By Dick Jordan
R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, Ariz. and Charles Davis Jr. of Buckeye, Ariz. will settle their 2013 USAC Southwest Sprint Car title chase this week as Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz. hosts the 46th “Western World Championships.”
The three-night program (Thursday-Friday-Saturday) carries full Southwest points and is also listed as a “special event” for the West Coast Sprints. In addition, the program includes Honda USAC National/Western Midgets each night.
Johnson and Davis have had four 1-2 finishes so far this year, each winning two of those. Johnson has four Peoria wins, a second and a third in 2013, while Davis has two wins and two seconds at the track.
In 19 total Southwest races this year Johnson has had 16 podiums, which include nine feature wins! Davis has been on the podium 13 times, with five total race wins.
In their ongoing battle for the lead in terms of all-time USAC feature wins in the state of Arizona, Davis leads with 11 to Johnson’s 10, while 2013 AMSOIL National Champ Bryan Clauson has nine.
USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion Danny Faria Jr. posted three late-series wins but he has not competed at Peoria this season.
2013 USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR STANDINGS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1,161, 2-Charles Davis Jr.-1,104, 3-Mike Martin-965, 4-Shon Deskins-860, 5-Ronnie Clark-827, 6-Josh Pelkey-788, 7-Andy Reinbold-765, 8-Bryan Hosford-629, 9-Chris Bonneau-625, 10-Bruce St. James-614.
FINAL 2013 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Danny Faria Jr.-930, 2-Richard Vander Weerd-903, 3-Bud Kaeding-862, 4-Markus Niemela-677, 5-Rusty Carlile-665, 6-Ryan Bernal-661, 7-Jace Vander Weerd-609, 8-Austin Liggett-545, 9-Landon Hurst-492, 10-Kevin Barnes-440.