ASCoT: Susquehanna results 2007-05-24

Jason Johnson Enjoys Pennsylvania Return with O'Reilly ASCoT Score at SSP

NEWBERRYTOWN, Penn. (May 24, 2007) -- It was a happy homecoming of sorts for Jason Johnson, as he stormed to O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National victory lane in Thursday night's series debut at Susquehanna Speedway Park.

And the Louisiana native who spent the 2005 season competing on the Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car circuit left little doubt about his third series win of the year and 22nd National Tour win of his career by leading all the way in the 25-lapper aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports/Custom Equipment Design No. 41 Eagle for his second career win at SSP.

While Johnson led all the way virtually unchallenged, ultimately taking the checkered flag with nearly a half straightaway advantage, the battle for position behind him was intense with Oklahoma's Wayne Johnson outdueling New York's Chuck Hebing for the runner-up slot.

With the one-two finish, the unrelated duo of Johnson & Johnson also made serious inroads on current series point leader Gary Wright in the $50,000 championship points race, as Wright was forced to utilize a provisional just to take the green flag in the main event.

Entering the night with a 97-point advantage over Wayne Johnson and a 116-point cushion over Jason Johnson on the strength of 14 consecutive top-five feature runs (just two shy of the series record), Wright went for a wild ride in the opening corner of his heat race when he made contact with Davie Franek, Jr.

After barrel-rolling at least four times and coming to rest atop the turn two guardrail, Wright and crew made quick repairs to return for "B" Main action. But seven laps into the "B", Wright and Dan Carrozza made contact while dicing for the sixth and final transfer position down the backstretch. Carrozza went for a wild ride, while Wright suffered front end damage.

After more quick repairs, Wright returned and was on the move, but with just five laps remaining he could only climb from 13th to ninth, three spots short of a transfer.

Using a provisional, Wright received only the 75 show-up points, thus losing 75 points to Jason Johnson and 71 points to Wayne Johnson in the points chase.

After visiting with in-laws over the past several days, Jason Johnson earned the night's most passing points in heat race action then drew the number one pill for the Pole Dash, which he won after a torrid opening lap scramble with Kenny Adams.

Johnson outgunned Adams for the pole at the drop of the green flag in the feature event and immediately began to check out, opening up a half straightaway lead after just five laps. On the sixth round, Wayne Johnson battled past Adams for second and began to nibble away at Jason Johnson's lead.

Jason Johnson began to approach lapped traffic after ten rounds and Wayne Johnson continued to close the gap, sensing an opportunity to close in even more as traffic came into play.

But it never happened, as the yellow flag flew on the 12th circuit for Andy Shouse, who was spinning in turn two.

A pair of ensuing cautions, including a lap 18 slow-down for Darren Stewart who lost power while running third and then a lap 21 yellow when Travis Rilat tagged the turn four wall and spun, kept "The Ragin' Cajun" in clear track and untouchable.

While Jason Johnson cruised out front, Wayne Johnson suddenly had his hands full with Hebing after Stewart's demise.

Hebing charged into second on the high side on the lap 19 restart, only to have Johnson charge back by on the lap 22 restart. The pair swapped the runner-up slot several times over the final laps before Wayne Johnson secured the position on the final lap aboard Tim Hammers' Wesmar-powered H&H Enterprises No. 94 Eagle.

Just six days after his first career O'Reilly ASCoT National triumph, Hebing settled for the show position aboard the Jimmy D's-powered FA Products No. 45 Maxim.

Trevor Lewis posted a career-best ASCS National Tour feature finish by advancing from ninth to finish fourth aboard Scott McClaren's No. 21 entry, with inaugural ASCS Mid-Atlantic Region feature winner Pat Cannon rounding out the top five in the Schultz-powered Highlands Tire & Service Centers No. 3 Maxim.

Justin Collett climbed from 13th to finish sixth, with Adams crossing the stripe in seventh. Chad Layton advanced from 15th to eighth, with 16th-starter Jimmy Stitzel and leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Foster Landon completing the top ten.

Stewart, Adams, Jason Johnson and Hebing topped heat race action for Thursday night's 31-car field, with Rilat needing just four laps to overtake Stitzel for the lead in the "B" Main after starting seventh.

Davey Sammons flipped on the opening lap of the night's first heat race when his rear axle broke exiting turn two, collecting Geoff Quackenbush in the process. Both returned for "B" Main action.

