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Kaleb Johnson Earns Top-Five Finish at IMCA RaceSaver Nationals

(Photo by Speedway Shots)

Inside Line Promotions – EAGLE, Neb. (Sept. 3, 2019) – Kaleb Johnson raced to a solid fourth-place finish in the finale of the prestigious IMCA RaceSaver Nationals on Sunday night at Eagle Raceway. His feat was accomplished among more than 100 competitors at the largest racing event of the year for 305ci sprint cars.

“It was definitely nice to have a weekend with some good luck,” he said. “Even though every night didn’t go well, it turned out great in the end for us.”

Johnson had a prime starting position for Sunday night’s A Main. He rolled off third, on the outside of the front row of the 27-car field that started three abreast.

“I’ve made the A Main the two previous years, but I started in the back,” he said. “It’s definitely more enjoyable to start at the front, especially when there are three rows of cars.”

Johnson was able to grab second place soon after the 30-lap race started and he chased leader and eventual winner Jason Martin.

“I was able to get close to Jason for a little bit, but he eventually pulled away,” he said. “I stayed in second for about 20 laps until there was a caution. I’m not sure what happened after that – maybe our tires cooled off – but we faded a bit after the race restarted. But we were able to hang onto fourth, which made us really happy.”

Key to Johnson’s success was a charge from sixth to win his qualifying heat race on Friday, as only heat race winners advanced to that night’s A Main.

“I was kind of concerned when I drew 144 out of 200 for my heat race,” he said. “I knew I needed a good start to have a chance to win. I was able to challenge for the lead coming out of the second turn on the first lap and eventually took the lead a couple of laps later.”

Johnson’s charge earned him the pole position for Friday’s A Main, in which the top nine finishers advanced to Saturday’s big dance.

“Earning the pole for Friday’s feature was crucial for us,” he said. “I took the lead at the start, but I jumped the cushion and got into the wall a little bit. That allowed Jason and Jake Bubak to get by. Then I settled into third and finished there, which put us on the front row for Saturday.”

While Johnson enjoyed success during most of his time on the track, the weekend wasn’t without its moments. An incident in the Race of Champions feature on Saturday nearly sidelined him for the remainder of the weekend.

“I had just passed a car for fourth on the frontstretch when I went into turn one a little bit too high,” he said. “There wasn’t much of a cushion there and the next thing I knew I was into the wall and away I went. It was a pretty hard crash, but I wasn’t sore the next day.”

Johnson’s car sustained heavy damage, but was completely repaired by his crew along with help from his competitors.

“Most of the bolt-on parts on the car had to be replaced,” he said. “The right front torsion tube was bent, but thanks to the help of Jason Martin we were able to get it straightened right away Saturday night. I owe a lot to my crew and everyone else who worked hard to get the car fixed.”

Johnson will continue 305 competition this Saturday at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., and Sunday at Eagle Raceway during Sprint Series of Nebraska competition.

QUICK RESULTS –

Aug. 29 – Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. – Heat race (Race of Champions): 1 (2).

Aug. 30 – Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. – Heat race: 1 (6); Feature: 3 (1).

Aug. 31 – Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. – Race of Champions Feature: DNF (4).

Sept. 1 – Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. – Feature: 4 (3).

SEASON STATS –

29 races, 0 wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s, 18 top 15s, 20 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., and Sunday at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb., with the Sprint Series of Nebraska

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.kalebjohnsonracing.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kaleb___Johnson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KalebJohnsonRacing22

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“Ron Weber started sponsoring me when I began racing sprint cars when I was 16,” Johnson said. “I’ve gotten to know him pretty well over that time and I greatly appreciate his support over the years.”

Johnson would also like to thank Medical Machining Specialists, Merle Johnson Farm Toys, Oddson Underground, Kat’s Hog Heaven, DeBerg Concrete, GRP Motorsports, Snyder Logging and Tree Service, Sea Foam Products, TL Racing, Big Al’s Diecast, Guaranteed Rate – Mike Brudigan Home Loans, Dave’s Lawn Care and Landscaping and Last Deck for their continued support.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.

To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.

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