rebelracewriter Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Jason Johnson Carries Hot Hand into ASCS Speedweek Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (July 8, 2008) – As if Jason Johnson weren't already among the favorites to take the 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek championship featuring the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, he added a little more fodder for consideration on Tuesday night with a $6,000 victory in the Ollie's Challenge at Ohio's Eldora Speedway. Tuesday's triumph at Eldora makes "The Ragin' Cajun" eligible for a $50,000 bonus if he can top the final leg of the Ollie's Challenge in Pennsylvania on August 19. Johnson's Eldora triumph follows on the heels of a recent spate of O'Reilly ASCoT National victories at Iowa's Knoxville Raceway, South Dakota's Dakota State Fair Speedway and Missouri's Lake Ozark Speedway. He'll try to keep that momentum rolling through Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek, which gets under way Friday night at 67 Texarkana Speedway before moving up the Interstate to Little Rock's I-30 Speedway. Ensuing events take place at Creek County Speedway near Tulsa (July 14), Devil's Bowl Speedway near Dallas (July 17), Oklahoma City's State Fair Speedway (July 18) and Lawton Speedway (July 19). On Saturday night, Johnson racked up his seventh ASCS National Tour victory of the season at Lake Ozark, closing to within eight points of Gary Wright in the series $50,000 championship points race. No other driver has topped more than two main events with 18 nights of action in the books. Following his Saturday night score in Missouri, Johnson talked about the upcoming event at Eldora. "I've never won there, we've run second a few times but haven't got that first win yet. But if we can somehow get that Eldora win, I think we'll have a real good chance at that $50,000 bonus because I've got a lot of laps around Williams Grove, that's a place we can win at." Johnson snared that first Eldora win tonight. But before he can finish out the pursuit of that extra $50,000, he has plenty of business to tend to over the next couple of weeks with the 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek. Johnson and four-time and reigning ASCS National champion Gary Wright of Hooks, TX, are already engaged in a fierce battle for the $50,000 crown. And six nights of Speedweek action at six different tracks throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas could prove pivotal in the final outcome. Toss in another $5,000 in the form of Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek point fund money that a record field of competitors is expected to vie for over the course of the week and the action is certain to be intense. The Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek champion will collect an extra $1,200 bonus, with second in points receiving $1,100, third earning $1,000, fourth earning $900 and fifth awarded $800. Johnson has experienced both ends of the Speedweek luck spectrum in recent years. Two years ago, the Eunice, LA, racer topped five of six feature events to capture his first ASCS Speedweek title. But last year, Johnson missed the cut for the final feature event at Lawton Speedway, which not only cost him any chance at a Speedweek crown but also proved costly in National championship pursuit. Johnson enters Friday night's Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek opener at 67 Texarkana Speedway carrying a streak of 37 consecutive top-ten feature finishes in ASCS National Tour action, just three short of Terry Gray's record of 40 in a row established over a span of races nearly a decade ago from July of 1997 to July of 1998. Johnson will be just one of at least three past ASCS Speedweek champions pursuing another Speedweek title, with five-time Speedweek king Gary Wright aiming for number six and 2004 Speedweek champion Tim Crawley looking to add a second