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JOHNSON SEALS TOP END FOUR-PEAT
STEVEN JOHNSON has claimed his own slice of Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters history sweeping round four of the championship at Hidden Valley to become the first driver to win four consecutive rounds at the same venue.
The WM Waste Management Ford Mustang driver claimed the Shannons Thunder in the Valley event with a strong performance across the eleventh and twelfth races of the season to win the Darwin event for the fourth straight year.
Johnson won race 11 of the year on Sunday morning and then followed Bowe home in the finale’ to take the round overall with Chevrolet Camaro driver Adam Bressington second overall and Bowe third.
It’s the first time any driver has won four consecutive rounds at any venue currently or previously on the TCM schedule.
It also ensures Johnson – the defending champion – takes a handy points lead into the next round of the series in Townsville later in July.
Competition was thick throughout the field with Ian Woodward wining his first ProSports round in his FatAz Racing Camaro Leo Tobin and Jim Pollicina completing the class podium.
Bruce Williams meanwhile capped off a strong weekend by taking the ProAm class victory aboard the AC Delco Torana.
Andrew Fisher and Cameron Tilley completed the podium while Johnson’s ProMasters victory came ahead of Adam Bressington and John Bowe.
Johnson won race 11 of the series with a measured drive to win early on Sunday afternoon while Bowe stormed to second place between his old rival.
A storming first corner pass saw Bowe third half-way through the opening lap before he quickly passed Adam Bressington for second.
He gradually closed the margin to Johnson in the closing laps however was unable to really challenge the eventual winner.
Nevertheless it was a superb comeback drive from the former champion after damage on Saturday limited him to a finish further down the field – and a late night repair for his team.
Bressington finished third while Jim Richards was fourth to continue his strong weekend.
Mark King was a superb fifth working his way through the field after damage yesterday.
King was part of a multi-car battle that included Andrew Fisher Jason Gomersall Bruce Williams Cameron Tilley and Ian Woodward.
A particular highlight was Williams passing Woodward in an exchange that lasted several corners of clean hard TCM racing.
Race 12 saw Johnson and Bowe lead the field into the first corner Bowe again committing to the outside and grabbing the lead away from Johnson.
He pushed hard early in the race to establish a handy if narrow margin and ultimately edged away to win by just under eight seconds.
Johnson finished a safe second in the knowledge that he didn’t need to win the race to take the overall round trophy.
Bressington finished third after he passed Jim Richards for the position late in the race.
The Touring Car legend had held the top three spot for the opening laps but the slightest of moments at turn one saw Bressington and his Camaro driving teammate Mark King pounce late in the race.
Behind Richards Jason Gomersall Andrew Fisher Bruce Williams Cameron Tilley and Ian Woodward completed the top-10 in the final race of the weekend.
Having trailed Bowe by five points coming into the weekend Johnson now takes a 21-point series lead into the next round of the series to be held for the first time alongside the Watpac Townsville 400 in early July.
Adam Bressington moves to third while Cameron Tilley is fourth and also leads the ProAm standings.
Leo Tobin holds a small lead over Jim Pollicina in the ProSports standings ahead of the Townsville event.
OUTRIGHT STANDINGS – (After 4 of 8 Rounds)
- Steven Johnson 804
- John Bowe 783
- Adam Bressington 647
- Cameron Tilley 615
- Jason Gomersall 600
- Mark King 532
- Leo Tobin 462
- Ryan Hansford 442
- Jim Pollicina 426
- Andrew Fisher 403
RACE 11 RESULTS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 17 WM Waste/Illusion Gas Log Fire Steve Johnson (QLD) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5800 10 12:26.0794 2 1:13.2546R2 18 Wilson Security/PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5000 10 12:26.5080 2 1:13.7591 3 95 Whiteline Racing/Fabre Austral Adam Bressington (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 10 12:35.5916 2 1:14.4329 4 2 SHANNONS Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) Ford Falcon Sprint 5000 10 12:38.4181 5 1:14.9834 5 85 Whiteline Racing/King Springs Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 10 12:40.3619 9 1:14.7234 6 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher (NSW) Ford Falcon XY GT HO 5800 10 12:41.6504 4 1:14.5759 7 35 Bigmate Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 12:41.6947 7 1:14.5864 8 5 ACDelco Bruce Williams (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5000 10 12:48.9875 2 1:15.3765 9 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) Valiant Pacer 4390 10 12:49.4447 4 1:15.5317 10 69 Fataz Competition Engines Ian Woodward (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 10 12:52.0935 9 1:15.9129 11 88 TIFS-Warehousing & Distributio Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 10 12:56.3795 4 1:15.6823 12 27 MOCOMM Motorsport Communicatio Jim Policina (NSW) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 12:58.8800 2 1:15.2266 13 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) Ford Boss Mustang 5000 10 13:26.8123 4 1:15.5990 DNF 97 Johns Furniture Removals Allen Boughen (QLD) Mercury Comet 4736 6 12:46.9191 4 1:16.9723 DNF 3 Lake Macquarie Sheet Metal/Tor Cameron Mason (NSW) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5000 2 2:36.9638 2 1:15.3811 DNF 99 Balmain Coffee Company Ben Dunn (NSW) Chevrolet Monza 2 + 6000 2 2:42.9143 2 1:16.5449
RACE 12 RESULTS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Pos Car Competitor/Team Driver Vehicle Cap CL Laps Race.Time Fastest...Lap1 18 Wilson Security/PAYCE John Bowe (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5000 10 12:29.9302 2 1:13.9488*2 17 WM Waste/Illusion Gas Log Fire Steve Johnson (QLD) Ford Mustang Fastbac 5800 10 12:37.8918 2 1:14.4036 3 95 Whiteline Racing/Fabre Austral Adam Bressington (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 10 12:39.2701 7 1:14.8357 4 85 Whiteline Racing/King Springs Mark King (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro RS 5800 10 12:39.9317 7 1:14.8125 5 2 SHANNONS Insurance Jim Richards (VIC) Ford Falcon Sprint 5000 10 12:41.8748 2 1:15.1401 6 35 Bigmate Racing Jason Gomersall (QLD) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 12:42.2494 4 1:14.8333 7 9 Jesus Racing Andrew Fisher (NSW) Ford Falcon XY GT HO 5800 10 12:43.4027 2 1:15.0401 8 5 ACDelco Bruce Williams (VIC) Holden Torana SL/R 5 5000 10 12:44.1256 5 1:15.0346 9 60 Glennan Transport/ANGLOMOIL Lu Cameron Tilley (NSW) Valiant Pacer 4390 10 12:48.8238 6 1:15.6765 10 69 Fataz Competition Engines Ian Woodward (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro SS 5800 10 12:51.6439 2 1:15.5573 11 88 TIFS-Warehousing & Distributio Tony Karanfilovski (NSW) Ford Mustang Trans A 5800 10 12:52.4192 5 1:15.6597 12 46 THD Motorsport Leo Tobin (VIC) Ford Boss Mustang 5000 10 13:05.2715 3 1:16.5945 13 27 MOCOMM Motorsport Communicatio Jim Policina (NSW) Holden Torana A9X 5000 10 13:35.4782 2 1:15.5663 DNF 97 Johns Furniture Removals Allen Boughen (QLD) Mercury Comet 4736 4 8:30.4084 3 1:17.8348