From J&J
McKENZIE, TN (Oct. 30) – During a racing season, competitors always want to be at their best in the biggest races. J&J Auto Racing cars have earned checkered flags in some of Winged Sprint car racing’s biggest events this year, and you can add the 25th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires to the list the includes the Knoxville Nationals and Williams Grove National Open following Saturday’s victory by Paul McMahan in the 40-lap event at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.
SHORT TRACK NATIONALS
For the second time in his career, Paul McMahan raced Donnie Cooper’s Xtreme Body & Paint, Putnam Chevrolet, Cooper Racing, Champion Oil sponsored No. 01 J&J to victory in one of the biggest 360 Sprint car race of the season. More than 80 cars were vying for the trophy and $15,000 payday and as it turned out, it was a pair of J&J’s fighting it out for the win. The veteran McMahan out-dueled seventeen-year-old Christopher Bell, who was piloting Al Davis Carpet/KRP/Young’s All-Purpose Breading and Batter Mix sponsored No. 40b J&J powered by Griff’s Motors.
McMahan started the week by finishing second in his preliminary feature, while Bell followed the veteran coming home third in the opening event. McMahan started sixth and finished third in the Dash for Cash, which set the starting line-up for the first three rows. Bell, who started second, sustained a flat tire and finished sixth.
In the 40-lap feature, Bell was on the move from the start racing from sixth into second by lap three. Four laps later, Bell took control of the race in the Al Davis owned J&J by taking the lead from Gary Wright on lap seven. Three laps later, McMahan passed Wright and began pressing Bell for the top spot. The pair of J&J cars maneuvered through lapped traffic until a lap 21 caution. Two more cautions during the next six laps slowed the action and following a restart with 13 laps remaining, McMahan turned up the heat and worked his way past Bell for the lead in turns one and two on lap 29. McMahan was able to open up a sizable lead until traffic came back into play late in the race. Traffic allowed Bell to close the gap on the white flag lap, but McMahan made a strong final lap around the quarter-mile track to hold off Bell by two car-lengths at the finish line.
McMahan became the fifth driver to win more than one Short Track Nationals. He won driving Cooper’s No. 01 J&J in 2002. Bell was very impressive leading 21 laps in his first appearance in the event.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON
J&J Auto Racing would like to congratulate Rob Held on winning his second consecutive Interstate Sprint Car Series Championship. Held drove his Held Automotive sponsored No. 68 J&J to earn the championship again this season.