Rossi Johnson chases his first podium finish at the final Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia meet for 2022 at Bathurst

A young Territorian motorsports star is aiming to finish inside the top 10 in the TGRA 86 championship when he competes at the “high risk” Bathurst circuit.

Young Territorian motorsport ace Rossi Johnson is aiming for his first top 10 finish when the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 series concludes early next month.

The 20-year-old is confident he can claim his first podium finish of the season too at Mount Panorama for the Bathurst 1000 from October 6.

Coming off a disappointing showing at the Sandown Supersprint in August, Johnson, who started his racing journey on a BMX, is keen to finish the five-date series with a strong, final performance.

Currently placed 13th in the championship, after a strong start which had tailed off in recent meets, Johnson could potentially climb as high as eighth post-Bathurst.

The Howard Springs product made his 86 series debut – his first taste of a national-level competition – at the “high risk” circuit in February last year, racing for Gold Coast-based TekworkX Motorsport.

Rossi Johnson, with his father, will be chasing his first podium finish at Bathurst from October 6. Picture: Rossi Johnson.

Johnson said Bathurst is where he feels most at home and has enjoyed a measure of success at, despite it being a “tricky and treacherous” circuit, finishing ninth earlier this year.

However, he said the sport remained a ruthless, psychological test where you can suffer for giving your opponent too much respect.

He said he felt “great” coming into the final race and his team had pored over the footage to spot mistakes they’ve made, usually in qualifying, while finding all the available one percenters to improve his performance.

“In a 35-car field, there’s about a second between first and 15th,” Johnson said, who switched to motorsport at the age of nine.

“If you make one small mistake, it’s just so damaging.

“You make your own luck in some ways.

“I feel on raw speed, we can finish in the top three (at Bathurst), and if we can put a consistent weekend together, the sky’s the limit I say.

“We’re really aiming for a maiden podium.”

Rossi Johnson is chasing his maiden podium finish at Bathurst from October 6. Picture: Rossi Johnson.

Johnson said his pace had not been fully represented so far this season, and with a pinch of luck, he would already be within the top 10.

“With 35 cars on the track, you rely heavily on luck and all your dominoes to fall in the right way,” he said.

“This championship has a lot of up and coming drivers in it.

“A lot of young kids with a lot of credentials ... the competition is pretty tough.”

Rossi said he was proud to be one of a few Territory products racing at an elite level.

“It’s really good to be representing the Territory,” he said.

“We’re well represented in the top categories ... but there’s not many of us out there.”