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Herrera Captures Season-Opening Victory at Wildcat Raceway

(Photo by Ron Gilson)

Inside Line Promotions – TUCSON, Ariz. (Feb. 8, 2017) – The 2017 season couldn’t have started much better for Johnny Herrera, who was victorious last Saturday at Wildcat Raceway.

Herrera received a phone call last week asking if he could fill in for J.T. Imperial during the afternoon event. After hopping on a flight and heading into the desert, Herrera said the transition was seamless.

“They are friends of mine and I’ve known them for a long time,” he said. “I sold them a car this winter and he wasn’t feeling well so they called me and asked if I wanted to come out. I don’t think they changed much of anything from the way the car was last year. It worked out perfect.”

Herrera kicked off the race by advancing from fifth to third place in a heat race. That lined him up on the inside of the third row for the 20-lap main event.

“The track had taken rubber during the non-wing show right before us so I knew I had to get to the lead quickly,” he said. “The track stayed racy for a few laps. I went to the bottom in turns three and four on the start and it paid off.”

Herrera maneuvered into third place on the opening lap before taking over second place on the ensuing lap. A couple of laps later he drove around Rick Ziehl for the top spot and never looked back.

“In turns one and two the best way around there was around the cushion,” Herrera said. “I never left that top until toward the end when enough guys had run the bottom so it was starting to get some spotty rubber. The car was pretty good and where I was running in turns one and two I wasn’t hurting the tire for the majority of the race. Turns three and four were locked down rubber and you had to be careful not to miss it. I tried to keep the tires underneath me and not spin them.”

Herrera said he plans on returning to Wildcat Raceway to drive for Imperial on Feb. 17-18.

“It was good to get some laps in and get that first win,” he said. “Hopefully we can go back in a couple of weeks and repeat our success.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Feb. 4 – Wildcat Raceway in Tucson, Ariz. – Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 1 (5).

SEASON STATS –

1 race, 1 win, 1 top five, 1 top 10, 1 top 15, 1 top 20

UP NEXT –

Feb. 17-18 at Wildcat Raceway in Tucson, Ariz.

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.JohnnyHerreraRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnnyHerrera2

APPAREL –

Herrera has t-shirts available for sale at his race trailer and at http://www.johnnyherreraracing.com/shopping.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Champion Brands

Champion Brands, LLC, is a globally recognized industry leader in specialty lubricants for more than 58 years. Champion also produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets. For more information, visit http://www.ChampionBrands.com.

“I’ve been with Champion for several years and they have been one of my biggest supporters,” Herrera said. “They are great people to work with and their products are second to none.”

Herrera would also like to thank Morton Excavating, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Competition Suspension, Inc., ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Ostrich Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Schoenfeld Headers, Maxim Chassis, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Simpson Race Products, Outlaw Wings, Weld Wheels, Finish Line Coatings, Semi-Crazy Truck Wash, Smiley’s Racing Products and Heidbreder Foundation Services 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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