From Cody Morris
Waco, TX — (March 30, 2012) — Chalk up another victory for the invaders. Knoxville, Iowa’s Sooner State transplant Wayne Johnson scored his 2nd Griffith Trucking and Equipment ASCS Gulf South Region score of the young 2012 season Friday night at Waco’s Heart O’ Texas Speedway.
Johnson added to his Gulf South season opening score in Beaumont, Texas to become the first repeat winner of the 2012 season in any American Sprint Car Series division.
Beau Smith led the field to the start of the 30 lap main event, but fellow front row starter Brandon Corn stood out long enough to lead the first two laps before contact with Sam Hafertepe Jr. sent Corn flipping out of contention. While visibly dejected, the Gause, Texas native emerged unscathed.
Hafertepe’s early and inherited lead quickly surrendered to Johnson’s pace on the 5th circuit. The Mustang, Oklahoma native and current Knoxville, Iowa veteran endured several race stoppages, including a hard Larry Howery tumble after contact with a spinning Hafertepe on the 22nd lap.
Johnson immediately resumed his dominant pace and comfortably claimed his second $3,000 ASCS Gulf South score of the season aboard the City Vending and The Oil Medics sponsored no. 77x Maxim.
Liberal, Kansas native and current Owasso, Oklahoma resident Tony Bruce Jr. advanced from his 7th starting spot to claim runner up honors, with Snohomish, Washington’s Seth Bergman earning show position honors and an exclamation point on the podium for the National Tour invaders.
Clute, Texas’ 2009 Gulf South Region Champion Aaron Reutzel advanced 6 spots to finish fourth, with reigning back to back Gulf South champion Ray Allen Kulhanek claiming Hard Charger honors with a phenomenal charge from 17th in the original starting lineup to the fifth position in the final running order.
Seth Bergman, Tony Bruce Jr., George White, and Beau Smith each earned heat race wins over the 31 car field, with Wes Miller and Logan Forler each taking leading transfers in the twin 12-lap B Features.
The Griffith Trucking and Equipment ASCS Gulf South Region campaign continues Saturday with Round 4 of their 26 race season at the highly anticipated 1st Annual Nolan Wren Memorial at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, Texas. Gates open at 5pm with heat races set to begin at 7pm.
Griffith Trucking and Equipment ASCS Gulf South Region
March 30th, 2012 – Round 3 of 26
Heart O’ Texas Speedway – Waco, Texas
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 77x-Wayne Johnson[3]; 2. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[7]; 3. 23-Seth Bergman[5]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[10]; 5. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek[15]; 6. 7m-Kevin Ramey[18]; 7. 10-George White[6]; 8. 25M-Michael McNeil[9]; 9. 5h-Logan Forler[16]; 10. 51s-Beau Smith[1]; 11. 35-Greg Rilat[14]; DNF 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]; DNF 69-Larry Howery[17]; DNF 79-Ryan Hall[12]; DNF 74E-Claud Estes III[19]; DNF 14-Michael Lang[8]; DNF 11-Justin Melton[11]; DNF 2-Wes Miller[13]; DNF 30-Brandon Corn[2]; DNS 54-Evan Pardo
Lap Leaders: Brandon Corn 1-2; Sam Hafertepe Jr. 3-4; Wayne Johnson 5-30
B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 2-Wes Miller[1]; 2. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek[3]; 3. 69-Larry Howery[4]; 4. 31-Brandon Berryman[2]; 5. 17-Bruce Griffith Jr[7]; 6. 15T-Travis Elliott[5]; 7. 52-Roger Oakes[6]; 8. 24-Brandie Jass[8]; 9. 12B-Logan Bledsoe[9]
*top 3 advance to A Feature
B Feature 2 (12 Laps): 1. 5h-Logan Forler[1]; 2. 7m-Kevin Ramey[2]; 3. 74E-Claud Estes III[4]; 4. 19-Klint Angelette[5]; 5. 15-Andrew VanBlarcum[8]; 6. 93-Chris Sweeney[6]; 7. 3-Gary Watson[3]; 8. 02-Harry Yarrington[7]
*top 3 advance to A Feature
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Seth Bergman; 2. 54-Evan Pardo; 3. 14-Michael Lang; 4. 2-Wes Miller; 5. 31-Brandon Berryman; 6. 7m-Kevin Ramey; 7. 17-Bruce Griffith Jr; 8. 15-Andrew VanBlarcum
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 18-Tony Bruce Jr; 2. 30-Brandon Corn; 3. 79-Ryan Hall; 4. 11-Justin Melton; 5. 3-Gary Watson; 6. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek; 7. 24-Brandie Jass; 8. 02-Harry Yarrington
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 10-George White; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel; 3. 77x-Wayne Johnson; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr; 5. 15T-Travis Elliott; 6. 74E-Claud Estes III; 7. 93-Chris Sweeney; 8. 12B-Logan Bledsoe
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 51s-Beau Smith; 2. 25M-Michael McNeil; 3. 35-Greg Rilat; 4. 5h-Logan Forler; 5. 69-Larry Howery; 6. 19-Klint Angelette; 7. 52-Roger Oakes