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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series
- #12 Josh Pelkey wins at Arizona Speedway. Photo by Patrick Shaw / Backed-In Photography.
JOSH PELKEY SCORES VICTORY AT ARIZONA SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – JULY 14, 2014... With a “super moon” shining over Queen Creek’s Arizona Speedway, Josh Pelkey of Peoria claimed Saturday’s USAC SouthWest Sprint Car main event. The controversial $1,500 victory was Josh’s third triumph of the season and first series win at the ET Motopark facility. “The Kid” Tye Mihocko, Josh Shipley, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and R.J. Johnson rounded out the top-five drivers.
Looking for his second win in a row, Davis started fourth on the grid and led the first twenty-three circuits. Finding the bottom groove to his liking, Shipley took command from Davis and streaked from the field to the checkered flags. Unfortunately for last year’s Challenge Cup Champion, a rules infraction relegated Shipley with a two-car penalty and a third place finish. Pelkey, who rebounded from a mid-race tangle, had charged from the rear of the field to take home the winning trophy.
Racing the Robbie and Gaye Allen owned #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, Josh Pelkey scored his fourth series victory after starting eighth in the feature. Now fourth on the win list, the former ASCA Champion ran third in his heat race and seated eighth in the nightly passing points. Pelkey left Queen Creek ranked third in the championship points with three heat race victories, two hard charger awards, seventeen top-10 finishes, and 54 feature laps led.
Peoria’s “The Kid” Tye Mihocko earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a second place run from eleventh. Piloting the family owned #5 RSS Industries / Old World Brewery RSS, Mihocko took fourth in his heat race and was eleventh in passing points. “The Kid” heads to Canyon Speedway Park ranked seventh in the point chase with two heat race victories, one semi-main win, and nine top-10 finishes to his credit.
Josh Shipley of Peoria scored third in the Arizona Speedway main event. Driving Bob Bishop’s #2 RSS Industries / AME Electrical RSS, Shipley ran second to R.J. Johnson in his heat race and sat fifth in passing points. At press time, Josh is thirteenth in the point standings with one hard charger award, five top-10 finishes, and six feature laps led on the season.
After leading twenty-three laps, Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. took fourth at Queen Creek. Racing the Massey Motorsports #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS, Davis won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and was third in the nightly passing points. The five-time Arizona Champion left ET Motopark ranked second in points with three feature wins, ten heat race victories, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 102 feature laps led on the year.
R.J. Johnson of Phoenix ran fifth in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Bill Michael’s #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman, the defending champion won the program’s second 8-lap heat race and was second in passing points. With a nineteen point advantage, the point leader has four feature wins, six heat race victories, one hard charger award, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 89 feature laps led in the campaign.
Phoenix’s Matt Rossi raced to victory in the third heat race and was the night’s high point driver. Driving the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / Advanced Engine Components Spike, Rossi took seventh at the checkered flags. Currently, the veteran driver is fifth in the point chase with two heat race victories, two hard charger awards, and nine top-10 finishes.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series will be back in action on Saturday, July 26th at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria. The “3rd Annual Summer Slam” will also feature IMCA Modifieds, Mini Sprints, Pure Stocks, and Dwarf Cars. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.7223.
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).
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USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
July 12, 2014 – Queen Creek, Arizona – Arizona Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Bob Ream Jr., (#22B Weber), 3. Mike Colegrove (#17M Colegrove), 4. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 5. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 6. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 7. Mark Morin (#28 Morin). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michaels), 2. Josh Shipley (#2 Bishop), 3. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 4. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 5. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 6. Brian Hosford (#32B Weber). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 2. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 3. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 4. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 5. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 6, Corey Hurley (#71H Hurley). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Josh Pelkey (8th), 2. Tye Mihocko (11th), 3. Josh Shipley (2nd), 4. Charles Davis Jr. (4th), 5. R.J. Johnson (5th), 6. Andy Reinbold (7th), 7. Matt Rossi (6th), 8. Tom Ogle (1st), 9. Mark Morin (18th), 10. Michael Curtis (16th), 11. Dennis Gile (15th), 12. Shon Deskins (9th), 13. Bruce St. James (13th), 14. Mike Martin (14th), 15. Brian Hosford (17th), 16. Nick Aiuto (10th), 17. Corey Hurley (19th), 18. Bob Ream Jr. (3rd), 19. Mike Colegrove (12th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-23 Charles Davis Jr., Laps 24-29 Josh Shipley, Lap 30 Josh Pelkey.
HARD CHARGER: Tye Mihocko (11th to 2nd)
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. R.J. Johnson-668, 2. Charles Davis Jr.-649, 3. Josh Pelkey-635, 4. Shon Deskins-547, 5. Matt Rossi-510, 6. Mike Martin-505, 6. Tye Mihocko-492, 8. Mike Colegrove-442, 9. Andy Reinbold-429, 10. Nick Aiuto-378, 11. Bruce St. James-376, 12. Michael Curtis-375, 13. Josh Shipley-331, 14. Brian Hosford-315, 15. Tom Ogle-294, 16. Stevie Sussex-271, 17. Mike Bonneau-242, 18. Chris Bonneau-225, 19. Mark Morin-209, 20. Dennis Gile-187.
2014 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
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)
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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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