3/4/2012
ASCS
Jason Johnson Conquers the Copper Classic
Bryan Hulbert - Peoria, AZ (March 3, 2012) - The Copper Classic finale at the Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona saw a night of ups and downs as two time Lucas Oil ASCS National Champion Jason Johnson took the win behind the wheel of the Roush Yates/AccuDoc Solutions 41.
“We have a great group of guys and I can’t thank Stenhouse Racing and Roush for this opportunity to showcase the Ford horsepower” explained Johnson during his post-race interview. “It’s something unique and that’s what we like to be”.
After starting ninth on the field, the 41 would advance up a full row as the start was called back for the 53 of Jack Dover who spun while leading the field to the start. Restarting alongside Dustin Morgan in seventh, Johnson wasted no time getting to the top of the track to break into the top five.
As Jason Johnson began working on Wayne Johnson and Tony Bruce Jr. for fourth the battle for the race lead was between the Vacuworx International 05 of Brady Loyet and the Office Depot 14 of Tony Stewart. After getting the jump on the opening lap, Loyet would begin to pull away before a caution on lap three slowed the field.
Back underway with Loyet continuing to lead, preliminary night winner Tony Bruce Jr. would have his hands full as Brady Bacon challenged for third while Jason Johnson began working on both drivers for the position. Up on the high line, Johnson would clear both cars but would not be able to hold the spot as The Oil Medics 18 of Bruce raced back into third with Brady Bacon in tow.
Working on lap five, Johnson would finally take over the show position as the battle on the race track was for fifth between the 18 of Tony Bruce Jr. and the 77x of Wayne Johnson with the 9 of Gary Wright in the mix as well. As the three car battle for fifth continued, the fight for the runner up spot went three wide as Johnson and Bacon split the 14 of Stewart with Johnson taking over the runner up spot.
With the green flag still displayed, the field would race into slower traffic with Loyet continuing to lead. Pulling up on the halfway point Loyet paced around the high line; allowing Johnson to pull even several times before the caution flew for the spun 33v of Henry VanDam.
On the restart Johnson would pull to the bottom line to capture the race lead but the caution would again put the field to an idle as four cars tangled. With the caution the 05 of Loyet would reclaim the race lead as the field reverted to the last fully completed lap.
Back underway Loyet would have to play defense as Johnson applied pressure for the race lead. Working every inch of the racing surface, Loyet and Johnson would continue their battle as Brady Bacon looked to make his presence known. Continuing his challenge, Johnson would ultimately inherit the top spot as Loyet spun on the bottom of the track and continued on but the caution had already come out; dropping the 05 to tenth.
Restarting with twelve laps to go, Johnson would pull the 99 of Bacon as the 41 worked the high line with Bacon working the inside groove as the pair raced again into slower traffic. Working in and out of the lapped cars Johnson would be challenged several times for the lead but would not be denied as the 41 raced to the checkered flag. Brady Bacon would end up in the runner up spot for the second straight night as Tony Stewart held onto third. Tony Bruce Jr. would end his weekend with a fourth place finish as Wayne Johnson fought back to fifth after falling as far back as eighth.
Gary Wright charged from thirteenth to sixth with Dustin Morgan taking seventh. Johnny Herrera would come home eighth after starting fifteenth with Jack Dover fight back from twenty-second to salvage a ninth place finish. Roger Crockett rounded out the top ten.
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MavTV travels next to Cocopah Speedway in Yuma, Arizona for a pair of nights on Friday March 9th and Saturday March 10th.
March 3, 2012
Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MavTV
Canyon Speedway Park - Copper Classic Finale
Car Count: 35
Event Total: 36
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Seth Bergman[1]; 2. 41-Jack Dover[6]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart[8]; 4. 50z-Zach Chappell[3]; 5. 22-Mike Rux Jr[2]; 6. 2x-Kyle Evans[4]; 7. 55-Trey Starks[7]; 8. 5h-Logan Forler[5]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 41w-Joshua Williams[1]; 2. 74x-Joshua Hodges[4]; 3. 45x-Johnny Herrera[3]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[8]; 5. 33X-Henry VanDam[5]; 6. 21-Brian Brown[7]; 7. 17-Bruce Griffith Jr[6]; DNF 8w-Danny Lasoski[2]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 90-Lance Norick[2]; 2. 9-Gary Wright[3]; 3. 77-Dalten Gabbard[6]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 5. 20z-Rick Ziehl[5]; 6. 81-Danny Wood[8]; DNF 2az-George Suprick III[1]; DNS 15-Bud Goodwin
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 2-Dustin Morgan[2]; 2. 11-Roger Crockett[1]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson[6]; 4. 24-Terry McCarl[3]; 5. 98M-Mitch Olson[5]; 6. 1x-J.T. Imperial[7]; 7. 22-Jesse Baker[4]
B Feature 1 (10 Laps): 1. 45x-Johnny Herrera[1]; 2. 33X-Henry VanDam[3]; 3. 50z-Zach Chappell[2]; 4. 81-Danny Wood[5]; 5. 98M-Mitch Olson[4]; 6. 55-Trey Starks[7]; 7. 5h-Logan Forler[9]; 8. 22-Mike Rux Jr[6]; 9. 22-Jesse Baker[8]; DNS 15-Bud Goodwin
B Feature 2 (10 Laps): 1. 24-Terry McCarl[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 3. 21-Brian Brown[4]; 4. 1x-J.T. Imperial[5]; 5. 20z-Rick Ziehl[3]; 6. 17-Bruce Griffith Jr[7]; 7. 2x-Kyle Evans[6]; DNS 2az-George Suprick III; DNS 8w-Danny Lasoski
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson[9]; 2. 99-Brady Bacon[5]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart[3]; 4. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[4]; 5. 77x-Wayne Johnson[6]; 6. 9-Gary Wright[13]; 7. 2-Dustin Morgan[8]; 8. 45x-Johnny Herrera[15]; 9. 41-Jack Dover[1]; 10. 11-Roger Crockett[16]; 11. 24-Terry McCarl[18]; 12. 87-Aaron Reutzel[20]; 13. 05-Brad Loyet[2]; 14. 21-Brian Brown[22]; 15. 77-Dalten Gabbard[10]; 16. 74x-Joshua Hodges[21]; 17. 33X-Henry VanDam[17]; DNF 90-Lance Norick[7]; DNF 41w-Joshua Williams[11]; DNF 95-Matt Covington[14]; DNF 23-Seth Bergman[12]; DNF 50z-Zach Chappell[19]
Lap Leaders: Loyet 1-18; Johnson 19-30
Points (Top 10) 1. Brady Bacon 284; 2. Tony Bruce Jr. 280; 3. Jason Johnson 269; 4. Wayne Johnson 260; 5. Tony Stewart 243; 6. Brad Loyet 234; 7. Terry McCarl 233; 8. Roger Crockett 226; 9. Dustin Morgan 225; 10. Gary Wright 222;
The 2012 season marks the 21st year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
Photo Credit: Tim Aylwin
Article Credit: Bryan Hulbert
Submitted By: Bryan Hulbert
