Johnson salvages equal fourth on seven cylinders
13/4/2005 18:17 (Press Release) -
The 2005 V8 Supercar season started off strongly for Westpoint Racing when Steve Johnson shared fourth place overall despite losing an engine cylinder on lap 50 of today's Clipsal 500 race, in Adelaide.
Both Johnson and Seton looked to be heading for top 10 placing's in today's race - and overall for the weekend - when disaster struck on lap 49. Glenn Seton's Falcon uncharacteristically lost a cylinder and then one lap later the same problem occurred to Johnson's Ford.
Seton drove into the team garage and looked set for retirement when several minutes later he was asked to return to the car and finish the race as best he could.
"The Ford dropped a cylinder up on turn four, so I radioed in and I was told to come in," Glenn Seton said.
"The team looked at the engine and I was about to retire when the decision was made to get back out there and get some points, which was a good decision.
"Fortunately the engine held in to the end so we claimed some more points which was important to the team, the sponsors and for the Championship."
Johnson, who was eighth on the road when the mechanical failure happened, gradually fell down the pecking order to cross the line in 15th. Seton, who returned to the race, seven laps down, finished 25th.
Johnson made a great start from fourth on the grid dragging Russell Ingall and Craig Lowndes off the line to take second by the first corner.
"I had a ripper start going around the outside of Ingall and Lowndes,"
Johnson said.
"It was too bad the ripper start didn't have a ripper finish, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
"I was more happy with the team's start to the season though.
"Thinking long-term, it sort of sets up the season doesn't it, which is something we haven't been able to do over the last couple of years."
Again Johnson showed that his Westpoint Ford was developing into a good race car.
"The Ford was definitely better today, compared to yesterday," Johnson
said.
"We were doing high twenty-threes today (1:23s) which was great. The car showed more speed today but overall I was really happy to have a consistent car.
"It was great for the whole team to have such a strong start to the Championship.
"We've worked really hard this weekend and I'm glad for everyone that we were able to do well.
"I think we showed that we are going to be a team to watch this year."
Release Date: 20/03/2005
Westpoint Racing - DJR
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