After being caught up in the opening lap melee in heat four involving Gary Wright, Davie Franek, Jr., borrowed a top wing from Dan Carrozza and transferred from the "B" Main with a fifth place finish. Franek advanced to 14th in the main event.

Current ASCS Mid-Atlantic Region point leader George Suprick advanced to the main event through a wild fourth heat but was forced to scratch from the finale with major engine problems.

O'Reilly ASCoT Results from Susquehanna Speedway Park:

Heat Races (Top 16 in passing points to "A" Main; Balance to "B" Main)

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 91-Darren Stewart, 2. 3-Pat Cannon, 3. 3x-Dave Ely, 4. 12-Jimmy Stitzel, 5. 55-Chad Layton, 6. 57c-Chris Schmelzle, 7. 79-Davey Sammons, 8. 25-Geoff Quackenbush.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 4a-Kenny Adams, 2. 94-Wayne Johnson, 3. 11F-Foster Landon, 4. 69-Justin Collett, 5. 5c-Dan Carrozza, 6. 14-Coleman Gulick, 7. 39-Tim Hogue, 8. 00-Randy West.

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 99-Curt Michael, 3. 27-Andy Shouse, 4. 21-Trevor Lewis, 5. 13k-Rick Kaylor, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 56-Don Slack, 8. 36-Rod Ort.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 45-Chuck Hebing, 2. 63-Josh Weller, 3. 4b-Bryn Gohn, 4. 87-George Suprick, 5. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr., 6. 51h-Bryan Howland, 7. 9-Gary Wright.

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

Pole Dash (5 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 4a-Kenny Adams, 3. 3-Pat Cannon, 4. 91-Darren Stewart, 5. 45-Chuck Hebing, 6. 94-Wayne Johnson.

"B" Main -- Top 6 Advance to "A" Main

"B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 29-Travis Rilat, 2. 12-Jimmy Stitzel, 3. 13k-Rick Kaylor, 4. 14-Coleman Gulick, 5. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr., 6. 51h-Bryan Howland, 7. 57c-Chris Schmelzle, 8. 00-Randy West, 9. 9-Gary Wright, 10. 79-Davey Sammons, 11. 39-Tim Hogue, 12. 25-Geoff Quackenbush, 13. 36-Rod Ort, 14. 5c-Dan Carrozza. DNS: 56-Don Slack.

O'Reilly ASCoT Susquehanna Speedway Park "A" Main Results:

"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 94-Wayne Johnson, 3. 45-Chuck Hebing, 4. 21-Trevor Lewis, 5. 3-Pat Cannon, 6. 69-Justin Collett, 7. 4a-Kenny Adams, 8. 55-Chad Layton, 9. 12-Jimmy Stitzel, 10. 11F-Foster Landon, 11. 3x-Dave Ely, 12. 63-Josh Weller, 13. 13k-Rick Kaylor, 14. 28F-Davie Franek, Jr., 15. 99-Curt Michael, 16. 51h-Bryan Howland, 17. 27-Andy Shouse, 18. 14-Coleman Gulick, 19. 29-Travis Rilat, 20. 57c-Chris Schmelzle, 21. 4b-Bryn Gohn, 22. 91-Darren Stewart, 23. 9-Gary Wright, 24. 87-George Suprick.

Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-25.

Note: Gary Wright and Chris Schmelzle utilized O'Reilly ASCoT provisional starting positions for the "A" Main.

O'Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Ten): 1. Gary Wright 1,824, 2. Wayne Johnson 1,798, 3. Jason Johnson 1,783, 4. Travis Rilat 1,701, 5. Darren Stewart 1,667, 6. Foster Landon 1,520, 7. Andy Shouse 1,439, 8. Chris Schmelzle 1,200, 9. Johnny Miller 1,047, 10. Nick Smith 832.

ASCS Mid-Atlantic Region Points (Top Ten): 1. George Suprick 599, 2. Tim Hogue 593, 3. Coleman Gulick 577, 4. Geoff Quackenbush 459, 5. Pat Cannon 436, 6. Chad Layton 430, 7. Dave Ely 426, 8. Davie Franek, Jr. 422, 9. Jimmy Stitzel 418, 10. Davey Sammons 372.

ASCS Patriot Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Chuck Hebing 360, 2. Bryan Howland 350, 3. Jeff Cook 336, 4. Jared Zimbardi 334, 5. Josh Weller 328, 6. Geoff Quackenbush 326, 7. Justin Barger 322, 8. Don Adamczyk 320, 9. Blake Breen 316, 10. Bobby Breen 310.

-credit: ascs