This stretch of the mountain road has seen its fair share of drama and spills, and no one knows this better than Dick Johnson. It was here that his dreams were shattered in 1980. After pouring all his finances into his quest for Bathurst glory, the then little-known Queenslander had been safely on his way to achieving his goal when fate intervened. After leading from the start, Johnson struck a large rock which had mysteriously made its way onto the track at exit of The Cutting, ending his Great Race challenge. Although it was initially suspected The Rock had been deliberately thrown onto the track, police later established it had simply fallen onto the circuit.

But fate worked both ways for Johnson that year. After seeing a teary interview from Pit Lane, viewers from around the country rallied together, donating money to help resurrect Johnson's career. With the aid of Henry Ford of the Ford Motor company, enough money was raised to allow Johnson to return the following year.