From J&J
McKENZIE, TN (April 24) – J&J Auto Racing drivers found success last weekend at a number of dirt tracks around the country. It started Friday when J&J’s swept the night at Williams Grove Speedway with Chad Layton and Tyler Bear scoring the wins. It continued at Eagle Raceway with the ASCS Challenge as Kaley Gharst and NASCAR champion Tony Stewart each won in J&J’s. Saturday Cameron Gessener won aboard a J&J in Brisbane, Australia, while Tommy Worley, Jr., made it two wins at St. Francois County Raceway in Missouri. Caleb Griffith was also victorious on Saturday winning at Fremont Speedway.
WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – 410
For the second straight year, Chad Layton won the Tommy Hinnershitz Memorial Spring Classic at Williams Grove Speedway driving Dave Middleswarth’s No. 7 J&J.
“This is what we do it for, to be right here standing, this makes it all worth it,” said Layton from victory lane. “My crew is working really hard,” said Layton. “Everybody has been working hard. My crew chief Jim Shuttlesworth has been putting a lot of confidence in me. We’ve been working good together.”
Layton started on the pole in the 30-lap race and fended off numerous challengers during the race. Aaron Ott finished fifth in the No. 77 J&J.
WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – 305
Tyler Bear was victorious in the 305 Sprint Division main event. He raced the J&S Fabrication No. 25 J&J into the lead on the opening lap and led all 20 circuits to capture his second win of 2012.
EAGLE RACEWAY
FRIDAY
The 2012 Icebreaker Challenge kicked off the season at Eagle Raceway and Kaley Gharst was able to drive the Adrenaline Sports Bar/CNS Homes/Singer Engines/Jeremy Scadden Construction sponsored No. 6k J & J into the lead just past the halfway point and he went on to score the victory.
“The track was great tonight, but tricky” stated Gharst. “First the bottom was the best, then the top. It ended up that the low line was best; it was SO good on the bottom. I want to thank all of the fans who showed up tonight. It was cool out for sure.”
SATURDAY
Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart took advantage of the proximity of Eagle Raceway to Kansas Speedway, where he was competing in the STP 400 on Sunday. Stewart wheeled his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Kistler-powered J&J from the fifth starting spot and into the lead for good on lap 15 of the 25-lap main event. It was his second triumph of 2012 and second career ASCS victory.
“I love this,” Stewart said. “The track is great and it’s a lot less stress for me to be racing here than sitting around the trailer and hotel in Kansas City. And it may sound strange, but I want to compete here as hard as I do anywhere, and that includes racing for the Sprint Cup.”
Gharst finished fifth to complete a solid weekend in the No. 6k J&J.
BRISBANE
Cameron Gessner made it two wins in Brisbane on Saturday night claiming the 2012 QLD Sprintcar Champoinship. Gessner drove the No. 68 J&J to the finish line ahead of another J&J competitor, reigning World Series Sprintcars Champion, Jamie McFadden, who jumped into Paul Morris’ J&J.
The two drivers swapped the lead and shared slide jobs, but in the end it was Gessner, who came out on top.
FREMONT SPEEDWAY
After crashing hard the previous week battling for the lead at Attica Raceway Park, Caleb Griffith earned a measure of redemption in the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprints, as he took the lead from Alvin Roepke on lap 15 and cruised to his third career victory at Fremont Speedway behind the wheel of the No. 40 J&J.
“My hats off to my guys. They worked on this thing until late every night this week,” said Griffith, the track’s 2003 division champion. “I hung out in third for awhile and when we got to lapped traffic the car started to really click. It’s a blast driving for Al Davis and these guys. There’s no pressure…whether we run last or first, they are here to have fun and I’m glad I can reward them with a win.”
ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY RACEWAY
For the second time in 2012, Tommy Worley, Jr. was the Sprint division winner at the 3/8-mile St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, Mo. Worley raced Alan Barton’s No. 7AB J&J to victory.