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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series
R.J. JOHNSON WINS CANYON’S “SALUTE TO INDY” OPENER
By Lance Jennings
JUNE 2, 2016... Leading all 30-laps, R.J. Johnson (Tempe, Arizona) claimed the opening night of the “Salute to Indy” at Canyon Speedway. For Johnson, the Saturday victory marked his second USAC SouthWest Sprint Car win of the campaign. Nick Aiuto, Josh Pelkey, Brian Hosford, and Landon Cling chased Johnson to the checkered flags.
Starting on the pole position, R.J. Johnson got the jump on “The Magic Man” Mike Martin and took command of the main event. Shaking free from all challengers, Johnson powered Bill Michael’s #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman to the thirty-fourth series win of his career. Earlier in the program, the three-time champion won the night’s first heat race and was sixth in passing points.
Nick Aiuto (Camp Verde, Arizona) claimed second in the Saturday night feature. Racing his #27 4AZjustice.com / Ellis Race Cars entry, Aiuto ranked fourth in passing points after scoring third in his heat race.
Josh Pelkey (Peoria, Arizona) charged from twelfth to finish third at Canyon Speedway. Piloting Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts machine, Pelkey took third in his heat race and placed twelfth in passing points.
Brian Hosford (Gilbert, Arizona) raced to fourth in the “Salute to Indy” opener after starting tenth. Driving Bernie Weber’s #32B Coffin & Trout Fine Jewelers / Invision Auto Body Spike, Hosford sat tenth in passing points after running second to Chris Bonneau in his heat race.
Newcomer Landon Cling (Tempe, Arizona) had his best night of the year with a fifth place run from seventeenth. Racing his #54 machine, Cling scored sixth in his heat race, won the 12-lap semi-main, and ranked seventeenth in passing points.
Jonas Reynolds (Phoenix, Arizona) earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from twenty-first. Piloting his #0 Arizona Multisports Physical Therapy / Ryno Apparel machine, Reynolds was seventeenth in passing points after taking sixth in his heat race and scoring fifth in the semi-main.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Arizona) was the night’s top-qualifier out of twenty-six racers. Driving Mike Burkhart’s #21AZ Stratis Construction / Westin Diversified RSS, Sussex won the second heat race and scored eighth in the 30-lap main event.
Chris Bonneau (Phoenix, Arizona) raced his #78 Priced Right Auto Sales XXX to victory in the third heat race. The veteran driver was eighteenth in passing points before scoring eighteenth in the “Salute to Indy” opener.
Matt Rossi (Glendale, Arizona) won the night’s fourth 8-lap heat race. Piloting the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / IWR Spike, Rossi was seventh in passing points and scored eleventh in the main event.
For more information on the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook.
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USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
May 28, 2016 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway – “Salute to Indy”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michael), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 3. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 4. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 5. Tanner Grau (#34 Grau), 6. Jonas Reynolds (#0 Reynolds), 7. Brent Yarnel (#29B Yarnel). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Steve Sussex (#21AZ Burkhart), 2. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 3. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 4. Zack Madrid (#5M Madrid), 5. Kyle Shipley (#99 Shipley), 6. Spencer Hill (#56 Hill), 7. Asa Kesterson (#18 Kesterson). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 2. Brian Hosford (#32B Weber), 3. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 4. Dustin Burkhart (#14AZ Burkhart/White), 5. Adam Millsap (#9G Millsap), 6. Larry Kesterson (#F2 Kesterson). NT
FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 2. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 3. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 4. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 5. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 6. Landon Cling (#54 Cling). NT
SEMI: (12 laps)
1. Cling, 2. St. James, 3. Grau, 4. A.Kesterson, 5. Reynolds, 6. Hill, 7. Shipley, 8. Millsap, 9. Yarnel, 10. L.Kesterson. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. R.J. Johnson (1st), 2. Nick Aiuto (3rd), 3. Josh Pelkey (12th), 4. Brian Hosford (10th), 5. Landon Cling (17th), 6. Tye Mihocko (11th), 7. Jonas Reynolds (21st), 8. Stevie Sussex (6th), 9. Mike Martin (2nd), 10. Charles Davis Jr. (8th), 11. Matt Rossi (7th), 12. Dustin Burkhart (16th), 13. Shon Deskins (4th), 14. Spencer Hill (22nd), 15. Tom Ogle (9th), 16. Andy Reinbold (15th), 17. Bruce St. James (18th), 18. Chris Bonneau (5th), 19. Zack Madrid (14th), 20. Michael Curtis (13th), 21. Asa Kesterson (20th), 22. Tanner Grau (19th). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Johnson
HARD CHARGER: Jonas Reynolds (21st to 7th)
2016 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
June 3: #Western Tech Speedway Park - El Paso, TX (Border Tour)
June 4: #Southern New Mexico Speedway - Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour)
June 11: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
July 2: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
July 30: Canyon Speedway - Peoria, AZ (Allscapes Back to School Special)
August 17: Lawton Speedway - Lawton, OK (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 18: Creek County Speedway - Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 19: 81 Speedway - Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 20: Dodge City Raceway Park - Dodge City, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
September 2: #Western Tech Speedway Park - El Paso, TX (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 3: #Southern New Mexico Speedway - Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 17: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
October 15: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
October 22: Canyon Speedway - Peoria, AZ (Hank Arnold Memorial)
October 29: Central Arizona Speedway - Casa Grande, AZ
November 4: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ (Western World Championships / $2,000-to-Win)
November 5: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ (Western World Championships / $5,000-to-Win)
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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with NMMRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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