Johnson misses top ten

Jim Beam Racing’s Steve Johnson was dealt a cruel blow on the Gold Coast today with a red flagged second qualifying stint costing him a place inside the top ten.
Johnson was on a flying lap during the second leg of qualifying when Cam McConville
clipped a tyre bundle resulting in a red flag with a minute and a half left in the session.

Johnson was trailing close behind on his fastest lap of the session and was left stranded in 19th place after being on target for a certain top ten result.

Having been as high as fourth place on the time sheets during the opening sting, Johnson was on track to have both Jim Beam entries inside the top ten for tomorrow
afternoon’s opening race.

“It’s unbelievably disappointing, said Johnson. “I was probably looking at my best qualifying result of the year to date and to have that happen is just unlucky, that’s just motorsport.”

“However I go into tomorrow knowing I’ve got a quick race car and I’ll have to put my head down and work my way through the field, there are three races to go so the weekend is just getting started.”

Team mate Will Davison was seventh and will start from the fourth row of the grid tomorrowcontinuing on with his impressive 2008 qualifying performances.

Currently fifth on the Championship table, Davison has qualified his #18 Jim Beam Falcon inside the top ten on all but two occasions so far this season and goes into tomorrow’s opener on the back of solid season of endurance results with team mate

“That was a tough session, remarked Davidson. “I said yesterday you really need to push the car to the limits and I sustained some minor damage during that session, the circuit is just so unforgiving but I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow.

“Street circuits are conducive to taking some paint off the cars and this one is no different, if you don’t your probably not pushing hard enough.”