By TOM STAHLER
Editor’s note: This story was published in Turnology in 2017. Billy Johnson is a Brand Ambassador for Grand Prix Originals USA and will be driving an AMG GT this weekend during the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Let’s face it, nothing is easy. Success in life is difficult at best. Success in racing is even more difficult, with many added adverse factors playing into the mix. Many realize, and I have written at length about the “Lucky Sperm Club” that exists for nature and racing’s chosen few. But for others, sometimes hard work, winning races — and being in the right place at the right time — can actually play out to one’s advantage. Billy Johnson, an American factory Ford GT World Endurance Championship (WEC) driver, racing in the LeMans 24, is pleasantly, one of those success stories, giving hope to those with personality and talent — that they having a fighting chance to move up.
Making his debut as a Ford factory driver in last year’s 24 — which was also Ford’s 50th Anniversary of participating in the legendary endurance race — they almost won it — but for a “back lit” number panel on the car. “We were in car #66 and finished finished fourth. It would have been historic 1,2,3 on the podium for Ford’s 50th Anniversary, had we not had to serve a penalty — despite Ferrari didn’t serve theirs. Had we not served the penalty, we would have been at the front battling with car 68 for the win.”
The issue was a light panel, displaying the car number. “According to the FIA rulebook, you have to have all your lights on your car working. There is a panel on the side of the car that is back lit for the car number. One of our panels went out. It did not make the car unsafe. The FIA required us to come in and repair it, which put us down two laps.”
The disappointment of this particular foul has not damaged the 30-year-old racer’s resolve. If it is any indicator, at the last WEC race at Silverstone in England, his car and team scored a 2nd place, and stood on the podium. Billy is very happy to be running in 2017 with the same trio of drivers from last year. The #66 Ford tribe includes Johnson, German Stefan Mücke, and Frenchman Olivier Pla. “We all have similar driving preferences and the way we want the car. This is rare, but we all have a strong connection and friendship. Its a great team to be driving with.”
(Above) 2017 World Endurance Championship
Spa Francorchamps, Belgium
3rd – 6th May 2017
Photo: Drew Gibson
One can truly say he belongs there and has merit to be there. In the past 10 years, Billy has more victories and top-3 podium finishes than any driver in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) Series with 23 wins, 49 podiums, and 60 top five finishes. The GT ride came through racing and winning a championship with Multimatic Racing’s Mustang program. Multimatic is also the development team behind the street and racing programs for Ford in both GT and Mustang.
(Above) 2016 World Endurance Championship
Prologue
24th – 26th March 2016
Paul Ricard, France
Photo: Drew Gibson
Billy has even been a serious contender in the NASCAR Xfinity series too. He falls into a class of driver, termed by NASCAR aficionados, as a “road course-ringer”. He drove for Roush Fenway Racing in the Ford Mustang and challenged for wins at Montreal and Road America. Billy also made his NASCAR oval debut, in the #16 Boston Strong Mustang, at Loudon, NH, where he finished an impressive 15th place on the lead lap.
Billy Johnson, originally from Torrance, California — now residing in Florida — started racing in 2000 at the age of 13 in go-karts. Since, he has won numerous championships at the local, regional, and national level. By 2003, Billy had moved up the ladder to cars and won the Skip Barber Racing School scholarship. Simultaneously, Johnson won another scholarship from BMW AG for the inaugural season of the Formula BMW USA championship in Europe. Competing in a very competitive field in 2004, the hot shoe finished 5th in the Formula BMW championship and was awarded Sportsman of the Year.
Johnson’s mother is Japanese. He reasons with that DNA, he had always been attracted to tuner cars and Ford has just grown that interest. “I love tuning cars and have an import tuning background. I was really surprised, when I moved over to Ford, how much market support there is for the Mustang. It is easily, hands down, the most modified and personalized car in history. There is so much aftermarket support for the car that its right up my alley. There are also the Focus ST and RS and the Fiesta ST, which are essentially factory tuner cars coming from a domestic brand. This all caters to the background of what I grew up with, doing Time Attack events, tuning, and modifying cars.”
