Heinrich hunts down Johnson to maiden 2024 win

Joel Heinrich has opened his account for the 2024 Touring Car Masters season by hunting down Steven Johnson in an impressive performance in the penultimate race at Bathurst.

The 16 minute, time certain race produced plenty of action with Johnson leading early but Heinrich was on the charge.

The Camaro caught the Mustang on lap 4 and pulled off a smart move going down Mountain Straight.

Johnson only just kept hold of second, resisting a late charge from Adam Garwood, while Ryan Hansford came from the back to claim fifth.

The race started with no Angus Fogg who was out with pre-race engine issues.

Johnson held the inside line to take the lead as Garwood and Heinrich went side by side up the mountain straight for second.

They kept racing door to door all the way until the Cutting where Heinrich finally got by and importantly kept Johnson within a second across the opening lap.

Hanford was the big mover, recovering from his Saturday morning puncture and going up three spots from 14th to 11th.

He crept into the top 10 after passing John Adams at Hell Corner where the latter had a moment losing the rear on corner exit and kissing the grass.

On the second lap Zukanovic made a smart move on the Buzadzic Torana at the Chase during their tight battle for sixth after the Trophy Race winner got unsettled on the fast right-handed knick.

By the start of lap 4 Heinrich had caught Johnson to set up a fascinating battle for the lead.

Heinrich pulled out of Johnson’s slipstream up Mountain Straight and made a clean move at Griffins Bend to snatch the lead.

The Camaro’s pace kept escalating as the #95 was more than a second ahead by the end of the lap.

Meanwhile there was a tight tussle between two Toranas for seventh as Hansford had caught Buzadzic and got on the exit of the Chase.

The Multispares Racing car then shot to sixth when Zukanovic bowled a wide at Hell Corner.

By lap 6 Johnson had dropped 3s to Heinrich and was now battling to keep hold of second with Garwood all over the back of the Mustang.

Despite Garwood having the odd look over the top of the Mountain, the VB Commodore lost a second on the run down which released the pressure on Johnson.

Hansford did not stop his charge and made a late move on Cameron Tilley around the outside of the Valiant at both Murrays and Hell Corner to steal fifth.

The fight for second reignited on the final lap when Garwood got a good run down Conrod Straight in the slipstream of Johnson.

He pulled out to attempt a brave move around the outside of the Chase.

Garwood hung tough at the heavy braking zone, clipping the grass to make a dive down the inside but could quite get up far enough.

The final race of the Touring Car Masters season is at 10.45 AEDT Sunday morning.

Image by James Smith Photographer

Touring Car Masters race 3 results

2024 Bathurst 500 Supercars schedule

Friday, February 23

Practice 1: 1: B. Feeney 2: N. Percat 3: W. Brown

Practice 2: 1: W. Brown 2: T. Hazelwood 3: B. Feeney

Saturday, February 24

Qualifying: 10.20

Top 10 Shootout: 13.05

Race 1 (40 laps): 16.10

Sunday, February 25

Qualifying: 09.30

Top 10 Shootout: 12.05

Race 2 (40 laps): 15.05

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