ASCoT: Speedweek Mid-America results 2006-07-08

Cajun Rages to Second Straight ASCS Speedweek Win

SOUTH COFFEYVILLE, Okla. (July 8, 2006) -- Jason Johnson, "The Ragin' Cajun", charged around Jerrod Hull on the ninth round and never looked back as he streaked to his second triumph in as many legs of the 14th Annual O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour COMP Cams Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek in Saturday night's 25-lap feature before a packed house at Mid-America Speedway.

The win aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Diesel Service No. 41 Eagle marked Johnson's fifth in O'Reilly ASCoT action this season and eleventh overall ASCS win of 2006. It also marked his fifth career ASCS Speedweek feature triumph.

While Johnson gridded the feature field on the front row outside, it was polesitter Hull gunning into the early lead. Hull opened up a ten car-length advantage in the early rounds aboard the Wesmar-powered H&H Enterprises No. 94h Avenger, as Johnson held off rookie shoe B.J. Fay, Gavin Punch and Nick Smith for the second position.

But as Hull began to approach lapped traffic, Johnson closed the gap on the seventh round and began challenging for the point. Johnson's pressure paid off, as he slipped underneath Hull exiting turn two on the ninth round to assume a lead he would not relinquish.

With the leaders facing heavy traffic, the race's first caution appeared a lap after Johnson's pass for the lead when Tulsan Danny Smith looped his mount in turn two. With clear track ahead, Johnson set sail on the restart.

Hull kept pace for several rounds before gradually losing ground, as Fay and Punch diced for third just in front of Smith. But as Johnson closed on the tail of the field in the final handful of laps, Hull began reeling the leader in and set his sights on a potential second career ASCS National Tour triumph.

But just as the white flag flew and Hull was set for one last-gasp attempt, the caution lights flickered for Roger Crockett, who came to a stop on the backstretch with a cut right rear tire. Crockett retired to the pit area with a broken brake caliper the primary culprit.

Set for a green-white-checkered run, Johnson checked out to secure the win, with Hull settling for the runner-up slot. Punch posted a career-best ASCS National Tour finish of third in the Down Under Motorsports No. 81au, with Micro grad Fay posting a strong fourth-place showing in just his second career ASCS National Tour appearance.

Smith crossed the stripe fifth in the MPHG Promotions No. 15s J&J to extend his championship point lead to 43 markers over two-time and defending series champion Gary Wright. Jamie Passmore claimed sixth in front of Jesse Hockett and Darren Stewart, while Wright advanced from 18th to finish ninth. Travis Rilat picked off six positions to complete the top ten.

Hull, Johnson, Smith, Punch, Fay and Passmore topped heat race action for the rugged 43-car field, with Zach Chappell and Wright each scoring victories in twin "B" Main action.

Hull earned the pole position for the feature by winning an eventful pole dash that included spins by Johnson, Smith and Hockett. Smith followed his turn four spin with a turn four wall-cruncher a lap later that sent his mount flying. Smith escaped the incident with little more than a broken right rear wheel.

Round Three of the 14th Annual O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour COMP Cams Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek gets under way Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, OK.

O'Reilly ASCoT COMP Cams Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek Round Two Results:

Heat Races (Top 16 in passing points to "A" Main -- Top 6 to Pole Dash; balance to Twin "B" Mains)

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 94h-Jerrod Hull, 2. 26-Rafe Essary, 3. 35-Brad Best, 4. 12-Trey Robb, 5. 85s-Forrest Sutherland, 6. 94s-Natalie Sather, 7. 22J-Jasiel Randolph, 8. 10r-David Wheeler.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 15-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 3. 29-Travis Rilat, 4. 92-Zach Chappell, 5. 7c-Chris Morgan, 6. 22-Koby Barksdale, 7. 4am-Travis Jenkins.

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 15s-Nick Smith, 2. 1-Sean McClelland, 3. 94-Cody Branchcomb, 4. 23-Jimmy Taylor, 5. 010-Brian Roberts, 6. 94w-Waylon Weaver, 7. 14-Kyle Bellm.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 81au-Gavin Punch, 2. 75-Jesse Hockett, 3. 45-J.P. Bailey, 4. 11F-Foster Landon, 5. 16$-Eddie Ramsey, 6. 04-Brad Graham. DNS: 18-Tony Bruce, Jr.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 15x-B.J. Fay, 2. 10-Brian McClelland, 3. 46-Jan Howard, 4. 9-Gary Wright, 5. 72-Sherman Davis, 6. 5$-Danny Smith, 7. 59-Dex Eaton.

