Touring Car Masters
Steven Johnson has taken a second all-the-way win in Race 3 of Touring Car Masters at Mount Panorama.
Johnson starting from position one by virtue of his Race 2 win and led for the duration of the 6-lap race in the #17 Mustang Fastback.
John Bowe (Torana SL/R 5000) came home second, closing the gap at the end after twice breaking his own day-old lap record, but had given up too much ground when he dropped back to third on the opening lap.
The two-time Bathurst 1000 winner had gone to the outside of Johnson into The Chase, but was held up and instead passed by Adam Bressington (Chevrolet Camaro SS), before regaining the position two laps later.
Adam Garwood finished third in his Torana A9X, having passed Bressington at Murray’s on Lap 5.
Bressington held out Eddie Abelnica (XB Falcon) on the final lap to finish fourth.
Johnson’s two race wins earned him the Round 6 win, while Bowe leads the series.
The final round supports the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 on November 24-26.
Toyota 86 Racing Series
Jimmy Vernon has won the 2017 Toyota 86 Racing Series with a round to spare by winning Race 3.
Vernon got the jump from the outside of the front row and led at the end of all six laps in the #9 Aisin car.
Ben Grice briefly got in front on Lap 1 but ran wide at The Chase and went on to finish second, ahead of Jake Klein.
Liam McAdam was closest to Vernon in the points coming into the race but finished 13th after a wild three-car squeeze at The Chase on Lap 1.
McAdam, Dylan Gulson, and Jack Milligan crowded each other under brakes, causing all three to run off.
Vernon therefore takes an unassailable 310-point lead, over the now tied Grice and McAdam, to the final round in Newcastle.
“I was coming into this year happy if we finished in the series inside the top 10 so to wrap it up, what better circuit to do it at than Mount Panorama?” Vernon told Speedcafe.com.
“To not only get the chequered flag first at Bathurst, but then to find out you’ve wrapped up the title, it’s just unbelievable.”
Cameron Hill, who has qualified on pole for every round so far this year, drove from rear of grid to 14th after being unluckily caught up in an opening lap crash in Race 2.
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