Lonnie Wheatley, WILLIS, Texas (March 28, 2009) – Jason Johnson overcame a variety of problems to win Saturday night's 25-lap American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region main event at Gator Motorplex.
After encountering rear end issues in his heat race and then spinning early in the feature after transferring from the "B" Main, "The Ragin' Cajun" rallied through the field to take the lead away from Travis Rilat on the final round in Marvin and Peggy Pearson's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 11 Eagle.
While Johnson ultimately added his second overall ASCS feature win of the season, it was 18-year-old Aaron Reutzel that paced the initial 21 circuits from the front row. It wasn't until after a brief stoppage for Matt Clevenger, who got upside down, that Reutzel surrendered the point to Rilat.
Rilat, who had raced forward from 14th, held the lead until the final circuit when Johnson raced by on the high side to steal the win. Rilat settled for runner-up honors, with Reutzel taking the show position.
Ray Allen Kulhanek raced from 13th to fourth, with Channin Tankersley rounding out the top five. Trey Robb was sixth, with 20th-starter Eric Baldaccini, James McNeil, Chris Sweeney and Kent Lewis, Jr., completing the top ten.
Jimmy Brooks, Reutzel, Brandon Corn, Lewis and Tankersley topped heat race action for the 37-car field with Sweeney and Johnson winning the "B" Mains.
American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results from Gator Motorplex:
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 2. 74e-Claud Estes, 3. 12-Trey Robb, 4. 23-Darryl Wills, 5. 35-Greg Rilat, 6. 69h-Larry Howery, 7. 76-John Ricketts, 8. 13-Kathryne Minter.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 2. 80-James McNeil, 3. 31-Brandon Berryman, 4. 29-Travis Rilat, 5. 15T-Travis Elliott, 6. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 10-Larry Hartwell, 8. 30x-Bean Elliott.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 74-Brandon Corn, 2. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 3. 30-Scottie McDonald, 4. 28-James Cooper, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 70-Anthony Reaves. DNS: 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 93-Chris Sweeney, 3. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 4. 87x-Billy Melton, 5. 3-Gary Watson, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 17c-Greg Coleman.
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 3. 85-Jerry Bell, 4. d20-David Noker, 5. 20-Chad Wilson, 6. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 7. 11-Jason Johnson.
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 93-Chris Sweeney, 2. 28-James Cooper, 3. 3-Gary Watson, 4. 15T-Travis Elliott, 5. 23-Darryl Wills, 6. 76-John Ricketts, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 13-Kathryne Minter, 9. 10-Larry Hartwell, 10. 69h-Larry Howery, 11. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr. DNS: 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr.
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 11-Jason Johnson, 2. 30-Scottie McDonald, 3. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 87x-Billy Melton, 6. 30x-Bean Elliott, 7. 20-Chad Wilson, 8. d20-David Noker, 9. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 10. 70-Anthony Reaves. DNS: 17c-Greg Coleman.
"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 11-Jason Johnson, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 71-Channin Tankersley, 6. 12-Trey Robb, 7. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 8. 80-James McNeil, 9. 93-Chris Sweeney, 10. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 11. 30-Scottie McDonald, 12. 3-Gary Watson, 13. 31-Brandon Berryman, 14. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 15. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 16. 74-Brandon Corn, 17. 74e-Claud Estes, 18. 28-James Cooper, 19. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 20. 85-Jerry Bell.
ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Jason Johnson 434, 2. Aaron Reutzel 406, 3. Channin Tankersley 398, 4. Scottie McDonald 394, 5. (tie) Kent Lewis, Jr., and Eric Baldaccini 392, 7. Brandon Berryman 378, 8. (tie) Tommy Bryant and Jimmy Brooks 370, 10. Travis Rilat 365.
After encountering rear end issues in his heat race and then spinning early in the feature after transferring from the "B" Main, "The Ragin' Cajun" rallied through the field to take the lead away from Travis Rilat on the final round in Marvin and Peggy Pearson's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 11 Eagle.
While Johnson ultimately added his second overall ASCS feature win of the season, it was 18-year-old Aaron Reutzel that paced the initial 21 circuits from the front row. It wasn't until after a brief stoppage for Matt Clevenger, who got upside down, that Reutzel surrendered the point to Rilat.
Rilat, who had raced forward from 14th, held the lead until the final circuit when Johnson raced by on the high side to steal the win. Rilat settled for runner-up honors, with Reutzel taking the show position.
Ray Allen Kulhanek raced from 13th to fourth, with Channin Tankersley rounding out the top five. Trey Robb was sixth, with 20th-starter Eric Baldaccini, James McNeil, Chris Sweeney and Kent Lewis, Jr., completing the top ten.
Jimmy Brooks, Reutzel, Brandon Corn, Lewis and Tankersley topped heat race action for the 37-car field with Sweeney and Johnson winning the "B" Mains.
American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Results from Gator Motorplex:
Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 2. 74e-Claud Estes, 3. 12-Trey Robb, 4. 23-Darryl Wills, 5. 35-Greg Rilat, 6. 69h-Larry Howery, 7. 76-John Ricketts, 8. 13-Kathryne Minter.
Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 2. 80-James McNeil, 3. 31-Brandon Berryman, 4. 29-Travis Rilat, 5. 15T-Travis Elliott, 6. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 7. 10-Larry Hartwell, 8. 30x-Bean Elliott.
Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 74-Brandon Corn, 2. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 3. 30-Scottie McDonald, 4. 28-James Cooper, 5. 19-Klint Angelette, 6. 70-Anthony Reaves. DNS: 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr.
Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 2. 93-Chris Sweeney, 3. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 4. 87x-Billy Melton, 5. 3-Gary Watson, 6. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr., 7. 17c-Greg Coleman.
Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 71-Channin Tankersley, 2. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 3. 85-Jerry Bell, 4. d20-David Noker, 5. 20-Chad Wilson, 6. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 7. 11-Jason Johnson.
First "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 93-Chris Sweeney, 2. 28-James Cooper, 3. 3-Gary Watson, 4. 15T-Travis Elliott, 5. 23-Darryl Wills, 6. 76-John Ricketts, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 13-Kathryne Minter, 9. 10-Larry Hartwell, 10. 69h-Larry Howery, 11. 17-Bruce Griffith, Jr. DNS: 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr.
Second "B" Feature (12 Laps): 1. 11-Jason Johnson, 2. 30-Scottie McDonald, 3. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 87x-Billy Melton, 6. 30x-Bean Elliott, 7. 20-Chad Wilson, 8. d20-David Noker, 9. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 10. 70-Anthony Reaves. DNS: 17c-Greg Coleman.
"A" Feature (25 Laps): 1. 11-Jason Johnson, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 4. 5-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 71-Channin Tankersley, 6. 12-Trey Robb, 7. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 8. 80-James McNeil, 9. 93-Chris Sweeney, 10. 1b-Kent Lewis, Jr., 11. 30-Scottie McDonald, 12. 3-Gary Watson, 13. 31-Brandon Berryman, 14. 51-Jimmy Brooks, 15. 31m-Matt Clevenger, 16. 74-Brandon Corn, 17. 74e-Claud Estes, 18. 28-James Cooper, 19. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 20. 85-Jerry Bell.
ASCS Gulf South Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Jason Johnson 434, 2. Aaron Reutzel 406, 3. Channin Tankersley 398, 4. Scottie McDonald 394, 5. (tie) Kent Lewis, Jr., and Eric Baldaccini 392, 7. Brandon Berryman 378, 8. (tie) Tommy Bryant and Jimmy Brooks 370, 10. Travis Rilat 365.
