From Lonnie Wheatley, MESQUITE, Texas (June 18, 2010) – Louisiana’s Jason Johnson racked up another win by wiring the field in the opening leg of the American Sprint Car Series Red River Challenge on Friday night at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Johnson gunned into the lead from the pole position and led the entire 30-lap distance to take the $2,000 winner’s share in the ASCS Lone Star vs. Sooner main event aboard the Don Ott-powered Haynes/Pope Transportation No. 41 Maxim.
Johnson’s fifth overall ASCS win of the year and 77th career overall ASCS win came ahead of Kansas shoe and fellow Lucas Oil ASCS National contender Tony Bruce, Jr., with Lone Star reps Kevin Ramey and Eric Baldaccini next across the stripe in third and fourth, respectively.
Reigning American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region champion Joe Wood, Jr., rounded out the top five, with Danny Jennings, 20th-starter Austen Wheatley, Claud Estes, Kenneth Walker and current Sooner points leader Sean McClelland completing the top ten.
Estes, Todd Evans, Ramey and Bruce, Jr., topped heat race action for the 29-car field, with Brandon Corn winning the “B” Main.
The second round of the ASCS Red River Challenge pitting the ASCS Lone Star versus the ASCS Sooner Region takes place Saturday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, with racing action going green at 8:00 p.m.
ASCS Lone Star vs. Sooner Results from Devil’s Bowl Speedway:
First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 74e-Claud Estes, 2. 21$-Michelle Decker, 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 4. 74x-Joshua Hodges, 5. 27-Andy Shouse, 6. 30-Brandon Corn, 7. 9-Brian Parker, 8. 2L-Logan Payne.
Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 14e-Todd Evans, 2. 45x-Martin Edwards, 3. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford, 4. 6-Justin Spoerl, 5. 1-Sean McClelland, 6. 44w-Austen Wheatley, 7. 25-Brian McClelland.
Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 2. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 3. 1j-Danny Jennings, 4. 11-Justin Melton, 5. 45-J.P. Bailey, 6. 1r-Scott Reneau, 7. 17w-Brad Welborn.
Fourth Heat (8 Laps): 1. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 2. 2-Kenneth Walker, 3. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 4. 87a-Andrew Marshala, 5. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 6. 76-John Ricketts, 7. 90-Lance Norick.
“B” Main (10 Laps): 1. 30-Brandon Corn, 2. 44w-Austen Wheatley, 3. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 4. 76-John Ricketts, 5. 25-Brian McClelland, 6. 1r-Scott Reneau, 7. 17w-Brad Welborn, 8. 9-Brian Parker, 9. 2L-Logan Payne, 10. 45-J.P. Bailey, 11. 90-Lance Norick.
“A” Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 3. 7m-Kevin Ramey, 4. 4-Eric Baldaccini, 5. 03-Joe Wood, Jr., 6. 1j-Danny Jennings, 7. 44w-Austen Wheatley, 8. 74e-Claud Estes, 9. 2-Kenneth Walker, 10. 1-Sean McClelland, 11. 74x-Joshua Hodges, 12. 45x-Martin Edwards, 13. 0c-Preston Peebles II, 14. 25-Brian McClelland, 15. 1r-Scott Reneau, 16. 30-Brandon Corn, 17. 21$-Michelle Decker, 18. 6-Justin Spoerl, 19. 76-John Ricketts, 20. 11-Justin Melton, 21. 87a-Andrew Marshala, 22. 27-Andy Shouse, 23. 14e-Todd Evans, 24. 55-Donnie Ray Crawford.
ASCS Lone Star Region Points (Top 10): 1. Eric Baldaccini 766, 2. Claud Estes 688, 3. Preston Peebles II 671, 4. John Ricketts 641, 5. Justin Melton 633, 6. Brandon Corn 624, 7. Martin Edwards 605, 8. Kevin Ramey 577, 9. Joshua Hodges 552, 10. Bean Elliott 513.
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Sean McClelland 638, 2. Joe Wood, Jr. 625, 3. Donnie Ray Crawford 601, 4. Kenneth Walker 595, 5. Andy Shouse 563, 6. Tony Bruce, Jr. 557, 7. Nick Smith 509, 8. Brian McClelland 479, 9. Michelle Decker 377, 10. Joshua Hodges 322.