crown. A number of other top contenders will be vying for a first Speedweek title, including Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK), Zach Chappell (Talala, OK), Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS), Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX), Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK), Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK), Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX), Gary Taylor (Sapulpa, OK), Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK), Jack Dover (Springfield,NE), Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK), Jason Botsford (Tracy, CA), J.J. Hickle (Quilcene, WA) and Brad Bowden (Hernando, MS) among others. The Series: O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) When & Where: 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek: Round One - Friday night, July 11 – 67 Texarkana Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Two - Saturday night, July 12 – I-30 Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Three – Monday night, July 14 – Creek County Speedway at 7:00 p.m. Round Four – Thursday night, July 17 – Devil's Bowl Speedway at 8:00 p.m. Round Five – Friday night, July 18 – State Fair Speedway at 7:30 p.m. Round Six – Saturday night, July 19 – Lawton Speedway at 8:00 p.m. Track Information: 67 Texarkana Speedway (Texarkana, AR) – ¼-mile semi-banked clay oval located east of Texarkana on I-30 to Exit 7, then 0.5 miles southeast on State Road 108, then 2.6 miles northeast on U.S. 67. For more information, contact the track at 870-773-0029. I-30 Speedway (Little Rock, AR) – ¼-mile high-banked clay oval located seven miles southwest of Little Rock off I-30 Exit 126 (Alexander Rd.), then south to frontage road, then east. For more information, contact the track at 501-455-4567. Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, OK) – ¼-mile semi-banked dirt oval located southwest of Tulsa, OK, off I-44 Exit 211, then 0.3 miles south on State Road 33, then one mile west on State Road 66, then south. For more information, contact the track at 918-247-6675. Devil’s Bowl Speedway (Mesquite, TX) – ½-mile high-banked clay oval located six miles east of Dallas’ Loop I-635 on US 80, then three miles south on Lawson Road. Track phone: 972-222-2421. State Fair Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – 3/8-mile semi-banked clay oval located on the Oklahoma State Fair Grounds near the intersection of N.W. 10th and May Avenue. Track phone: 405-948-6796. Lawton Speedway (Lawton, OK) – ¼-mile semi-banked clay oval located off I-44 Exit 36, then 2.5 miles west on Lee Boulevard, then 1.4 miles south on Sheridan Road. For more information, contact the track at 580-355-6417. O’Reilly ASCoT 67 Texarkana Speedway History: Just up the road from Gary Wright's Hooks, TX, home, "The Texan" topped the first three ASCS events at 67 Texarkana Speedway. Wright has been shut out of Texarkana victory lane in ASCS action in the last four events, with his last win coming more than six years ago. Jason Johnson topped last year's Texarkana card, while Tim Crawley raced from the tail of the field to top the last Speedweek event in Texarkana in 2005. I-30 Speedway ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 3, Tim Crawley 1, Jason Johnson 1, Travis Rilat 1, Shane Stewart 1. Past Speedweek Winners at 67 Texarkana Speedway: Gary Wright (2000), Tim Crawley (2005). 