|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series
- #77M R.J. Johnson - USAC SouthWest Point Leader. Photo by Patrick Shaw / Backed-In Photography.
R.J. JOHNSON LEADS USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINTS TO ARIZONA SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ – JULY 9, 2014... This Saturday, July 12th, the cars and stars of the USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will clash at Queen Creek’s Arizona Speedway. Located within ET Motopark, the eleventh point race will also showcase Pure Stocks, Super Stocks, Mod Lites, and the Robert Horne Ford Bombers. The Front Gates will open at 5:15pm and Racing is scheduled for 8:00pm.
Saturday’s race will be the fourth of six dates at fast 1/3-mile facility. Defending champion R.J. Johnson won the April 12th “Spring Fling” and the June 7th point race. On May 10th, five-time state champion “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. claimed the 30-lap “Mother’s Day Race.” While Johnson leads all drivers with five triumphs at Arizona Speedway, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin won the series debut on April 13, 2013.
Heading to Queen Creek, R.J. Johnson of Phoenix holds a twenty-one point advantage over the competition. Returning from two nights with USAC/CRA in California, the driver of Bill Michaels’ #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman ran sixth at Prescott Valley on June 28th. To date, Johnson has four main event wins, five heat race victories, one hard charger award, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 89 feature laps led. R.J. have his sights on his series leading 16th main event win and continuing his bid for another title.
After winning his third feature of the year at Prescott Valley, Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. has climbed to second in the point chase. Piloting the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS, Davis has nine heat race victories, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 79 feature laps led on the season. “Chargin” Charles will be looking for his tenth SouthWest triumph and gaining valuable championship points.
Josh Pelkey of Peoria ranks third in the championship point standings. Racing Robbie and Gaye Allen’s 12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, Pelkey scored ninth in the Prescott Valley main event. Currently, the 1997 ASCA Champion has two feature wins, three heat race victories, two hard charger awards, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 53 feature laps led. Josh will have his sights on his fourth series victory and the $1,500 payday at Queen Creek.
Phoenix’s Shon Deskins is fourth in the USAC SouthWest point standings. Like Johnson, the driver of the #20 MP Environmental / Performance Plus Spike returned from two nights in California with USAC/CRA. The veteran racer placed seventh at Prescott Valley and has one feature win, four heat race victories, and eleven top-10 finishes, and 30 feature laps led in 2014. This Saturday, Shon will be looking for his second SouthWest victory and adding the winning trophy to his collection.
“The Magic Man” Mike Martin of Yuma sits fifth in the chase for the championship. Racing his #16 PPG Professional Paints / Desert Building Materials Maxim, Martin scored third at Prescott Valley. To date, the former “Hall of Fame Classic Winner” has five heat race victories, one semi-main win, one hard charger award, ten top-10 finishes, and one feature lap led. “The Magic” Man will have his sights on his first victory of the year and returning to victory circle at Arizona Speedway.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Matt Rossi, “The Kid” Tye Mihocko, Mike Colegrove, Andy Reinbold, Nick Aiuto, “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James, Michael Curtis, Brian Hosford, Stevie Sussex, Josh Shipley, Tom Ogle, Mike Bonneau, Chris Bonneau, Mark Morin, Dennis Gile, and more.
Arizona Speedway is located within ET Motopark at 47346 N. Ironwood Road in Queen Creek, Arizona. To get to the track, exit Ironwood Drive on US 60, then head four miles south. Adult Tickets are $15, Senior Tickets are $12, Kids Tickets (11-7) are $5, and Children 6 and under are FREE. For more event and ticket information, visit www.arizonaspeedway.net or call 480.926.6688.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Racers Advantage Store, and the Hose Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the group, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SouthwestSprintCars).
-----------------------------------------------
QUEEN CREEK USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT WINS:
5-R.J. Johnson, 3-Charles Davis Jr., 1- Mike Martin.
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. R.J. Johnson-607, 2. Charles Davis Jr.-586, 3. Josh Pelkey-569, 4. Shon Deskins-513, 5. Mike Martin-476, 6. Matt Rossi-454, 7. Tye Mihocko-430, 8. Mike Colegrove-421, 9. Andy Reinbold-378, 10. Nick Aiuto-348, 11. Bruce St. James-347, 12. Michael Curtis-339, 13. Brian Hosford-291, 14. Stevie Sussex-271, 15. Josh Shipley-268, 16. Tom Ogle-247, 17. Mike Bonneau-242, 18. Chris Bonneau-225, 19. Mark Morin-170, 20. Dennis Giles-152.
2014 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
July 12: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
July 26: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Summer Slam)
August 1: Prescott Valley Speedway - Prescott Valley, AZ (Rick Stewart Memorial)
August 2: Prescott Valley Speedway - Prescott Valley, AZ (Rick Stewart Memorial)
August 13: Lawton Speedway - Lawton, OK (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 14: Creek County Speedway - Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 15: 81 Speedway - Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 16: Dodge City Raceway Park - Dodge City, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)
August 29: **El Paso Speedway Park - El Paso, TX (Border Tour)
August 30: **Southern New Mexico Speedway - Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour)
August 31: **Tularosa Speedway - Tularosa, NM (Border Tour)
September 6: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
September 20: Central Arizona Raceway - Casa Grande, AZ
September 27: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Brawl For It All / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series)
October 11: Prescott Valley Speedway - Prescott Valley, AZ
October 18: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Southwest Championships)
November 1: Arizona Speedway - Queen Creek, AZ
November 6: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Oval Nationals / $2,500-to-Win / Grudge Series / Non-Points)
November 20: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 21: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 22: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Western World Championships / $7,500-to-Win)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC West Coast Sprints.
** = Co-Sanctioned Event with NMMRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
|
