Ford Motor : Third Win in a Row for Shelby GT350R-C as Multimatic Motorsports Wins Thriller at Road America

• Co-drivers Billy Johnson and Scott Maxwell drove to winners' circle for fourth time this season to defend championship points lead

• Driver Paul Holton uninjured in heavy crash after the green flag

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc., Aug. 6, 2016 - Multimatic Motorsports' Billy Johnson and Scott Maxwell stood on the top step of the winners' podium for the fourth time this season and the third time in a row after winning the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Road America.

In the closing laps of the race, just when it looked like they'd have to settle for p2, the leader ran out of fuel on the final lap and Johnson, who closed out the race after Maxwell started on the pole, was there to pounce. It was Johnson's first career win at Road America.

'I left the decision to push and conserve and all of that to the team,' Johnson said. 'I was just doing as I was told, and that was to go as fast as I can. Then I was getting a little nervous when I saw cars running out of fuel, pitting and pitting earlier than us, but the Multimatic Ford team had the strategy down and had everything figured out. Kudos to the team for having a great strategy and making us do what we needed to do to be in position to win.'

This is the seventh podium of the year for the Ford Shelby GT350R-C, between Multimatic and the No. 76 AERO Advanced Paint Technology/Children's Tumor Foundation Ford Shelby GT350R-C fielded by C360 Racing and drivers Paul Holton and Pierre Kleinubing. Holton and Kleinubing's day ended early after heavy contact left the No. 76 on its side in Turn 12 soon after the green flag. Holton was uninjured.

'The Ford Shelby GT350R-C is just a fantastic car,' Johnson said. 'I love driving it. Both Scott and I worked on the development on the street and race car and we're both very privileged to be racing it. It's a hell of a race car and pretty good at drifting, too.'

On Friday, Maxwell earned his 14th-career pole, a record in the series. Johnson and Maxwell leave Road America having extended their points lead 228 to 205 in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge points.

'Every win is important, but now that we're into the second half of the year and the championship is narrowed down to two or three cars, this is a really big win,' Maxwell said. 'Our objective, really, today, was just to be ahead of the Miller car (second in points). Even towards the end, when we were running second with Billy and Miller in third, I thought it was a pretty good day, but at the end it all switched around when the leader ran out of fuel. It's a fantastic day for us winning the points day, then winning here. Road America is one of my favorite tracks and I haven't won here in about 15 years, so it's a good feeling.'