing,” said the three-time Bathurst winner.
“To be involved with someone so positive and so determined to chase her dreams is an honour for DJR.”
Tania is one of many ‘Campaigners’ – a team of followers who have joined 100 Things entrepreneur, Sebastian Terry in his quest to live life to the fullest.
Inspired by a close friend’s premature death, Terry has undertaken a quest to fulfil 100 things he wants to achieve in his lifetime and shares his adventures on his popular website www.100things.com.au.
“I live with the mentality that anything is possible and dreams are worth chasing. Hot laps in a competing V8 Supercar is my life dream come true,” said Sherley.
Steve Johnson stood on the Bathurst podium in 2007 with then-teammate Will Davison, and he told BigPond Sport that an endurance race victory would be high on his list of ‘100 things to do’.
The 36-year old is teaming up with David Besnard for the Phillip Island and Bathurst endurance races, and he says he couldn’t ask for a better co-driver.
“David has done a lot of enduros, he’s a fast driver and last year he showed a lot of maturity when he raced with Lee Holdsworth,” Johnson told BigPond Sport.
“We are close mates and for years we talked about one day driving together at Bathurst. I wouldn’t want to hold him back from securing a full-time drive but I would love to lock him in as my co-driver for years to come.”
“There’s no doubt that Triple Eight will be strong at the endurance races, but they showed on the weekend that any team can make mistakes.
“We have the outright speed and the reliability, so we just need a mistake-free day and a bit of luck when we get to Phillip Island and Bathurst.”
The Season of Endurance begins with the L&H 500 Phillip Island from September 16-18, followed by the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 from October 6-9.
