Late Move Nets Jason Johnson ASCoT Loot at Huron!

[rebelracewriter]

Late Move Nets Jason Johnson ASCoT Loot at Huron!

 

 

Lonnie Wheatley, HURON, S.D. (June 28, 2008) – The annual ASCS Northern Swing ended in spectacular fashion on Saturday night as Jason Johnson nabbed his sixth O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National victory of the year with a late move in traffic to top the 25-lap feature event at Dakota State Fair Speedway.

 

 

 

Johnson snared the point from race-long leader Garry Lee Maier on the 23rd lap and then fought off Maier as well as Wayne Johnson over the final two circuits to claim his 34th career ASCS National Tour feature win aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports/Custom Equipment Design No. 41 Eagle.

 

 

 

Maier and Jason Johnson led the feature field to the green flag, with Maier gunning into the early lead and pacing the early rounds aboard Scott Brown's ASI-powered Lubbock Wrecker Service No. 11x Maxim.

 

 

 

The initial ASCS National champion never could rest easy though, as Jason Johnson kept the pressure on throughout. In fact, Johnson briefly took the lead away from Maier on the ninth lap when he slid into the top spot in turns one and two. Maier wasted little time returning the favor however, racing back into the lead a half lap later in turns three and four.

 

 

 

While Maier and Jason Johnson diced for the point, Wayne Johnson was on the move from the eighth position in Mike Hammers' H&H Enterprises No. 94 Maxim. The 2000 ASCS National champion needed just two laps to climb to fourth and had taken third from 2001 champ Zach Chappell by the time the race's final caution flew with eleven laps in the books.

 

 

 

With Maier setting the pace ahead of the pair of unrelated Johnson's, action simmered to a boil as lapped traffic once again became a factor over the final seven circuits.

 

 

 

The slightest of hesitations in traffic by Maier on the 23rd lap was all Jason Johnson needed to scoot into the lead. But with a pair of lapped cars directly in front of the battling lead trio as the white flag flew, the victory wasn't in the bag yet.

 

 

 

With Maier and Wayne Johnson side-by-side and right on Jason Johnson's tailtank exiting turn two on the final lap, "The Ragin' Cajun" split the pair of lapped cars in a mad dash down the backstretch and into the final pair of corners to essentially put the win away.

 

 

 

Jason Johnson flashed under the checkered flag with a two car-length advantage for his second ASCoT win in as many tries at Dakota State Fair Speedway, as Maier nipped Wayne Johnson at the line for runner-up honors. Wayne Johnson settled for show honors, with four-time and reigning series champion Gary Wright climbing from 12th to finish fourth in the Wesmar-powered Richwood Construction No. 9 Maxim. Wright escaped the Northern Swing with a 22-point advantage over Jason Johnson in the series $50,000 championship chase.

 

 

 

Leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Eric Baldaccini posted his second fifth-place finish in as many South Dakota starts over the week in the Smiley's Race Products No. B4 Maxim, with Zach Chappell next across the stripe in sixth. Minnesota's Gordy Vogelaar claimed seventh, with Jody Rosenboom, Chad Meyer and Kenneth Walker completing the top ten.

 

 

 

After holding down the fifth position over the first half of the race, Jack Dover retired to the infield with mechanical woes after 14 laps. The Dover team had already changed engines following a second-place heat race finish.

 

 

 

After coming to a stop with one lap in the books, Shawn Van Wyhe exited four laps later to become the race's first casualty.

 

 

 

The second and final caution flew after eleven laps when Dave Glennon's mount went up in smoke. Kathryne Minter and Chuck Swenson retired to the pit area under the ensuing caution period. Earlier, Swenson had surrendered his seventh starting position when he required a second push as the feature field aligned.

 

 

 

Wayne Johnson, Chappell and Jason Johnson topped Saturday night's heat race action.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT Results from Dakota State Fair Speedway:

 

 

 

Heat Races:

 

 

 

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 94-Wayne Johnson, 2. 7m-Chad Meyer, 3. 11x-Garry Lee Maier, 4. 9-Gary Wright, 5. 2i-Kevin Ingle, 6. 15s-Nick Smith, 7. 30-Ron Rosenboom, 8. 76-Dustin Evink.

 

 

 

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 50z-Zach Chappell, 2. X-Chuck Swenson, 3. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 4. 27-Jody Rosenboom, 5. 2-Kenneth Walker, 6. 5-Eric Lutz, 7. 13x-Jordan Martens. DNS: XXX-Ricky Sammons.

 

 

 

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 53-Jack Dover, 3. 99-Shawn Van Wyhe, 4. 99v-Gordy Vogelaar, 5. 4J-Lee Grosz, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 2k-Chad Chenoweth, 8. 5x-Dave Glennon.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT "A" Main Event:

 

 

 

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 11x-Garry Lee Maier, 3. 94-Wayne Johnson, 4. 9-Gary Wright, 5. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 6. 50z-Zach Chappell, 7. 99v-Gordy Vogelaar, 8. 27-Jody Rosenboom, 9. 7m-Chad Meyer, 10. 2-Kenneth Walker, 11. 4J-Lee Grosz, 12. 15s-Nick Smith, 13. 30-Ron Rosenboom, 14. 5-Eric Lutz, 15. 13x-Jordan Martens, 16. 76-Dustin Evink, 17. 2k-Chad Chenoweth, 18. 2i-Kevin Ingle, 19. 53-Jack Dover, 20. X-Chuck Swenson, 21. 13-Kathryne Minter, 22. 5x-Dave Glennon, 23. 99-Shawn Van Wyhe. DNS: XXX-Ricky Sammons.

 

 

 

Lap Leaders: Garry Lee Maier 1-22, Jason Johnson 23-25.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Gary Wright 1,969, 2. Jason Johnson 1,947, 3. Wayne Johnson 1,883, 4. Zach Chappell 1,823, 5. Garry Lee Maier 1,754, 6. Eric Baldaccini 1,577, 7. Nick Smith 1,479, 8. Kenneth Walker 1,416, 9. (tie) Travis Rilat and Jack Dover 1,364, 11. Kathryne Minter 1,191, 12. Jason Sides 1,130, 13. Gary Taylor 1,042, 14. Aaron Berryhill 979, 15. Chris Tarrant 861.

 

 

 

ASCS Northern Plains Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Lee Grosz 414, 2. Eric Lutz 408, 3. Wade Nygaard 292, 4. Chad Meyer 284, 5. Jody Rosenboom 280, 6. Gordy Vogelaar 276, 7. Chuck Swenson 270, 8. Natalie Sather 260, 9. Jason Tostenson 258, 10. Kevin Ingle 256.