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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series
R.J. JOHNSON STAYS HOT WITH QUEEN CREEK VICTORY
By Lance Jennings
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – JUNE 14, 2015... R.J. Johnson of Phoenix continued his winning ways last Saturday at Queen Creek’s Arizona Speedway. Grabbing the lead from “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. on the third lap, Johnson sailed to his sixth USAC SouthWest Sprint Car victory of the year. Davis, Stevie Sussex, Matt Rossi, and Josh Pelkey chased the two-time champion to the checkered flags.
Piloting the Bill Michaels’ owned #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman, R.J. Johnson claimed his series leading 28th victory. Before winning six of the last nine point races, Johnson won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and ranked third in passing points. Heading to Saturday’s “Father’s Day Classic” at Peoria, R.J. leads the point chase with five heat race victories, eleven top-10 finishes, and 109 feature laps led.
After leading the first two circuits, Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. ran second at Arizona Speedway. Racing the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis scored third in his heat race and placed sixth in passing points. “Chargin” Charles left Queen Creek second in points with one feature win, two high point driver awards, three heat race victories, eleven top-10 finishes, and 36 feature laps led to his credit.
Stevie Sussex of Tempe raced from tenth to claim third in the Queen Creek feature. Driving Dennis Gile’s #13S Quarterback Academy Ellis, Sussex was fourth in his heat race and ranked tenth in passing points. At press time, Stevie is fourth in the standings with two feature wins, three hard charger awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 72 feature laps led on the season.
South Central’s Matt Rossi finished fourth in the 30-lap main event. Piloting the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / IWR Spike, Rossi ran second to Mike Martin in his heat race and placed second in the nightly passing points. The defending Western World Champion is currently fifth in the point chase with two hard charger awards, seven top-10 finishes, and 22 feature laps led.
Josh Pelkey of Peoria claimed fifth at the checkered flags. Racing Robbie and Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts RSS, Pelkey ran second to Dennis Gile in his heat race and ranked fifth in passing points. The former ASCA Sprint Car Champion is currently third in the standings with one high point driver award, one heat race victory, and eight top-10 finishes on the year.
Peoria’s “The Bull” Tye Mihocko earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eleventh place run from twentieth. Driving the family owned #5 Property Solutions / Michael Most Trucking RSS, Mihocko scored seventh in his heat race and placed twentieth in passing points. Heading to Canyon, the young driver is fourteenth in points with two top-10 finishes.
“The Magic Man” Mike Martin of Yuma earned the night’s high point driver award over the 21 races in the pit area. Piloting his #16 Sherwin-Williams / Ultimate Offroad Maxim, Martin won the night’s third 8-lap heat race and took seventh in the main event. The former Hall of Fame Classic Champion is seventh in the standings with two high point driver awards, five heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led.
Phoenix’s Dennis Gile claimed his first 8-lap heat race victory of the campaign. Racing Gene Gile’s #13 Quarterback Academy / Bobby Q Ellis, Gile was fourth in passing points and claimed eighteenth in the main event. Dennis left Arizona Speedway ranked thirteenth in USAC SouthWest points.
This Saturday, June 20th, the cars and stars of the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series will battle at Kevin Montgomery’s Canyon Speedway Park. The “5th Annual Father’s Day Classic” will also feature the 9th World Vapor IMCA Modifieds, Mini Sprints, AZ Differential Pure Stocks, and the Scottsdale Muffler & Automotive Renegades. In addition, there will be an open practice session for all divisions on Friday from 6pm to 9pm. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.7223.
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 13, 2015 – Queen Creek, Arizona – Arizona Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michaels), 2. Brian Hosford (#22B Weber), 3. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 4. Mike Colegrove (#17 Colegrove), 5. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 6. Josh Shipley (#2 Bishop). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 2. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 3. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 4. Stevie Sussex (#13S Gile), 5. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 6. Robert King Jr., (#7S King), 7. Koty McGullam (#44K McGullam). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 2. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 3. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 4. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 5. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 6. Joe Scheopner (#17X Schoepner), 7. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko). NT
ALSO AT TRACK: Mike Bonneau (#29 Bonneau)
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. R.J. Johnson (4th), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (1st), 3. Stevie Sussex (10th), 4. Matt Rossi (5th), 5. Josh Pelkey (2nd), 6. Mike Colegrove (12th), 7. Mike Martin (6th), 8. Andy Reinbold (15th), 9. Brian Hosford (7th), 10. Bruce St. James (11th), 11. Tye Mihocko (20th), 12. Tom Ogle (14th), 13. Josh Shipley (17th), 14. Joe Scheopner (18th), 15. Koty McGullam (19th), 16. Nick Aiuto (8th), 17. Robert King Jr. (16th), 18. Dennis Gile (3rd), 19. Michael Curtis (13th), 20. Chris Bonneau (9th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 Davis, Laps 3-30 Johnson.
HARD CHARGER: Tye Mihocko (20th to 11th.)
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. R.J. Johnson-586, 2. Charles Davis Jr.-497, 3. Josh Pelkey-484, 4. Matt Rossi-470, 5. Stevie Sussex-466, 6. Mike Colegrove-398, 7. Mike Martin-361, 8. Brian Hosford-345, 9. Bruce St. James-308, 10. Andy Reinbold-284, 11. Shon Deskins-256, 12. Josh Shipley-249, 13. Dennis Gile-244, 14. Tye Mihocko-240, 15. Chris Bonneau-231, 16. Nick Aiuto-218, 17. Michael Curtis-189, 18. Dalten Gabbard-165, 19. Mike Bonneau-152, 20. Tom Ogle-142.
2015 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
June 20: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Father’s Day Classic)
June 27: USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Hot Summer Nights)
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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