 Initially he competing in small touring cars including Ford Escorts and Capris before joining Toyota Team Australia and driving their factory supported Toyota Corolla touring cars.After engine capacity classes were discontinued in the Australian Touring Car Championship, Faulkner moved into Superspeedway racing, establishing John Faulkner Racing to compete in the AUSCAR and Australian NASCAR series, contested mainly at the Calder Park Thunderdome.As NASCAR declined in Australia, Faulkner returned to the Australian Touring Car Championship partway through 1996, and was a surprise starter in the 1996 Bathurst 1000, competing with an ex-Holden Racing Team Holden Commodore, before later constructing his own Holdens.