Dick Johnson Racing’s Steve Johnson, driving the newly liveried Jim Beam Honey car #17, today scored the team’s first top 10 finish of the 2012 V8 Supercar Season.
Racing in hot and dry conditions, a total turn around from earlier in the week, the team were pleased to get all 4 cars home straight and in the top 20.
Turn 8 proved to be treacherous once again, with Steve Johnson lucky to miss a 3-car crash only a few laps in, threading his way through the carnage. All 4 cars headed into the pits and had great, clean stops between laps 25 and 29. A great feat for the new members of the DJR crew, who performed their first live full on pit stops after hours of practice in the off-season.
When the first round of pit stops were over on lap 32, the DJR team were sitting in 16th (Steve Owen), 19th (Steve Johnson), 20th (James Moffat) and 21st (Dean Fiore).
After an unusually quiet 20 laps, a safety car caused a rapid set of second pit stops. After the restart, both of the Steve’s and James were up into the top 10. A frustrating error by Tim Slade caused Steve Owen to spin, dropping him back 9 spots, which subsequently is being investigated post-race. Steve Johnson held position in P9 with Moffat in 10th and Dean Fiore in 16th.
The last round of pit stops were ‘splash and dash’ for the majority of pit lane, to ensure all the cars got home. And after 78 long and very hot laps, the boys brought their Jim Beam, Norton and V.I.P. Petfoods Falcon’s home in good condition.
The second race of the 2012 V8 Supercar Season kicks off tomorrow with Qualifying at 11:15 am local time.
Racing in hot and dry conditions, a total turn around from earlier in the week, the team were pleased to get all 4 cars home straight and in the top 20.
Turn 8 proved to be treacherous once again, with Steve Johnson lucky to miss a 3-car crash only a few laps in, threading his way through the carnage. All 4 cars headed into the pits and had great, clean stops between laps 25 and 29. A great feat for the new members of the DJR crew, who performed their first live full on pit stops after hours of practice in the off-season.
When the first round of pit stops were over on lap 32, the DJR team were sitting in 16th (Steve Owen), 19th (Steve Johnson), 20th (James Moffat) and 21st (Dean Fiore).
After an unusually quiet 20 laps, a safety car caused a rapid set of second pit stops. After the restart, both of the Steve’s and James were up into the top 10. A frustrating error by Tim Slade caused Steve Owen to spin, dropping him back 9 spots, which subsequently is being investigated post-race. Steve Johnson held position in P9 with Moffat in 10th and Dean Fiore in 16th.
The last round of pit stops were ‘splash and dash’ for the majority of pit lane, to ensure all the cars got home. And after 78 long and very hot laps, the boys brought their Jim Beam, Norton and V.I.P. Petfoods Falcon’s home in good condition.
The second race of the 2012 V8 Supercar Season kicks off tomorrow with Qualifying at 11:15 am local time.