Heat Six (8 Laps): 1. 4-Jamie Passmore, 2. 57-Roger Crockett, 3. 91-Darren Stewart, 4. 69m-Chad Meinholdt, 5. 26m-Shelly Ward, 6. 44J-Abe Sherwood, 7. 11z-Mike Goodman.

Pole Dash (Finishing Order Determines Front Three Rows of "A" Main):

Pole Dash (5 Laps): 1. 94h-Jerrod Hull, 2. 41-Jason Johnson, 3. 15x-B.J. Fay, 4. 81au-Gavin Punch, 5. 75-Jesse Hockett, 6. 15s-Nick Smith.

Twin "B" Mains -- Top 3 from each Advance to "A" Main

First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 92-Zach Chappell, 2. 72-Sherman Davis, 3. 5$-Danny Smith, 4. 45-J.P. Bailey, 5. 23-Jimmy Taylor, 6. 69m-Chad Meinholdt, 7. 7c-Chris Morgan, 8. 16$-Eddie Ramsey, 9. 94w-Waylon Weaver, 10. 22J-Jasiel Randolph, 11. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 12. 11z-Mike Goodman, 13. 14-Kyle Bellm, 14. 94s-Natalie Sather.

Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 9-Gary Wright, 2. 57-Roger Crockett, 3. 010-Brian Roberts, 4. 4am-Travis Jenkins, 5. 11F-Foster Landon, 6. 94-Cody Branchcomb, 7. 26m-Shelly Ward, 8. 59-Dex Eaton, 9. 10r-David Wheeler, 10. 04-Brad Graham, 11. 22-Koby Barksdale, 12. 44J-Abe Sherwood, 13. 85s-Forrest Sutherland.

O'Reilly ASCoT COMP Cams Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek Round Two "A" Main Event:

"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 94h-Jerrod Hull, 3. 81au-Gavin Punch, 4. 15x-B.J. Fay, 5. 15s-Nick Smith, 6. 4-Jamie Passmore, 7. 75-Jesse Hockett, 8. 91-Darren Stewart, 9. 9-Gary Wright, 10. 29-Travis Rilat, 11. 1-Sean McClelland, 12. 46-Jan Howard, 13. 72-Sherman Davis, 14. 35-Brad Best, 15. 15-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 16. 10-Brian McClelland, 17. 12-Trey Robb, 18. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 19. 26-Rafe Essary, 20. 92-Zach Chappell, 21. 57-Roger Crockett, 22. 010-Brian Roberts, 23. 5$-Danny Smith.

Lap Leaders: Jerrod Hull 1-8, Jason Johnson 9-25.

Note: After scratching from his heat due to ignition problems, Tony Bruce, Jr., utilized his ASCS Speedweek provisional to start the "A" Main.

O'Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Fifteen): 1. Nick Smith 2,071, 2. Gary Wright 2,028, 3. Jesse Hockett 1,989, 4. Jason Johnson 1,972, 5. Travis Rilat 1,950, 6. Darren Stewart 1,908, 7. Jan Howard 1,828, 8. Sean McClelland 1,790, 9. Trey Robb 1,669, 10. Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 1,642, 11. Tony Bruce, Jr. 1,580, 12. Abe Sherwood 1,341, 13. Zach Chappell 1,338, 14. Dustin Daggett 1,153, 15. Jerrod Hull 1,096.

ASCS COMP Cams Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek Points (Top Ten Through Round Two of Six): 1. Jason Johnson 300, 2. Jerrod Hull 290, 3. Nick Smith 286, 4. Jesse Hockett 278, 5. Gavin Punch 276, 6. (tie) Darren Stewart and Travis Rilat 268, 8. Tony Bruce, Jr., 254, 9. Jan Howard 250, 10. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 248, 11. Trey Robb 246, 12. (tie) Gary Wright, Sean McClelland and Roger Crockett 244, 15. Zach Chappell 236.

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