ADAM BRESSINGTON AND THE BANDIT CHIPPERS Holden Monaro GTS 350 just missed out on a podium finish at the seventh round of the Touring Car Masters which was a major support event to the Supercheap Auto 1000 at Bathurst last weekend.
 
After qualifying eighth in a field of 27, Bressington and the mighty Jim Morton-owned Monaro improved one place off the start and held position when the safety car was called after a lap one accident at the top of the famous Mt Panorama circuit. Three laps at reduced pace followed before the race was called . . . several laps short of its scheduled length.
 
The Bandit Chippers outfit were off the outside of the front row for the second race and trailed race leader Mark King and his Chev Camaro through the opening lap. Bressington took the race lead on lap two, just before a big shunt on Conrod Straight brought out another safety car.
 
By the time the carnage was cleared, there was just one lap at pace remaining. Bressington led to Hell Corner on the final occasion but could not hold out the more powerful XB Falcon of Eddie Abelnica on the climb up Mountain Straight. Across the top Bressington was all over the back of the Ford coupe, but passing places were negligible. The Monaro finished 0.4 seconds adrift of the winner and over a second in advance of the third placed Jason Gomersall Holden Torana.
 
The Bandit Chippers Holden Monaro led the third and final race, and series heavy weight John Bowe (Ford Mustang), around the 6.2 kilometre circuit for the first of seven laps. Bressington surrendered the lead to the reigning champion on the second lap and a glazed disc rotor impeded the Monaro’s lap times from there, the combination ultimately finished seventh.
 
It was the second time that Bressington has raced at the circuit in the popular series for older muscle cars, having competed in the corresponding round last year in a Chev Camaro. Last year he finished the round fifth, whereas this time out he went one better with fourth overall.
 
“The Bandit Chippers Holden Monaro had a couple of updates since the last round and apart from our brake problem, ran faultlessly throughout the weekend,” Bressington said.

“We missed out on being on the podium by just four points which was pretty disappointing but we were second in Pro-Am for the weekend.

“It was nice to be mixing it at the front rather than battling in the mid-pack, and we wanted a top-five finish for the round so to finish fourth was a great result,” he added.

“It has been a difficult year but the great work from Barrel, Joe and Dash at HiTech Motorsport, Superior Automotive where Rodney and Andrew were exceptional, and Bernie at Rams Head Services, were well-reward at the best track in the country, namely Bathurst,” Bressington concluded.