Queen Creek, AZ — (April 13, 2013) — Starting sixth, Yuma’s Mike Martin led the final eighteen laps to claim the “Spring Fling” at Arizona Speedway. With the $1,500 USAC Southwest Sprint Car victory, Martin becomes the fourth driver to score a victory in the campaign. Stevie Sussex, Charles Davis Jr., Ronnie Clark, and Shon Deskins rounded out the top five drivers.
Racing his #16 Ultimate Offroad / Naquin Precision Earth Moving Maxim, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin was not to be denied after grabbing the lead on this night. Earlier in the program, Martin was second in his heat race, tied Sussex for the night’s lead in passing points, and placed sixth in the Passing Masters Dash. Mike sits fifth in championship points with one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes, and 18 feature laps led to his credit. Martin will be looking for another victory when the series returns to Peoria’s Canyon Speedway Park on April 27th.
Stevie Sussex of Tempe charged from eighth to finish second in the 30-lap “Spring Fling.” Driving his #1AZ Pro Tech Coatings / KSE Custom Drywall J&J, Sussex claimed second in his heat race, tied Martin as the high point driver, and ran eighth in the dash. Stevie had his best night of the season with two hard charger awards and two top-10 finishes on the year.
After scoring third at Arizona Speedway, Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. holds a 32 point lead heading to the “Canyon Clash.” Piloting the #50 Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis was third in his heat race and claimed third in the dash. The five-time Arizona Champion has one feature win, two heat race victories, one semi-main win, seven top-10 finishes, and 26 feature laps led on the season.
Ronnie Clark of Tucson came home fourth in the “Spring Fling” at Queen Creek. Racing the family owned #6 RCM / Ellis Race Cars entry, Clark scored third in his heat race and ran second in the Passing Masters Dash. Currently tied with R.J. Johnson for second in the points, Ronnie has one heat race victory and three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Phoenix’s Shon Deskins was fifth at the checkered flags after starting seventh. Driving his #20 Performance Plus / Ellis Race Cars entry, Deskins won the 10-lap Racers Advantage Store Heat Race #1 and was seventh in the dash. The veteran driver left Queen Creek tenth in the point chase with three heat race wins and two top-10 finishes on the season
R.J. Johnson of Phoenix earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run after starting thirteenth. Piloting the Bill Michaels owned #77M Beal’s Auto Body / Sherman Race Cars entry, the USAC/CRA “Copper On Dirt” winner finished sixth in his heat race. Now tied for second in the standings with Ronnie Clark, Johnson has two feature wins, two heat race victories, one Passing Masters Dash win, five top-10 finishes, and 26 main event laps led.
Glendale’s “The Bullet” Bob Ream Jr. won the night’s 10-lap Racers Advantage Store Heat Race #2. Driving the BRAT Racing #8 Hose Advantage Store / Racers Advantage Store Viper, Ream finished seventh in the main event after starting ninth. As this writing goes to press, the former ASCA Champion has two top-10 finishes in limited starts.
Nick Aiuto of Camp Verde took the checkered flags in the Racers Advantage Store Heat Race #3. Racing his #27 Bondurant School of High Performance Driving / ABC Motorsports DRC, Aiuto was fourth in the Passing Masters Dash and thirteenth in the main event. Heading to Canyon, Nick is ninth in points with two heat race victories, one top-10 finish, and 4 feature laps led on the year.
Piloting his #29 Priced Right Auto Sales Triple X, Phoenix’s Mike Bonneau won the 6-lap Sunoco Fuels Passing Masters Dash. Claiming third in his heat race, Bonneau lead the first twelve laps of the main event before scoring twenty-first after an early exit. In limited action, Mike has one top-10 finish during the campaign.
Justin Quinn of Phoenix won the 12-lap semi-main at Arizona Speedway. Driving the family owned #93 Four Peaks Hardwood Flooring / Lasting Impressions Ellis, Quinn was sixth in his heat race and scored eleventh in the main event from seventeenth. Currently, Justin is seventh in the point standings with two top-10 finishes to his credit.
The USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series will be back in action on Saturday, April 27th at Peoria’s Canyon Speedway Park. The “3rd Annual Canyon Clash” will also feature Mini Sprints, the LoanMart Challenge Cup Sprint Cars and AMA Modlites. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.canyonspeedway.com or call 602.258.7223.
The USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series would like to thank Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Hose Advantage Store, and the Racers Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SouthwestSprintCars).
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT RACE RESULTS: April 13, 2013 – Queen Creek, Arizona – Arizona Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 2. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 3. Ronnie Clark (#6 Clark), 4. Bruce St. James (#7K St James), 5. Nathan High (#97 High), 6. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michaels), 7. Jody Wirth (#5X Wirth), 8. Stephen Harms (#60 Harms), 9. Mark Morin (#28 Morin). NT
SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bob Ream Jr. (#8 BRAT), 2. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 3. Charles Davis Jr., (#50 Massey), 4. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 5. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 6. Jason Grady (#45 Grady), 7. Brian Hosford (#32B Weber), 8. Lealand Fuller (#3 Fuller), 9. Michael Dayney (#36D Dayney). NT
THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 2. Stevie Sussex (#1AZ Sussex), 3. Mike Bonneau (#29 Bonneau), 4. Tom Lee (#53 Lee), 5. Bryan Swinehart (#68 Beal), 6. Justin Quinn (#93 Quinn), 7. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood), 8. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 9. Kyle Danielson (#17K Danielson). NT
DASH: (6 laps) 1. M. Bonneau, 2. Clark, 3. Davis, 4. Aiuto, 5. C. Bonneau, 6. Martin, 7. Deskins, 8. Sussex. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Mike Martin, 2. Stevie Sussex, 3. Charles Davis Jr., 4. Ronnie Clark, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. R.J. Johnson, 7. Bob Ream Jr., 8. Josh Pelkey, 9. Tom Ogle, 10. Chris Bonneau, 11. Justin Quinn, 12. Bryan Swinehart, 13. Nick Aiuto, 15. Jody Wirth, 16. Michael Curtis, 17. Lealand Fuller, 18. Tom Lee, 19. Bruce St. James, 20. Andy Reinbold, 21. Mike Bonneau, 22. Mark Morin. NT
—————————-
**Danielson flipped during the third heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 M. Bonneau, Laps 13-30 Martin.
NEW SOUTHWEST SPRINT POINTS:
NEXT SOUTHWEST SPRINT RACE: April 27 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park
From Lance Jennings