From Lance Jennings and Lonnie Wheatley
Dodge City, KS — (August 22, 2015) — Reigning USAC Southwest Sprint Car champion R.J. Johnson of Laveen, AZ, put the wraps on the Third Annual “Freedom Tour” by winning Saturday night’s 30-lap main event atop the 3/8-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval.
While Johnson held off Ryan Bernal and Charles Davis, Jr., for the $2,500 payday, other winners on the night included Brendon Gemmill in IMCA Modifieds, Marlin Hogie in IMCA Stock Cars and Matt O’Hair in IMCA Hobby Stocks.
With his triumph, Johnson became the fourth different winner in as many rounds of USAC Southwest “Freedom Tour” action after Charles Davis, Jr., Blake Hahn and Mike Martin topped the opening three legs.
“We’ve struggled so bad all week long that we finally broke out the backup car tonight,” Johnson said in victory lane. “If you ask me, I think the backup car is pretty damn good.”
After topping the third and final heat race after Stevie Sussex and Martin won the first pair of heats, Johnson gridded the field outside the second row with Davis, Jr., and McQueen leading the way to the green flag.
Looking for his second win of the week, Davis, Jr., gunned into the early lead Shon Deskins and Johnson making their way past McQueen for second and third, respectively, on a lap three restart following Michael Bonneau’s turn two flip.
With Davis, Jr., working the top side of the track in the Massey Motorsports No. 50, Johnson began working the low side and was making progress in short order. Johnson surged past Deskins for second on the eighth round and then raced past Davis, Jr., for the lead three laps later.
As the lead pack fought for space on the bottom, Ryan Bernal worked his way up to third by the 12th circuit after making a quick rush from 12th to fifth in the opening handful of circuits.
When Davis, Jr., drove too hard into turn three on the 16th round, Bernal took quick advantage and moved into second. Bernal kept the pressure on Johnson the rest of the way, making one final bid off the final pair of corners only to come up short at the line.
“I wasn’t sure if we were gonna win one this year,” Johnson said after the triumph aboard the Ford-powered Kodiak Products No. 77m Sherman. “Last year we won the opener, so I’m glad we could close it out this year.”
Bernal settled for second in the Tri-L Mandarin Ranch No. 56 with Davis, Jr., crossing the stripe in third. Martin and Deskins rounded out the top five.
After the initial start of the feature was waved off, Jeremy Huish got into the turn three and four wall and flipped after Michael Bonneau spun on the low side.
Patrick Stasa was transported after taking a hard ride entering turn one on the third lap of the second heat.
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT (Special Event) RACE RESULTS: August 22, 2015 – Dodge City, Kansas – Dodge City Raceway Park – “Freedom Tour”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Stevie Sussex (#21AZ Burkhart), 2. Shannon McQueen (#7 Decker), 3. Mike Bonneau (#29 Bonneau), 4. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 5. Harli White (#17W White), 6. Koby Barksdale (#22 Barksdale), 7. Jeremy Huish (#88J Huish). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 2. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 3. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 4. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 5. Ray Seemann (#E85 Seemann), 6. Patrick Stasa (#19 Stasa). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michael), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 3. Josh Hodges (#74X Hodges), 4. Ryan Bernal (#56 Phulps), 5. Gavin Stout (#15 Stout), 6. Layne Himebaugh (#24 Himebaugh). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Ryan Bernal, 3. Charles Davis Jr., 4. Mike Martin, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Josh Hodges, 7. Shannon McQueen, 8. Chris Bonneau, 9. Harli White, 10. Layne Himebaugh, 11. Ray Seemann, 12, Tye Mihocko, 13. Gavin Stout, 14. Koby Barksdale, 15. Dennis Gile, 16. Stevie Sussex, 17. Mike Bonneau, 18. Jeremy Huish.
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**Stasa flipped during the second heat. M.Bonneau & Huish flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Davis, Laps 11-30 Johnson.