By Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ – APRIL 27, 2014… In one of the hardest fought main events in series history, Buckeye’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. won Saturday’s “Canyon Clash” at Canyon Speedway Park. Battling back and forth with R.J. Johnson, Davis emerged with his first $1,500 USAC SouthWest Sprint Car victory of the season. Johnson, Matt Rossi, Andy Reinbold, and Stevie Sussex followed “Chargin” Charles to the checkered flags.
Starting sixth in the main event, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. piloted the Massey Motorsports owned #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental RSS past Johnson on the fifteenth circuit. R.J. quickly regrouped and powered to the lead six laps later. Looking for his seventh career series win, Davis regained the lead on lap twenty-six and streaked to the “Canyon Clash” triumph. Earlier in the program, the five-time Arizona champion won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and was the high point driver entering the main event. Davis left Canyon Speedway Park fourth in points with four heat race victories, seven top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led to his credit.
Leading nineteen laps of the main event, R.J. Johnson of Phoenix ran second in the “Canyon Clash.” Driving the Bill Michaels owned #77M Kodiak Products / Beal’s Auto Body Sherman, the defending series champion placed fourth in his heat race, ranked sixth in passing points, and started on the pole position. Johnson has taken over the points lead with one feature win, one heat race victory, one hard charger award, eight top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led.
Phoenix’s Matt Rossi charged from the eleventh spot to claim third at Canyon Speedway Park. Racing the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / Advanced Engine Components Spike, Rossi took fourth in his heat race and was eleventh in passing points. In limited appearances, Rossi sits eighth in the SouthWest point chase with two top-10 finishes on the season.
Andy Reinbold of Gilbert scored fourth in the “4th Annual Canyon Clash.” Piloting Todd Underwood’s #19 AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals RSS, Reinbold claimed second in his heat race and ranked third in passing points. The veteran driver sits tenth in championship points with one semi-main win and two top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Tempe’s Stevie Sussex placed fourth in the Canyon Speedway Park feature after starting eighth. Driving the #1DM D&M Motorsports / The Surprise Shop entry, Sussex took second in his heat race and ranked eighth in passing points. In limited starts, Stevie is tied for seventeenth in the point standings with one hard charger award and three top-10 finishes.
Josh Pelkey of Peoria earned the night’s “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place finish after starting twenty-second. Racing Robbie & Gaye Allen’s #12 ABC Body Shop / Napa Auto Parts Maxim, Pelkey scored seventh in his heat race and ranked twenty-second in passing points. The veteran driver has slipped to second in points with one feature win, one heat race victory, two hard charger awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 45 feature laps led.
Phoenix’s Shon Deskins won the night’s second 8-lap heat race. Piloting his #20 MP Environmental / Spike Chassis machine, Deskins was fourth in passing points and scored twelfth in the main event. As this writing goes to press, Shon is ranked third in the SouthWest point standings with two heat race victories and six top-10 finishes in 2014.
Mike Colegrove of Peoria raced to his first 8-lap heat race victory of the campaign. Driving his #17M Precision Tile / Ellis Race Cars entry, Colegrove was second in passing points and finished ninth in the main event. Mike is currently sixteenth in the championship points with two top-10 finishes on the season.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series will make their debut at Prescott Valley Raceway on Saturday, May 3rd. The action packed “premier show” will also showcase the Prescott Valley Dwarf Cars, Copper State Mod Lites, and SCRA Factory Stocks. Advance tickets are on sale and for more information, visit www.pvraceway.com or call 928.925.9858.
The USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Tire, Racers Advantage Store, and the Hose Advantage Store for their support. For more information on the group, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/
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USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
April 26, 2014 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Canyon Clash”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Alex Pettas (#T164 Pettas), 3. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 4. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michaels), 5. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 6. Dennis Giles (#13 Giles), 7. Tom Lee (#53 Lee), 8. Mike Martin (#16 Martin). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 2. Andy Reinbold (#19 Reinbold), 3. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 4. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 5. Brian Hosford (#32B Weber), 6. Mike Bonneau (#29 Bonneau), 7. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps)
1. Mike Colegrove (#17M Colegrove), 2. Stevie Sussex (#1DM Sussex), 3. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 4. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 5. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 6. Josh Shipley (#2 Bishop), 7. Mark Morin (#28 Morin). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Charles Davis Jr. (6th), 2. R.J. Johnson (1st), 3. Matt Rossi (11th), 4. Andy Reinbold (4th), 5. Stevie Sussex (8th), 6. Josh Shipley (16th), 7. Josh Pelkey (22nd), 8. Mike Martin (19th), 9. Mike Colegrove (5th), 10. Mike Bonneau (13th), 11. Nick Aiuto (2nd), 12. Shon Deskins (3rd), 13. Bruce St. James (9th), 14. Brian Hosford (18th), 15. Michael Curtis (14th), 16. Dennis Giles (21st), 17. Tom Lee (20th), 18. Alex Pettas (7th), 19. Mark Morin (17th), 20. Tye Mihocko (10th), 21. Chris Bonneau (12th), 22. Tom Ogle (15th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 R.J. Johnson, Laps 15-20 Charles Davis Jr., Laps 21-25 R.J. Johnson, Laps 26-30 Charles Davis Jr.
HARD CHARGER: Josh Pelkey (22nd to 7th)
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. R.J. Johnson-196, 2. Josh Pelkey-180, 3. Shon Deskins-168, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-160, 5. Josh Shipley-124, 6. Nick Aiuto-121, 7. Bruce St. James-119, 8. Matt Rossi-118, 9. Mike Martin-116, 10. Andy Reinbold-112, 11. Tye Mihocko-112, 12. Michael Curtis-108, 13. Mike Bonneau-91, 14. Brian Hosford-88, 15. Tom Ogle-74, 16. Mike Colegrove-71, 17. Stevie Sussex-55, –. Tom Lee-55, 19. Chris Bonneau-54, 20. Michael Woodruff-53, –. Alex Pettas-53