JETT Johnson is not fooled by his 2023 end-of-season ranking and he’s out to make amends now.
On paper, beating highly rated Cameron McLeod to be Super3 runner-up seems like a stellar outcome for his first season in a Supercar.
But the truth is Johnson finished last year a little off the pace and he knows it.
“Last year I don’t think I performed how I should have, but it is what it is; I still took a lot away from the year,” the third-generation driver told V8 Sleuth.
Individual and team preparation have been cited as factors which held him back; they will no longer, with the 18-year-old hungry to make the most of his Super2 graduation with AIM Motorsport.
That will come in an ex-Tickford Racing Gen2 Mustang under the guidance of ‘Lap of the Gods’ engineer Erik Pender, starting with practice today at Bathurst.
“I can’t wait to get into it and show everyone what I’m made of,” said Johnson.
“My number one goal is to keep out of the fence, to be completely honest.
“But same as last year, I just want to take as much away from this year as I can and slowly make steps forward again and try to build my craft. I’ve experienced all the tracks we’re going to, so give it a little bit of a bigger crack this year.”
Stepping out into an external three-car team, there is a sense of wanting to forge his own path.
“The biggest thing that I’m focusing on with what I’m doing is making a name for myself, not having I guess everything handed down from Dad and granddad,” Johnson continued.
“I want to forge my own path a little bit and try to make things work myself.
“But obviously having the help from Dad and granddad and them always pushing me as hard as they can to do my very best is also unreal.”
Practice 1 for the Dunlop Series at Bathurst is due to commence this morning at 9am local/AEDT.
