Herrera hustles to ASCS score at BMP Speedway

Johnny Herrera (Serena Dalhamer photo)

From Bryan Hulbert

Billings, MT — (July 18, 2015) — Wild might be the proper description of the A-Feature at the Billings Motorsports Park with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network as Johnny Herrera held off Aaron Reutzel in the closing laps for his second National Tour score of the 2015 season.

Three, and at times four wide in slower traffic to keep the B.C. Funds No. 87 at bay, a late race caution cooled the action for the final two laps.

“The only car I ever saw was the No. 87, when we got into some lapped traffic and I was just looking for a line. With two and three cars just right there, you have to just pick your lines and it can take away your momentum,” said Herrera. “I just have to give a hats off to Chris [Stivers], all my sponsors, these fans that keep coming out and supporting us, and especially my fiancé back home; without her this wouldn’t be as fun so this one’s for her.”

After two caution brought back the start, Herrera chased Jordan Weaver into the first two turns. Taking over the lead in turns three and four of the opening lap, the MVT No. 45x set a torrid pace into slower traffic; finding the back of the field by the eighth lap.

Picking his way through the back markers, a bobble inside the final 10 laps on a lapped car set up a run for Reutzel, who had his hands full with Wayne Johnson.

Pulling to the back bumper of the No 45x, Reutzel dove, slid, and used every inch of the BMP Speedway, pulling even several times with Johnny only to be picked by a slower car.

The final three laps, the pair was three wide and finally four wide with Herrera barely clearing the top side to hold off Aaron just as the caution waved for a car stopped in turn four.

Back to green, Aaron was there but would not be able to get the lead, as the No. 87 worked to keep Wayne Johnson in third.

“We had a winning racecar, just lapped traffic and things didn’t fall our way but we were quick. Hats off to Johnny, he works his butt off. He’s not one of these guys that sits around and lets his crew do all the work. He does a great job and deserves to win some of these deals.”

Wayne Johnson settled for the final podium step on the Oil Medics No. 77x.

“This car just doesn’t like these bumpy tracks with a big curb. This thing was made for a slick track. I really thought I had a car that could win the race, but you have to be in clean air here,” said Wayne. “Me and Reutzel got to racing pretty dirty there and let Johnny get away, and had to track him back down, but it’s just one of those racing deals. We’ll just come back Wednesday night as see what we can get done.”

After having to visit the work area on the start of the night’s A-Feature, Seth Bergman tore from 22nd to fourth in the Corridor Electric No. 23. Joe Ramaker crossed fifth, but was disqualified for missing the scales, giving fifth to Matt Covington who came from 16th.

Phil Dietz crossed sixth with Kyle Bellm seventh. D.J. Brink from 14th was eighth with J.J. Hickle and Jordan Weaver completing the top-ten.

With 37 drivers checking in, five Heat Races went to Aaron Reutzel, J.J. Hickle, Jordan Weaver, Kyle Bellm, and Wayne Johnson. Twin B-Features went to David Hoiness and Joe Perry. No provisional starts were utilized.

The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network breaks new ground on Wednesday, July 22 with the series debut at the Gillette Thunder Speedway in Gillette, Wy.

For continued updates on the American Sprint Car Series, log onto http://www.ascracing.com.

Race Results:

Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
ASCS Frontier Region
Billings Motorsports Park – Billings, Mont.
Saturday, July 18, 2015

Car Count: 37

Heat Races: 8 Laps, taking the winner plus the next the next 11 highest in passing points to the A-Feature.

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 2. 45X-Johnny Herrera[4]; 3. 95-Matt Covington[3]; 4. 33T-Travis Stortz[1]; 5. 38B-Bryan Brown[6]; 6. 0J-Jeremy McCune[5]; 7. 6-Steve Nelson[7]; 8. 4-Cliff Nelson Jr.[8]

Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 23N-J.J. Hickle[2]; 2. 98-Joe Ramaker[5]; 3. 28-Joe Perry[1]; 4. 75-D.J. Brink[6]; 5. 77-Bob Shiplet[4]; 6. 35-Charles (Chip) Roe[8]; 7. 2-Shad Peterson[7]; 8. (DNF) 24-Leroy Brush[3]

Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 92-Jordan Weaver[2]; 2. 52-Blake Hahn[4]; 3. 72-Phil Dietz[5]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman[7]; 5. 27DD-David Hoiness[3]; 6. 14-Kyle Vanulden[1]; 7. 00-Roger Cummings[6]

Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 14K-Kyle Bellm[4]; 2. 32-Tyler Gabel[1]; 3. 18-Seth Ostermiller[2]; 4. 56X-Mark Chisholm[6]; 5. 15-James Sires[5]; 6. 4N-John Nelson[3]; 7. 14H-Ben Holmberg[7]

Heat 5 (8 Laps): 1. 77X-Wayne Johnson[2]; 2. 12-Josh Ostermiller[4]; 3. 33-Kris Miller[6]; 4. 99-Skylar Gee[3]; 5. 21-Ryder Olson[1]; 6. 55-Tyler Liebig[5]; 7. 4S-Adam Speckman[7]

B-Feature(s): 12 laps, taking the top 3 from each to the tail of the A-Feature.

B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 27DD-David Hoiness[5]; 2. 99-Skylar Gee[2]; 3. 0J-Jeremy McCune[6]; 4. 00-Roger Cummings[10]; 5. 4S-Adam Speckman[9]; 6. 35-Charles (Chip) Roe[3]; 7. 2-Shad Peterson[8]; 8. 4N-John Nelson[7]; 9. 24-Leroy Brush[11]; 10. (DNF) 18-Seth Ostermiller[1]; 11. (DNF) 15-James Sires[4]

B Feature 2 (12 Laps): 1. 28-Joe Perry[1]; 2. 38B-Bryan Brown[2]; 3. 6-Steve Nelson[7]; 4. 14-Kyle Vanulden[9]; 5. 77-Bob Shiplet[4]; 6. 4-Cliff Nelson Jr.[10]; 7. 33T-Travis Stortz[3]; 8. 14H-Ben Holmberg[8]; 9. (DNF) 55-Tyler Liebig[6]; 10. (DNF) 21-Ryder Olson[5]

A-Feature: 30 Laps

A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 45X-Johnny Herrera[3]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]; 3. 77X-Wayne Johnson[4]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman[12]; 5. 95-Matt Covington[16]; 6. 72-Phil Dietz[11]; 7. 14K-Kyle Bellm[6]; 8. 75-D.J. Brink[14]; 9. 23N-J.J. Hickle[7]; 10. 92-Jordan Weaver[1]; 11. 27DD-David Hoiness[17]; 12. 52-Blake Hahn[2]; 13. 99-Skylar Gee[19]; 14. 0J-Jeremy McCune[21]; 15. 56X-Mark Chisholm[15]; 16. 33-Kris Miller[10]; 17. 32-Tyler Gabel[13]; 18. 38B-Bryan Brown[20]; 19. 6-Steve Nelson[22]; 20. (DNF) 28-Joe Perry[18]; 21. (DNF) 12-Josh Ostermiller[9]; DQ. 98-Joe Ramaker[8]

Lap Leader(s): Johnny Herrera 1-30
KSE Hard Charger: Matt Covington +11
FSR High Point: Aaron Reutzel
Provisional(s): N/A