67 Texarkana Speedway O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-Race Winners: Gary Wright (7/22/00), Gary Wright (5/19/01), Gary Wright (4/12/02), Shane Stewart (5/2/03), Travis Rilat (4/30/04), Tim Crawley (6/10/05), Jason Johnson (4/27/07). O’Reilly ASCoT I-30 Speedway History: A staple of the ASCS National Tour, I-30 Speedway hosted the first official ASCS National Tour event on May 15, 1993, with Memphis shoe Mike Ward dropping in on victory lane. Since that time, 15 different drivers have posted at least one ASCS National Tour feature win in the 37 events contested at I-30. Gary Wright has enjoyed the most success at I-30 with ten triumphs, his most recent one coming during the 2006 edition of ASCS Speedweek. Saturday's card at I-30 Speedway will likely mark the 100th event in ASCS Speedweek history, provided that Friday night's card at Texarkana is completed. I-30 Speedway ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 10, Garry Lee Maier 4, Tim Crawley 3, Terry Gray 3, Mike Ward 3, Jason Johnson 2, Wayne Johnson 2, Travis Rilat 2, Nick Smith 1, Shane Stewart 2, Pete Butler 1, Ricky Logan 1, Jason Meyers 1, Eric Sandage 1, Tim Shaffer 1. Past Speedweek Winners at I-30 Speedway: Tim Crawley (1993), Garry Lee Maier (1994), Gary Wright (1995), Garry Lee Maier (1996), Gary Wright (1997), Terry Gray (1998), Travis Rilat (2004), Tim Crawley (2005), Gary Wright (2007). I-30 Speedway O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-Race Winners: Mike Ward (5/15/93), Tim Crawley (6/24/93), Terry Gray (7/17/93), Garry Lee Maier (6/18/94), Garry Lee Maier (8/13/94), Terry Gray (5/20/95), Ricky Logan (6/24/95), Gary Wright (7/15/95), Mike Ward (5/18/96), Garry Lee Maier (6/15/96), Garry Lee Maier (8/3/96), Mike Ward (5/17/97), Gary Wright (6/14/97), Wayne Johnson (9/26/97), Wayne Johnson (9/27/97), Gary Wright (5/16/98), Terry Gray (6/13/98), Eric Sandage (8/25/01), Pete Butler (6/22/02), Gary Wright (7/13/02), Gary Wright (9/21/02), Gary Wright (6/21/03), Tim Crawley (7/12/03), Shane Stewart (9/6/03), Gary Wright (6/5/04), Travis Rilat (7/10/04), Gary Wright (8/28/04), Tim Crawley (6/11/05), Gary Wright (7/9/05), Travis Rilat (10/1/05), Jason Johnson (7/29/06), Jason Johnson (4/28/07), Gary Wright (7/14/07), Shane Stewart (10/25/07), Tim Shaffer (10/26/07), Jason Meyers (10/27/07), Nick Smith (4/26/08). O’Reilly ASCoT Creek County Speedway History: The American Sprint Car Series started out with Creek County Speedway as its home track way back in 1992. The site of the first ever Speedweek event in 1993, it marks the third consecutive year at Creek County Speedway after returning to the Speedweek slate in 2006 and eleventh overall Speedweek event. The two most recent Speedweek cards at Creek County have been stellar, with Darren Stewart taking the win last year after giving up the lead to Jason Johnson on the final lap a year earlier. An ASCS Sooner Region stop at Creek County Speedway several weeks ago had Sean McClelland charging from nine rows deep to take the win away from Nick Smith in the final corner. Creek County Speedway ASCS National winners include: Tim Crawley 3, Gary Wright 3, Pete Butler 1, Phil Gressman 1, John Hunt 1, Jason Johnson 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Garry Lee Maier 1, Darren Stewart 1, Mike Ward 1, Danny Wood 1. Past Speedweek Winners at Creek County Speedway: Mike Ward (1993), John Hunt (1993), Garry Lee Maier (1994), Gary Wright (1995), Wayne Johnson (1996), Phil Gressman (1998), Tim Crawley (1999), Tim Crawley (2000), Jason Johnson (2006), Darren Stewart (2007). Creek County Speedway O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-Race Winners: Mike Ward (6/20/93), John Hunt (6/25/93), Garry Lee Maier (6/25/94), Gary Wright (10/14/94), Gary Wright (7/16/95), Danny Wood (10/8/95), Wayne Johnson (6/16/96), Gary Wright (7/31/97), Pete Butler (8/31/97), Phil Gressman (6/16/98), Tim Crawley (5/30/99), Tim Crawley (7/25/99), Tim Crawley (7/18/00), Jason Johnson (7/9/06), Darren (7/16/07). O’Reilly ASCoT Devil's Bowl Speedway History: Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been hosting the O’Reilly ASCS National Tour since 1994, with 20 different drivers scoring at least one victory in 53 feature events. Gary Wright has claimed 17 of his 120 career ASCS National wins at Devil’s Bowl, including a pair of triumphs in 2007 and a dramatic last corner pass to win this year's edition of the Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals. Wright also won last year's Devil's Bowl leg of ASCS Speedweek. Jason Johnson, who swept last October's Winter Nationals, topped the most recent ASCS event at Devil's Bowl with a triumph in the second leg of May's Red River Shootout. Devil’s Bowl ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 17, Jason Johnson 5, Wayne Johnson 4, Danny Jennings 3, Kevin Ramey 3, Shane Carson 2, Terry Gray 2, Garry Lee Maier 2, Mike Peters 2, Travis Rilat 2, Sammy Swindell 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. 