START TO FINISH, R.J. JOHNSON WINS CANYON’S “ALLSCAPES BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL”
Peoria, Arizona………Leading all 30-laps, R.J. Johnson (Tempe, Arizona) claimed last Saturday’s feature win at Canyon Speedway in Peoria, Arizona. For Johnson, the “Allscapes Back to School Special” was his sixth USAC SouthWest Sprint Car triumph of the season. “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Andy Reinbold, Matt Rossi, and “The Magic Man” Mike Martin chased the three-time champion to the checkered flags.
Racing Bill Michael’s #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body entry, R.J. Johnson earned his series leading thirty-eighth main event win. At the start of the night, the second generation driver ran third in his heat race and ranked fifth out of seventeen racers in passing points. Heading to the upcoming “Freedom Tour,” R.J holds a 107-point lead with five heat race victories, five top-qualifier awards, seventeen top-10 finishes, and 140 feature laps led to his credit.
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) took second in the “Allscapes Back to School Special.” Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and placed fourth in passing points. To date, the five-time Arizona champion is second in the point chase with nine heat race victories, two top-qualifier awards, one hard charger award, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 39 feature laps led in the campaign.
Andy Reinbold (Gilbert, Arizona) raced to third at Canyon Speedway after starting eighth. Piloting Todd Underwood’s #19 AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, Reinbold finished fourth in his heat race and ranked eighth in the night’s passing points. The veteran driver sits ninth in the point standings with seven top-10 finishes on the year.
Matt Rossi (Glendale, Arizona) scored fourth in Canyon’s 30-lap main event. Racing the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / IWR Spike, Rossi took third in his heat race and placed second in passing points. The former Western World 360 Champion is fourth in the point chase with two heat race victories, one semi-main win, nine top-10 finishes, and 13 feature laps led on the season.
“The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, Arizona) ran fifth in the “Allscapes Back to School Special.” Driving his #16 Sherwin-Williams / Boulevard Truck Maxim, Martin won his sixth heat race of the campaign and placed third in passing points. The former Hall of Fame Classic Winner sits third in the point chase with one top-qualifier award, two hard charger awards, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 27 feature laps led.
“The Bull” Tye Mihocko (Peoria, Arizona) earned his first top-qualifier award of the year. Piloting the family #5 Property Solutions / Michael Most Trucking RSS, Mihocko ran second to Charles Davis Jr. in his heat race and scored eighth in the main event. The young driver is currently seventh in points with one hard charger award and eleven top-10 finishes.
On Wednesday, August 17th, the USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will open their annual Midwest “Freedom Tour” in Lawton, Oklahoma’s Lawton Speedway. The non-point, four-race mini-series will also stop at Creek County Speedway (Sapulpa, Oklahoma), 81 Speedway (Wichita, Kansas), and Dodge City Raceway Park (Dodge City, Kansas).
For more information on the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook.
LANCE JENNINGS - USAC MEDIA
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USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: July 30, 2016 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Allscapes Back to School Special”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 3. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 4. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 5. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 6. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 7. Landon Cling (#54 Cling), 8. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 9. Zack Madrid (#5Z Madrid). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 2. Michael Curtis (#11c Turner/Wheeler), 3. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michael), 4. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 5. Dustin Burkhart (#14AZ Burkhart/White), 6. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 7. Jonas Reynolds (#0 Harland), 8. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. Andy Reinbold, 4. Matt Rossi, 5. Mike Martin, 6. Josh Pelkey, 7. Nick Aiuto, 8. Tye Mihocko, 9. Dennis Gile, 10. Michael Curtis, 11. Landon Cling, 12. Chris Bonneau, 13. Bruce St. James, 14. Matt Lundy, 15. Jonas Reynolds, 16. Dennis Burkhart, 17. Zack Madrid. NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Johnson
HARD CHARGER: Josh Pelkey (15th to 6th)
NEW SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Johnson-903, 2-Davis-796, 3-Martin-740, 4-Rossi-736, 5-Stevie Sussex-640, 6-Aiuto-639, 7-Mihocko-614, 8-Gile-546, 9-Reinbold-533, 10-Pelkey-500.
NEXT SOUTHWEST SPRINT RACE: August 17 – Lawton (OK) Speedway (Special Event) – “Freedom Tour”
