From J&J
McKENZIE, TN (June 12) – Danny Holtgraver led the J&J Auto Racing team of drivers last weekend by picking up a couple wins in western Pennsylvania. DJ Foos continued his winning ways while Tim Shaffer, Jody Rosenboom, Derek Hagar, Terry Gray, Alan Myers, Chris Graf and Dean Jacobs were all winners last weekend.
LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY
Danny Holtgraver made his winning move with two laps remaining in Friday night’s Sprint car feature at Lernerville Speedway. Holtgraver started his No. D4 J&J eighth and worked his way into third by lap 18. He used a strong move around leader Kevin Shaffer with only two laps remaining to pick up his second victory at Lernerville in 2012.
ATTICA RACEWAY PARK
DJ Foos added to his remarkable 2012 winning percentage with Friday night’s victory at Attica Raceway Park in his No. 11 J&J. He took the lead on lap 2 and never looked back to claim the $1,200 Engine Builders’ Challenge presented by Level Performance and Gressman Powersports. It was the fifth win of the year at Attica for Foos out of the eight events to have taken place in 2012 and his seventh overall as he owns two victories at Fremont Speedway.
“I’d get a half a track lead and then there’d be a caution and I’d get another half track lead and another caution…I was looking for my crew on the cautions for someone to tell me how far ahead I was. I came here to win and we did it. I have to thank Dennis Level…he gives me the best motor,” said Foos beside his Advanced Fire Protection, Buckshot Farms, Pit Stop Carryout, Gyro Motorsports, Schiets Motorsports, Crown Battery backed machine.
“My buddy Keith told me I couldn’t run the bottom tonight, so I showed him I could. The car was good…my dad gave me the best race car he could and I drove the wheels off it and we’re taking home the big check tonight,” added Foos.
MERCER RACEWAY PARK
Danny Holtgraver followed Friday night’s win at Lernerville Speedway by racing his No. D4 J&J to victory at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday. He was able to avoid an opening lap crash and used an impressive move on lap 14 to take the lead. Once in front, he set a torrid pace and raced away to the win.
“The bottom was the place to be tonight, if you could stick it down there,” Holtgraver said, following the victory. “I could and it worked!”
THUNDER HILL SPEEDWAY
Terry Gray was Saturday’s night Sprint car winner at Thunderhill Speedway, Summertown, TN. Gray drove his familiar No. 10 J&J to victory lane.
I-30 SPEEDWAY
Derek Hagar picked up his third triumph of 2012 on Saturday at Riverside International Speedway. Hagar had his No. 9JR J&J moving forward and he came out victorious at the W. Memphis, Ark., quarter-mile dirt oval.
FREMONT SPEEDWAY
Dean Jacobs put on a show Saturday night in the Fort Ball Pizza Palace 410 Sprints victory at Fremont Speedway. Jacobs started Joe and Diane Seeling’s Northwest Ohio Towing and NAPA Truck Center sponsored No. 97 J&J 14th and drove into the lead on lap 17 and went on to win his second feature of the season at Fremont.
“I used to be a pretty good qualifier and now I’m racing good and not so good on qualifying,” admitted Jacobs after his fifth career win at Fremont. “I’ve got a good race car. I have to tell you when I got here tonight I looked at the track and thought ‘oh boy what are we in for.’ We were in for a lot of fun…she was awesome. You could run around the top, you could run around the bottom and make things happen as a driver. That’s all a guy can ask.”
SOUTHERN THUNDER SPRINT SERIES
Alan Myers was victorious on Saturday at LoneStar Speedway in Kilgore, Texas. Myers drove his No. 8A J&J to victory in the Southern Thunder Sprint Series event.
UPPER MIDWEST SRPINT SERIES
Chris Graf seems to like racing during Kid’s Night at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn. For the second straight year, Graf wheeled the No. 20G J&J to victory in the Upper Midwest Sprint car Series event on Saturday night. Graf jumped into the lead at the start and set the pace around the high side of the track. Only a caution with two laps remaining slowed the action and when the race resumed Graf pulled away to score his second triumph of 2012.
“That was fun,” said Graf, following the race. “The track had grip in it and my crew really had the 20G set up well. I had to change lines a couple of times in traffic, but the car was working great. I was concerned about what kind of a restart I would have following that late yellow flag, but I didn’t see anybody underneath me on those final two laps. Thanks to my sponsors, crew and family for making this possible.”
ALL-STARS – UTICA ROME SPEEDWAY
Defending All-Stars champion Tim Shaffer picked up his second win in Sunday night’s All-Star feature Utica Rome Speedway in Vernon, N.Y. Shaffer raced the CH Motorsports No. 83 J&J from the second-starting spot and into the lead. Once in front, Shaffer raced away to claim his second triumph of the year and 47th of his All-Star career.
“It’s been awhile,” admitted Shaffer. “They keep getting harder and harder to get. Everyone just keeps getting faster and faster and making us work harder. What a great job by my crew, Dave Lawrence, James Chambers and Craig Stephens…they’re all new on this team but one guy. We’re trying to gel together with new people and it’s starting to click. Hats off to my guys, they gave me a great car. Aaron Call is doing a great job back at home. He’s getting this thing ready during the week for us to come out and play. Janet Holbrook gives us everything we need. I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped us through this…it’s been a tough season.”
Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart charged from 19th to fifth in the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot/Coca-Cola Kistler-powered J&J.
Fellow J&J runner, David Gravel, raced the DDR Motorsports No. 89g J&J started eighth and finished sixth.
HUSET’S SPEEDWAY
Jody Rosenboom dominated Sunday night’s 25-lap Outlaw 410 Sprint Car feature at Huset’s Speedway in his No. 14 J&J. Rosenboom led every lap and at one point built a huge lead, but a yellow gave Mark Dobmeier in the Lunstra/Dobmeier Motorsports No. 13L J&J a chance. Dobmeier nosed under Rosenboom on the final lap, but couldn’t make the winning pass as the two J&J’s raced to the finish.
“Those guys back there won the race,” said Rosenboom, gesturing toward his pit crew. “This was probably one of the best cars I’ve ever driven and they deserve the credit. And hats off to (Dobmeier’s) team for coming from the back after all the work they had to do to their car. That’s a testament to his team.”
Dobmeier, who started the weekend by finishing third with the World of Outlaws at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, was forced to start 15th because of a heat crash, and he closed the weekend by finishing a strong second.