Jason Johnson Ices ASCS Speedweek Title with Lawton Win!

[rebelracewriter]

Jason Johnson Ices ASCS Speedweek Title with Lawton Win!

 

 

Lonnie Wheatley, LAWTON, Okla. (July 19, 2008) – Louisiana's Jason Johnson added a little icing to the cake by winning the final round of the 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek featuring the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series at Lawton Speedway on Saturday night.

 

 

 

A late move around Zach Chappell in the 25-lapper not only netted "The Ragin' Cajun" his second triumph in the six-race set but also put an exclamation point on his second career ASCS Speedweek championship.

 

 

 

"I knew if stayed patient and kept working the top side, it would pay off in the end," Johnson explained after his ninth ASCS National Tour win of the year and 37th of his career.

 

 

 

Even though Johnson started the main event from the pole position aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports/Custom Equipment Design No. 41 Eagle, the win was far from easy. After all, he only led the way over the final handful of laps atop Lawton's red clay oval.

 

 

 

With Nick Smith starting alongside on the front row, Johnson gunned into the lead on the initial start only to have it negated when J.J. Hickle spun in turn four.

 

 

 

Smith timed the second start perfectly, jumping into the lead in front of Johnson with fourth-starter Chappell in tow. The lead trio needed just a half-dozen laps to reach the tail of the 23-car feature field, with Chappell taking second from Johnson on the seventh lap and then racing past Smith for the point a lap later.

 

 

 

Out front for barely a lap, Chappell received clear track when the red flag flew for Tim Crawley, who slammed into the frontstretch wall exiting turn four and flipped while running sixth with Wayne Johnson caught up in the incident as well. Crawley walked away unscathed, while Johnson returned with considerable damage.

 

 

 

With Chappell leading the way on the restart in the Wesmar-powered Legend's Bar-B-Que and Steak Joint No. 50z Maxim, Johnson needed just two laps to get around Smith for second. And then the race was on.

 

 

 

Johnson pressured Chappell over the ensuing laps, with Chappell successfully holding his ground even after traffic once again became a factor on the 17th lap.

 

 

 

But Johnson's persistent running-in of the topside finally paid dividends when he motored by in turns three and four upon the completion of the 21st lap.

 

 

 

After a final caution for Wayne Johnson's disabled mount set up a four-lap dash to the stripe, Jason Johnson checked out and padded his cushion in the series $50,000 championship points race to 91 markers over Gary Wright in the process.

 

 

 

Chappell settled for runner-up honors, also taking second in Toyota Tundra ASCS Speedweek points.

 

 

 

Picking off three positions over the final handful of laps including a final corner pass of son-in-law Nick Smith, Gary Wright claimed the show position in the Wesmar-powered Richwood Construction No. 9 Maxim. The late run from sixth to third netted Wright a Speedweek points bonus by ranking fifth behind Johnson, Chappell, Wayne Johnson and Garry Lee Maier.

 

 

 

Smith settled for fourth in the Wesmar-powered Sooner Network Solutions No. 15s J&J, with Kevin Ramey rounding out the top five in Tom Willis' No. 7m Triple-X.

 

 

 

Andy Shouse crossed the stripe sixth, with Rilat, Sean McClelland, 18th-starter Michael Brown and Brad Bowden completing the top ten.

 

 

 

Eric Bladaccini, Jason Johnson and Rilat topped heat race action.

 

 

 

Garry Lee Maier hooked the cushion and flipped in turn four in the third heat race. The Lubbock Wrecker Service crew thrashed and got the past ASCS National champion back on the track for the main event.

 

 

 

Fifteen drivers competed in all six legs of the 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek, including Eric Baldaccini, Brad Bowden, Zach Chappell, Matt Covington, Claud Estes, J.J. Hickle, Jason Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Garry Lee Maier, Kathryne Minter, Travis Rilat, Nick Smith, Gary Taylor, Kenneth Walker and Gary Wright.

 

 

 

Those 15 drivers were eligible for several drawings during opening ceremonies, with Nick Smith winning a set of Brodix cylinder heads. Gary Taylor's number was drawn for $500 from American Bank of Oklahoma. Jason Johnson and Zach Chappell both received $250 certificates from Wesmar Racing Engines, with J.J. Hickle rewarded with a Wesmar front cover.

 

 

 

16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek Round Six Results from Lawton Speedway:

 

 

 

Heat Races:

 

 

 

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 2. 15s-Nick Smith, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 7-J.J. Hickle, 5. 15-Brad Bowden, 6. 61J-Danny Jennings, 7. 5*-Gary Taylor. DNS: 95-Matt Covington.

 

 

 

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 3. 1-Sean McClelland, 4. 94-Wayne Johnson, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 13-Kathryne Minter, 7. 74-Claud Estes, 8. 2-Kenneth Walker.

 

 

 

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat, 2. 9-Gary Wright, 3. 50z-Zach Chappell, 4. 88-Tim Crawley, 5. 25-Robert Sellers, 6. 15b-Michael Brown, 7. 11x-Garry Lee Maier.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT "A" Main Event:

 

 

 

“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 50z-Zach Chappell, 3. 9-Gary Wright, 4. 15s-Nick Smith, 5. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 6. 27-Andy Shouse, 7. 29-Travis Rilat, 8. 1-Sean McClelland, 9. 15b-Michael Brown, 10. 15-Brad Bowden, 11. 61J-Danny Jennings, 12. 5*-Gary Taylor, 13. 2-Kenneth Walker, 14. 25-Robert Sellers, 15. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 16. 7-J.J. Hickle, 17. 11x-Garry Lee Maier, 18. 95-Matt Covington, 19. 94-Wayne Johnson, 20. 74-Claud Estes, 21. 88-Tim Crawley, 22. 72-Sherman Davis, 23. 13-Kathryne Minter.

 

 

 

Lap Leaders: Nick Smith 1-7, Zach Chappell 8-20, Jason Johnson 21-25.

 

 

 

O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Jason Johnson 3,109, 2. Gary Wright 3,018, 3. Wayne Johnson 2,969, 4. Zach Chappell 2,939, 5. Garry Lee Maier 2,738, 6. Eric Baldaccini 2,555, 7. Nick Smith 2,444, 8. Kenneth Walker 2,243, 9. Travis Rilat 2,125, 10. Gary Taylor 2,002, 11. Kathryne Minter 1,910, 12. Jack Dover 1,648, 13. Matt Covington 1,343, 14. Aaron Berryhill 1,174, 14. Jason Sides 1,130, 15. Matt Covington 1,119.

 

 

 

Final 16th Annual Toyota Tundra ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek Points (Top Fifteen – Through Round Six of Six): 1. Jason Johnson 868, 2. Zach Chappell 832, 3. Wayne Johnson 792, 4. Garry Lee Maier 770, 5. Gary Wright 769, 6. Brad Bowden 764, 7. Travis Rilat 761, 8. Gary Taylor 739, 9. Nick Smith 731, 10. Eric Baldaccini 726, 11. J.J. Hickle 681, 12. Claud Estes 636, 13. Matt Covington 630, 14. Kenneth Walker 628, 15. Sean McClelland 585.