1, Tim Crawley 1, Edd French 1, Johnny Herrera 1, Larry Neighbors 1, Alan Payne 1, Jake Peters 1, Shane Stewart 1, Mike Ward 1. Past Speedweek Winners at Devil's Bowl Speedway: Shane Carson (1994), Mike Ward (1995), Wayne Johnson (1996), Wayne Johnson (1997), Gary Wright (1998), Garry Lee Maier (1999), Gary Wright (2000), Gary Wright (2001), Jason Johnson (2002), Danny Jennings (2005), Gary Wright (2006), Gary Wright (2007). Devil’s Bowl O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-race Winners: Shane Carson (6/21/94), Alan Payne (5/12/95), Mike Ward (7/23/95), Mike Peters (9/1/95), Sammy Swindell (9/2/95), Sammy Swindell (9/3/95), Wayne Johnson (6/18/96), Terry Gray (7/6/96), Terry Gray (11/1/96), Johnny Herrera (11/2/96), Shane Carson (4/5/97), Wayne Johnson (6/18/97), Edd French (10/31/97), Mike Peters (11/1/97), Gary Wright (6/19/98), Gary Wright (10/3/98), Garry Lee Maier (10/4/98), Gary Wright (7/8/99), Garry Lee Maier (7/30/99), Gary Wright (10/1/99), Gary Wright (10/2/99), Gary Wright (7/21/00), Gary Wright (10/6/00), Larry Neighbors (4/20/01), Gary Wright (7/20/01), Gary Wright (10/6/01), Travis Rilat (4/19/02), Jason Johnson (6/7/02), Wayne Johnson (10/4/02), Gary Wright (10/5/02), Kevin Ramey (4/18/03), Tim Crawley (10/17/03), Gary Wright (10/18/03), Shane Stewart (10/23/04), Danny Jennings (3/18/05), Danny Jennings (3/19/05), Danny Jennings (6/9/05), Gary Wright (10/21/05), Gary Wright (10/22/05), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Spring Nationals makeup feature), Kevin Ramey (6/24/06 – Summer Nationals), Gary Wright (7/13/06), Jason Johnson (10/13/06), Travis Rilat (10/14/06), Wayne Johnson (3/16/07), Jake Peters (3/17/07), Gary Wright (5/12/07), Gary Wright (7/19/07), Jason Johnson (10/12/07), Jason Johnson (10/13/07), Tony Bruce, Jr. (3/14/08), Gary Wright (3/15/08), Jason Johnson (5/10/08). O’Reilly ASCoT State Fair Speedway History: State Fair Speedway has hosted 27 ASCS National Tour events since 1994, with 23 events in Oklahoma City since the track was reconfigured prior to the 2002 season. Gary Wright has won nine of 23 feature events since the reconfiguration, with Jason Johnson and Kevin Ramey the only other drivers to score multiple wins since that time. The last time Gary Wright missed an ASCS National Tour event, it was at State Fair Speedway on May 9, 2003, when an accident while en route forced his absence. Since that time, Wright has racked up four series titles and has competed in 184 consecutive ASCS National Tour events. Wright topped three of four ASCS National Tour features at State Fair Speedway in 2007, including the OKC leg of Speedweek. Jason Johnson topped Oklahoma City's Spring Nationals for the second time in three years this March after Danny Lasoski topped the prelim, while Nebraska teen Jack Dover scored his first series win in May's Oklahoma City leg of the Red River Shootout. State Fair Speedway ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 11, Jason Johnson 4, Kevin Ramey 2, Zach Chappell 1, Jack Dover 1, Tommie Estes, Jr. 