From Lonnie Wheatley
Peoria, AZ — (January 24, 2016) — Josh Hodges and Ricky Thornton, Jr., captured the lion’s share of Sunday night honors at Canyon Speedway Park by racing to victory lane in Round Three of Winter Challenge action atop the 1/3-mile clay oval.
While New Mexico’s Hodges hustled to USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast non-wing Sprint Car victory lane and Thornton, Jr., topped his second IMCA Modified feature of the weekend, other Sunday night winners included George Fronsman in IMCA Stock Car vs. Pure Stock action, Jarrett Martin in Micro Sprints and Chaz Baca, Jr., in Mod Lites.
Bryan Clauson may have been gunning for a third consecutive USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast Sprint Car Winter Challenge win in as many rounds, but Tijeras, NM, shoe Josh Hodges had the answer aboard the Jackson Compaction No. 74x machine.
Working his way forward from the 11th starting position, Hodges emerged atop a spirited three-way tussle through traffic with Clauson and R.J. Johnson. Hodges held the advantage when the red flag flew for a lapped car that exited the part in turn two just seven laps shy of the checkered flag and then held on over the final rounds to secure the $4,000 payday.
“It worked to our benefit running third there in traffic, I could go where they weren’t,” Hodges explained afterward. “Those last five laps took forever, man I’m ecstatic now.”
Falling just a couple of car-lengths short at the line, R.J. Johnson settled for runner-up honors for the second night in a row while Clauson settled for the show position after the duo swapped second repeatedly over the final seven-lap dash to the stripe.
Johnson had taken the lead from Kenny Perkins on the third lap and set the pace until the battle for the point intensified just past the midway point when Clauson briefly slipped by on several occasions and then Hodges hustled out front.
“Lapped cars made for some exciting racing, dipping and diving in traffic was awesome,” Johnson commented afterward.
Clauson commented that, “We were plenty good enough to win, I just didn’t pick the right lines trying to dodge those guys.”
After a lap six spin in turn two while running second, Charles Davis, Jr., rallied back through the field to capture fourth with Shon Deskins rounding out the top five.
USAC SOUTHWEST/WEST COAST “Special Event” SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: January 24, 2016 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway – “5th Winter Challenge” – “Arizona Speed Week”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 3. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin), 4. Brian Hosford (#22B Weber), 5. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 6. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 7. Josh Hodges (#74X Hodges), 8. Guy Weedman (#27W Weedman), 9. Tanner Grau (#34 Grau). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Bryan Clauson (#16B Martin), 2. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 3. Kenny Perkins (#0K Perkins), 4. Will Perkins (#50X Perkins), 5. David Dykes (#4 Dykes), 6. Bob Strait (#45 Strait), 7. Connor Strait (#58 Strait), 8. Matt McCarthy (#5X McCarthy). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Josh Hodges, 2. R.J. Johnson, 2. Brian Clauson, 4. Charles Davis Jr., 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Matt Lundy, 7. Dennis Gile, 8. Mike Martin, 9. Brian Hosford, 10. Kenny Perkins, 11. Bob Strait, 12. Tanner Grau, 13. David Dykes, 14. Guy Weedman, 15. Matt McCarthy, 16. Will Perkins, 17. Connor Strait. NT
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**W.Perkins over the wall during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-2 K.Perkins, Laps 3-20 Johnson, Lap 21 Clauson, Laps 22-30 Hodges.
WINTER CHALLENGE POINTS: 1-Bryan Clauson-212, 2-R.J. Johnson-194, 3-Charles Davis Jr.-192, 4-Josh Hodges-188, 5-Dennis Gile-155, 6-Brian Hosford-146, 7-Kenny Perkins-127, 8-Mike Martin-117, 9-Tanner Grau-98, 10-Bob Strait-95.
NEXT USAC SOUTHWEST/WEST COAST “Special Event” SPRINT CAR RACE: January 29 – Peoria, AZ – Canyon Speedway – “5th Winter Challenge” – “Arizona Speed Week”