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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series
R.J. JOHNSON SCORES HOT SUMMER NIGHTS VICTORY AT TUCSON
By Lance Jennings
JUNE 30, 2015... Taking the lead from Mike Martin on lap twenty, R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona won Saturday’s USAC SouthWest Sprint Car debut at Tucson’s USA Raceway. Charging from eleventh, the 2-time defending champion and point leader claimed his seventh win of the campaign. Martin, Josh Pelkey, Matt Rossi, and Josh Shipley followed Johnson across the finish line.
Racing the Bill Michaels’ owned #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman, R.J. Johnson earned $1,500 for his efforts by taking his series leading 29th victory. Earlier in the program, the second generation driver ran fourth in his heat race and placed eleventh in passing points. Taking the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors, R.J. left the fast 3/8-oval with a 77-point advantage over the competition. In addition, Johnson has five heat race victories, one high point driver award, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 120 feature laps led.
After leading the first nineteen laps, Yuma, Arizona’s “The Magic Man” Mike Martin finished second in the Tucson feature. Piloting his #16 Sherwin-Williams / Ultimate Offroad Maxim, Martin won his series leading seventh heat race and ranked third in passing points. With two high point driver awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led, “The Magic Man” is sixth in the point chase.
Josh Pelkey of Peoria, Arizona raced from tenth to claim third at USA Raceway. Driving Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts RSS, Pelkey scored fourth in his heat race and placed tenth in passing points. The 1997 ASCS Champion is fourth in the standings with one heat race victory, one high point driver award, and ten top-10 finishes on the season.
After winning last week’s Father’s Day Classic at Canyon, South Central, Arizona’s Matt Rossi carved his way to fourth after starting thirteenth. Racing the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / IWR Spike, Rossi took fifth in his heat race and ranked thirteenth in passing points. The defending Western World Champion heads to El Paso’s July 10th race sitting third in points with three hard charger awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 22 feature laps led.
Josh Shipley of Peoria, Arizona stormed from fourteenth to score fifth at Tucson’s 30-lap main event. Piloting Bob Bishop’s #2 RSS Industries / AME Electrical RSS, Shipley ran fifth in his heat race and placed fourteenth in passing points. The former Challenge Cup Champion is currently fourteenth in points with one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes on the year.
Tempe, Arizona’s Stevie Sussex earned his first 8-lap heat race victory of the season. Driving Dennis Gile’s #13S Quarterback Academy / Bobby Q Ellis, Sussex earned his first high point driver award of 2015 and finished sixteenth in the main event. The two-time Hank Arnold Memorial winner left Tucson sitting fifth in the standings with two feature wins, three hard charger awards, ten top-10 finishes, and 72 feature laps led.
“The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James of Phoenix, Arizona won the night’s third 8-lap heat race. Racing his #7K Woodland Auto Display / Weld Racing Maxim, St. James ranked second in passing points and placed eleventh in the main event. The veteran driver heads to El Paso seated ninth in the standings with three heat race victories, one high point driver award and three top-10 finishes.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series will take a break before returning to action on July 10h at El Paso Speedway Park. The first round of the two-night “Border Tour” with the New Mexico Motor Racing Association will pay $2,000-to-win and feature X-Mods, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Hornets. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.epspeedwaypark.com or call 915.791.8749.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series would like to thank Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Hose Advantage Store, and the Racers Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SouthwestSprintCars).
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USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
June 27, 2015 – Tucson, Arizona – USA Raceway – “Hot Summer Nights”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 2. Ronnie Clark (#6 Clark), 3. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 4. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 5. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 6. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Stevie Sussex (#13S Gile), 2. Mike Bonneau (#29 Bonneau), 3. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 4. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michaels), 5. Josh Shipley (#2 Bishop), 6. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 3. Koty McGullam (#44K McGullam), 4. Brian Hosford (#32B Weber), 5. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 6. Jeremy Sherman (#71M Michaels). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. R.J. Johnson (11th), 2. Mike Martin (4th), 3. Josh Pelkey (10th), 4. Matt Rossi (13th), 5. Josh Shipley (14th), 6. Charles Davis Jr. (3rd), 7. Brian Hosford (12th), 8. Tom Ogle (16th), 9. Nick Aiuto (8th), 10. Dennis Gile (15th), 11. Bruce St. James (5th), 12. Tye Mihocko (17th), 13. Mike Bonneau (1st), 14. Andy Reinbold (7th), 15. Koty McGullam (9th), 16. Stevie Sussex (6th), 17. Jeremy Sherman (18th), 18. Ronnie Clark (2nd - DNS). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-19 Martin, Laps 20-30 Johnson.
HARD CHARGER: R.J. Johnson (11th to 1st)
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. R.J. Johnson-694, 2. Charles Davis Jr.-617, 3. Matt Rossi-598, 4. Josh Pelkey-592, 4. Matt Rossi-470, 5. Stevie Sussex-565, 6. Mike Martin-493, 7. Mike Colegrove-432, 8. Brian Hosford-428, 9. Bruce St. James-413, 10. Andy Reinbold-350, 11. Dennis Gile-320, 12. Nick Aiuto-305, 13. Tye Mihocko-302, 14. Josh Shipley-301, 15. Shon Deskins-256, 16. Chris Bonneau-231, 17. Michael Curtis-220, 18. Mike Bonneau-187, 19. Tom Ogle-184, 20. Dalten Gabbard-165.
2015 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
July 10: #El Paso Speedway Park - El Paso, TX (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
July 11: #Southern New Mexico Speedway - Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
July 18: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
August 1: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Allscapes Back to School Special)
August 19: Lawton Speedway - Lawton, OK (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 20: Creek County Speedway - Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 21: 81 Speedway - Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 22: Dodge City Raceway Park - Dodge City, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 28: Prescott Valley Raceway - Prescott Valley, AZ (Rick Stewart Memorial)
August 29: Prescott Valley Raceway - Prescott Valley, AZ (Rick Stewart Memorial)
September 19: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
September 26: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series)
October 3: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
October 17: Central Arizona Speedway - Casa Grande, AZ
November 19: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 20: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
November 21: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / Grudge Series)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC West Coast Sprints.
# = Co-Sanctioned Event with NMMRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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