10/25/2012
ASCS
“Ragin’ Cajun” Strikes in STN Opener
Lonnie Wheatley, LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (October 26, 2012) – Jason Johnson made a dramatic late race move to top the opening portion of I-30 Speedway’s 25th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires that was postponed by rain to Friday night.
Johnson slipped underneath race-long leader Paul McMahan entering turn one on the 23rd round of the 25-lapper to take the win in the JJR/Stenhouse Roush-Yates Ford-powered No. 41 Maxim.
Johnson took the win to lock into Saturday’s $15,000-to-win, $2,500-to-start STN championship event along with runner-up McMahan in the Cooper Racing No. 01 and rookie STN contender Christopher Bell, who claimed the third and final lock-in position.
Greg Wilson and 11th-starter Brady Bacon rounded out the top five, with Derek Hagar, Travis Rilat, Ray Allen Kulhanek, Kevin Swindell and Seth Bergman completing the top ten.
With 44 cars on hand for the opening portion of the 25th Annual Short Track Nationals, Jan Howard, Gary Taylor, Jason Johnson and Paul McMahan topped heat races before rain interrupted six laps into the fifth heat race on Thursday night. Greg Wilson finished off the fifth heat when action resumed on Friday evening with Jason Johnson, Seth Bergman, Kevin Swindell, Randy Hannagan and Paul McMahan winning the Qualifying Races.
Brian Bell and Dustin Morgan topped “B” Main action.
25th Annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires Thursday Night Results (Conclusion of Fifth Heat on postponed to Friday by Rain):
Heat Races:
First Heat (10 Laps): 1. 46-Jan Howard, 2. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 3. 21w-Wes Wofford, 4. 58w-Wade Oliver, 5. 23s-Seth Bergman, 6. 22h-Randy Hannagan, 7. 74e-Claud Estes, 8. 11c-Matt Covington. DNS: 17g-Cody Gardner.
Second Heat (10 Laps): 1. 4t-Gary Taylor, 2. 49-Shawn Dancer, 3. 2-Dustin Morgan, 4. 21T-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 5. 17w-Cole Wood, 6. 10-Terry Gray, 7. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 8. 0m-Andy McElhannon, 9. 09-Timmy Thrash.
Third Heat (10 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 28-Jonathan Cornell, 3. 11m-Justin Melton, 4. 39s-Kevin Swindell, 5. 35-Jimmy Hurley, 6. 16-Koty Adams, 7. 93-Chris Sweeney, 8. 57c-Kyle Chady, 9. 66-Geoff Dodge.
Fourth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 01m-Paul McMahan, 2. 39c-Travis Rilat, 3. 9jr-Derek Hagar, 4. 3h-Brandon Hanks, 5. 23b-Brian Bell, 6. 36b-Jonathan Beason, 7. 19-Klint Angelette, 8. 64-Scotty Thiel, 9. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr.
Fifth Heat (10 Laps): 1. 20-Greg Wilson, 2. 40b-Christopher Bell, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 5k-Jerry Kamer, 5. 33-Mark Huddleston, 6. 1x-Rickey Hood, 7. 76-John Ricketts. DNS: 21k-Ryan Kitchen.
Qualifying Races – Top 14 in Combined Passing/Finishing Points to “A” Feature; Balance to “B” Mains
First Qualifier (10 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. W20-Greg Wilson, 3. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr., 4. 36b-Jonathan Beason, 5. 64-Scotty Thiel, 6. 11m-Justin Melton, 7. 1x-Rickey Hood, 8. 5k-Jerry Kamer. DNS: 57c-Kyle Chady.
Second Qualifier (10 Laps): 1. 23s-Seth Bergman, 2. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 3. 21t-Ray Allen Kulhanek, 4. 28-Jonathan Cornell, 5. 10-Terry Gray, 6. 2-Dustin Morgan, 7. 4t-Gary Taylor, 8. 19-Klint Angelette, 9. 09-Timmy Thrash.
Third Qualifier (10 Laps): 1. 39s-Kevin Swindell, 2. 40b-Christopher Bell, 3. 39c-Kevin Swindell, 4. 93-Chris Sweeney, 5. 11c-Matt Covington, 6. 17g-Cody Gardner, 7. 21w-Wes Wofford, 8. 76-John Ricketts, 9. 17w-Cole Wood.
Fourth Qualifier (10 Laps): 1. 22h-Randy Hannagan, 2. 9jr-Derek Hagar, 3. 58w-Wade Oliver, 4. 23b-Brian Bell, 5. 21k-Ryan Kitchen, 6. 46-Jan Howard, 7. 74e-Claud Estes. DNS: 33-Mark Huddleston, 66-Geoff Dodge.
Fifth Qualifier (10 Laps): 1. 01m-Paul McMahan, 2. 35-Jimmy Hurley, 3. 99-Brady Bacon, 4. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 5. 49-Shawn Dancer, 6. 3h-Brandon Hanks. DNS: 16-Koty Adams, 0m-Andy McElhannon.
“B” Features – Top 3 from Each Advance to “A” Feature
First “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 23b-Brian Bell, 2. 35-Jimmy Hurley, 3. 36b-Jonathan Beason, 4. 45x-Johnny Herrera, 5. 11c-Matt Covington, 6. 11m-Justin Melton, 7. 18-Tony Bruce, Jr., 8. 93-Chris Sweeney, 9. 64-Scotty Thiel, 10. 76-John Ricketts, 11. 5k-Jerry Kamer. DNS: 16-Koty Adams, 74e-Claud Estes, 0m-Andy McElhannon, 66-Geoff Dodge.
Second “B” Feature (12 Laps): 1. 2-Dustin Morgan, 2. 46-Jan Howard, 3. 49-Shawn Dancer, 4. 58w-Wade Oliver, 5. 3h-Brandon Hanks, 6. 10-Terry Gray, 7. 17g-Cody Gardner, 8. 17w-Cole Wood, 9. 21k-Ryan Kitchen, 10. 21w-Wes Wofford, 11. 33-Mark Huddleston. DNS: 1x-Rickey Hood, 19-Klint Angelette, 57c-Kyle Chady, 09-Timmy Thrash.
“A” Feature – Top 3 Finishers Locked into Saturday night’s $15,000 to win STN Finale.
A Feature (25 Laps – Starting position in parentheses): 1. 41-Jason Johnson (4), 2. 01m-Paul McMahan (2), 3. 40b-Christopher Bell (1), 4. W20-Greg Wilson (6), 5. 99-Brady Bacon (11), 6. 9jr-Derek Hagar (8), 7. 39c-Travis Rilat (7), 8. 21t-Ray Allen Kulhanek (9), 9. 39s-Kevin Swindell (5), 10. 23s-Seth Bergman (12), 11. 2-Dustin Morgan (16), 12. 28-Jonathan Cornell (10), 13. 22h-Randy Hannagan (13), 14. 35-Jimmy Hurley (17), 15. 23b-Brian Bell (15), 16. 49-Shawn Dancer (20), 17. 46-Jan Howard (18), 18. 15h-Sam Hafertepe, Jr. (3), 19. 4t-Gary Taylor (14), 20. 36b-Jonathan Beason (19).
Lap Leaders: Paul McMahan 1-23, Jason Johnson 24-25.
Photo Credit: Joe Orth
Submitted By: Bryan Hulbert
