(Image Credit: Ben Thrasher)
26 Promotions - Queen Creek, AZ - (November 9th, 2017) - RJ Johnson entered this past weekend’s Western World Championships looking to cap off his fifth consecutive USAC Southwest Series championship in the 360 portion of the event, and to see where he stood against the nations best 410 Non-Wing drivers with the USAC National series in town.
Friday night’s opener saw Johnson finish second from third in his 360 Heat, which lined him up on the pole for the feature.
“I led some laps, while battling with Brady Bacon, a lapped car spun out in front of us and I got into him which bent the jacobs ladder,” Johnson explained. “On the restart the car just wouldn’t turn so I just hung on and ended up finishing tenth.”
In 410 action on Friday night, Johnson qualified fifteenth with a lap of 15.723. He started and finished third in his heat, placing him on the inside of the seventh row to start the feature.
With passing at a premium, Johnson was able to work his way up to ninth from fourteenth to close out night one of the Western World.
Saturday night’s 360 action kicked off with heat races where Johnson started on the outside of the front row and battled Hunter Schuerenberg throughout before grabbing the lead in the closing laps to pick up the heat race win. The result would place Johnson on the outside of the front row for the start of the thirty-lap 360 feature.
“I took the lead around lap seven or so after some good battling with Brady Bacon,” he said. “On a restart, I missed the bottom and Chris Windom passed us both. The car got loose at the end, but I was able to pull off a third place finish.”
In the 410, Johnson qualified 3rd with a lap of 15.312. Johnson finished fourth from sixth in his heat to lock into the Feature, where he’d start fourth.
“I got to second on lap two and ran there for a while before the car got tight on the cushion,” he explained. “That allowed Chase Stockon to slip by. We ran right behind the leaders the rest of the race as the track took rubber and made extremely rough.”
Johnson closed out the Western with a podium finish as he crossed the line third and secured his fifth consecutive USAC Southwest Series championship.
“It was awesome to get my fifth straight championship, but what was cool about this one was to do it with the team I started my career with,” said Johnson. “I have won midget championships with them but never one in a sprint car. It’s something I always wanted to do with them and just never got it done. I really can’t thank them all enough.”
Next up for Johnson is the Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway with the USAC National Series. Racing gets underway tonight and continues through Saturday.
“Now we head to the Oval Nationals at a track that I have had amazing luck at this year,” he said. “To say I’m excited for this weekend is an understatement. I know the car is great at Perris, so now it’s my job to get it done.”
RJ Johnson would like to thank Martin Auto Museum, AME Electric, BG Chemicals, Pecon Builders, Sherman Race Cars, Bell Helmets, Kaeding Performance, Smokewagon Express, MBI, Fatheadz Eyewear, Butler Built Seats, Sunoco Race Fuels, and Rod End Supply for their continued support.
Western Night 1 Results
USAC Southwest Series
Heat: 3rd -> 2nd
Feature: 1st -> 10th
USAC National
Qualifying: 15th, 15.723
Heat: 3rd -> 3rd
Feature: 14th -> 9th
Western Night 2 Results
USAC Southwest Series
Heat: 2nd -> 1st
Feature: 2nd -> 3rd
USAC National
Qualifying: 3rd, 15.312
Heat: 6th -> 4th
Feature: 4th -> 3rd
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjjohnson15
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RJJohnson77m
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjjohnson51
Article Credit: 26 Promotions