Johnson takes tense TCM opener

Just seven tenths covered the top three as Steven Johnson won a nail-biting opening Touring Car Masters championship race at Hidden Valley.

Johnson controlled the 12-lap race from pole, but it was far from easy with Joel Heinrich and Jude Bargwanna in his slipstream the entire journey.

The Hancock Racing Mustang held on to win by two tenths and defy the championship leader, while Eddie Austin took out the dramatic Commodore Cup.

It was a bright and early start for the Touring Car Masters with lights going out at 8.00 local time.

Johnson won the rolling start and snatched the lead from pole sitter Heinrich, who also had to hold off the aggressive Bargwanna.

The Duggan Family Racing driver enjoyed a strong launch and even thought about threading the needle between the front row, but was squeezed out.

Bargwanna jumped Hansford for third as Cam Tilley rose three spots to soar into the top five to mark the Valiant Pacer’s return after missing the Trophy Race with an oil pump issue.

By the end of the first lap he lost momentum and could not stop both Fisher and Cameron passing him at Turn 1.

Johnson was able to pull the best part of a second as Heinrich, Bargwanna and Hansford were at close quarters.

But by the end of Lap 4 the top four compressed and were nose to tail.

Heinrich had better speed in the valley and thought about the occasional look, but Johnson’s Mustang had enough legs to keep the Camaro at bay.

It was not until the final two and a half minutes where things started to get very tense.

Johnson did not get a great run coming out of the final corner, which allowed Heinrich to get into the slipstream.

This saw the Brut Mustang start to weave on the approach to Turn 1, forcing the Whiteline Camaro to head to the outside, but could not get by.

Further back, there was high drama in the Commodore Cup class as leader Ryan Robson dropped out with a mechanical drama.

Shane Smith also found trouble, with a shredded tyre sending him through the gravel at Turn 10.

Things came to a head again at the end of the penultimate lap, where the leaders caught lapped traffic.

Johnson caught Martin Riseley at Turn 10, but due to the right-hander being a yellow zone, he was not allowed to lap him.

As a result, Johnson had no choice, but to hit the Mustang, which compressed the leaders once again.

However, Johnson survived the scare to hold on and clinch an important opening race win.

Behind the top three, Hansford dropped back, while Cameron and Fisher did not stop fighting for fourth all the way until the chequered flag with the Camaro winning out.

TCM has another Saturday sprint at 13.50 AEST.

Image: Touring Car Masters

Supercars Darwin Triple Crown (times AEST)

Practice 1: Fri 13.20

Practice 2: Fri 15.25

Qualifying R17: Sat 9.05

Qualifying R18: Sat 9.55

Race 17 (42 laps): Sat 12.15

Race 18 (42 laps): Sat 15.40

Qualifying R19: Sun 9.35

Top 10 Shootout: Sun 12.05

Race 19 (70 laps): Sun 15.10

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