AC/DC Singer Wants Highway to V8 Heaven

February 5, 2011

AC/DC front man Brian Johnson could be banging doorhandles with V8 Supercar stars Craig Lowndes and James Courtney later this year.

The 63-year-old rocker and lead singer of one of the world's biggest rock band is understood to be in discussions with V8 Supercars heavyweights about a possible one-off drive that would see him line up on the grid of Australia's largest motor racing series.

It's not yet known whether Johnson, a former paratrooper, would race a Ford or Holden. He will first have to prove himself in a V8 Supercar before he is allowed to race.

If the main V8 race is too tough for the rocker - whose car collection includes Ferraris, Rolls-Royces and an Audi R8 - a fallback would be a chance to race in the V8 ute event that uses roadgoing Ford and Holdens.

Car racing is not new to the rock star; he was the fastest celebrity around Top Gear's track in 2009 and is an accomplished racer in his adopted America, winning races in his Le Mans race car and other sports cars. He already has commitments to race this year at Le Mans, Silverstone, Goodwood and Daytona.

He has tested a 300km/h-plus Nascar and even a formula one car and has previously admitted that, as a child, he would have preferred to have been an F1 champion than a singer.

Johnson has also had training from the likes of F1 star David Coulthard.

"I didn't really think he was serious but late last year [Coulthard and I] were talking about race series I could do. Australian V8 Supercars came up all that I said I'd love to have a shot in one of them, just to try it," Johnson wrote in a column in today's Drive liftout.

"I love the atmosphere with the audience in the rock concerts. Translate that audience to the race track. It would be amazing."

He said racing in front of AC/DC's home crowd is a big part of the attraction.

"With the band's standing in Australia, it's always nice to know there might be a few people who might come along to see it, but who knows they might just come to see me make a twit of myself."

Johnson also shuns any suggestion it's purely a publicity stunt, saying that, given the opportunity, he'd take it seriously.

"I'd like to think I could [qualify]," he said. "I'd certainly give it my best. I certainly wouldn't shy away from it and I'm not timid when it comes to getting behind the wheel of a car. I like to do it properly."

If he was to race in Australia it would likely spawn a TV show, possibly produced in 3D.

Source: Walcha News