Following Ford's decision to withdraw financial backing from Dick Johnson's Jim Beam Racing last Thursday, the team has been inundated with messages of support and offers of assistance by well wishers across the nation.

Having been a partner of Ford for more than 35 years, Dick Johnson has been humbled and overwhelmed at the support Jim Beam Racing has received from the Australian public this week and assures his diehard fans that his team is here to stay.

"Positive messages have come from all areas; the amount of telephone calls, emails and messages of support has been truly amazing and quite humbling really," said Dick Johnson.

"We have a massive fan base that has been very loyal over the years, they have stuck by us many times and I would like to assure them that Jim Beam Racing is certainly going to be around for many years to come.

"This is just a minor set back and we have tremendous support from our current sponsors such as Jim Beam who have been amazing over the previous few years and will continue to be a major part of the team.

"We will sit back, re-assess everything that has taken place and make a business decision as to how we move forward towards a positive and successful future.

"We have a number of options in terms of how we structure the team for next year and will ensure we take steps in the right direction for sustained success in V8 Supercars," said Johnson.

With a home round coming up at Queensland Raceway from 18-20 July, the team is entirely focussed on turning it on for their home crowd.

"Queensland Raceway provides an opportunity to give something back to our fans and to the many businesses that have got behind us in the last week or so," said Jim Beam Racing Director Charlie Schewerkolt.

"There is no better way to repay the fans than to have Jim Beam Racing at the front of the field at Queensland Raceway."

Source:V8 Latest News