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Danny Lasoski 1, Wayne Pennington 1, Travis Rilat 1, Darren Stewart 1, Shane Stewart 1, Danny Wood 1. Past Speedweek Winners at State Fair Speedway: Zach Chappell (2001), Shane Stewart (2003), Jason Johnson (2006), Gary Wright (2007). State Fair Speedway O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-race Winners: Gary Wright (10/13/94), Tommie Estes, Jr. (5/26/96), Gary Wright (8/11/96), Zach Chappell (7/21/01), Wayne Pennington (5/17/02), Kevin Ramey (6/28/02), Gary Wright (8/23/02), Travis Rilat (5/9/03), Shane Stewart (6/1/03), Gary Wright (6/27/03), Gary Wright (8/1/03), Danny Wood (6/25/04), Gary Wright (7/30/04), Kevin Ramey (5/20/05), Darren Stewart (6/24/05), Gary Wright (7/29/05), Jason Johnson (3/24/06), Jason Johnson (3/25/06), Gary Wright (6/23/06), Jason Johnson (7/14/06), Gary Wright (3/23/07), Wayne Johnson (3/24/07), Gary Wright (5/11/07), Gary Wright (7/20/07), Danny Lasoski (3/21/08), Jason Johnson (3/22/08), Jack Dover (5/10/08). O’Reilly ASCoT Lawton Speedway History: A regular stop on the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Regional trail, Lawton Speedway hosts the ASCS Speedweek finale for the fifth time in the last seven years. Gary Wright has topped three of the four ASCS Speedweek events at Lawton Speedway, including last year's stop. Two-time ASCS Sooner Region champion Kevin Ramey took the 2006 Speedweek win at Lawton to go along with his five ASCS Sooner Region wins atop the red clay. Lawton Speedway ASCS National winners include: Gary Wright 4, Danny Jennings 1, Daryn Pittman 1, Kevin Ramey 1, Paul White 1. Past Speedweek Winners at Lawton Speedway: Gary Wright (2002), Gary Wright (2003), Kevin Ramey (2006), Gary Wright (2007). Lawton Speedway O’Reilly ASCoT Race-by-race Winners: Daryn Pittman (9/12/98), Paul White (9/11/99), Gary Wright (8/5/00), Danny Jennings (8/4/01), Gary Wright (6/8/02), Gary Wright (6/7/03), Kevin Ramey (7/15/06), Gary Wright (7/21/07). Current O’Reilly ASCoT Points (After 18 Nights): Drivers: Top Fifteen: 1. Gary Wright (Hooks, TX) 2,249, 2. Jason Johnson (Eunice, LA) 2,241, 3. Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK) 2,177, 4. Zach Chappell (Talala, OK) 2,107, 5. Garry Lee Maier (Cimarron, KS) 1,968, 6. Eric Baldaccini (Keller, TX) 1,829, 7. Nick Smith (Broken Arrow, OK) 1,713, 8. Jack Dover (Springfield, NE) 1,648, 9. Kenneth Walker (Sapulpa, OK) 1,615, 10. Travis Rilat (Forney, TX) 1,364, 11. Kathryne Minter (Bedford, TX) 1,341, 12. Gary Taylor (Sapulpa, OK) 1,263, 13. Aaron Berryhill (Broken Arrow, OK) 1,174, 14. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN) 1,130, 15. Don Droud, Jr. (Lincoln, NE) 902. Owners: Top Fifteen: 1. Wright-Cooper Motorsports 9 / 01 – 2,249, 2. Lanny Row 41 – 2,241, 3. Mike Hammers 94 – 2,177, 4. David Chappell 50z – 2,107, 5. Scott Brown 11x – 1,968, 6. Harry Baldaccini B4 1,829, 7. Kip Smith 15s – 1,713, 8. Lori Dover 53 – 1,648, 9. Sandra Walker 2 – 1,615, 10. Travis Rilat 29 - 1,364, 11. Tracy Minter 13 – 1,341, 12. Bobby Sparks 91 – 1,282, 13. Mike Eubanks 5* - 1,263, 14. Aaron Berryhill 97 – 1,249, 15. Sides Motorsports 7s – 1,130. 2008 O’Reilly ASCoT Feature Winners: Jason Johnson 7, Tony Bruce, Jr., 2, Kenny Adams 1, Aaron Berryhill 1, Jack Dover 1, Wayne Johnson 1, Danny Lasoski 1, Terry McCarl 1, Nick Smith 1, Skip Wilson 1, Gary Wright 1. O'Reilly ASCoT – A Look Ahead: July 31 18th Annual Knoxville ASCS Nationals (Knoxville, IA) August 1 18th Annual Knoxville ASCS Nationals (Knoxville, IA) August 2 18th Annual Knoxville ASCS Nationals (Knoxville, IA) - $10,000 to win The O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series is currently slated for approximately 40 nights of racing action at nearly 20 different tracks throughout a dozen different states, with more than $1,000,000 in purse money and point fund to be distributed during the 2008 season. The nation's most prominent Sprint Car sanctioning body with a dozen different Regions throughout the United States in addition to the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series, the American Sprint Car Series' (ASCS) 17th year of activity will include approximately 250 nights of racing at more than 100 different race tracks throughout 28 different states and Canada. Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.