7/16/2019
Inside Line Promotions
Kaleb Johnson Posts Pair of Runner-Up Finishes During Busy Weekend
(Photo by Speedway Shots)
Inside Line Promotions – SPENCER, Iowa (July 16, 2019) – Kaleb Johnson notched a pair of runner-up finishes in three nights of 305ci winged sprint car competition last weekend.
“It was a pretty good weekend for us, especially the first two nights,” he said. “You always think that it should’ve been better, but we’ll take it.”
Johnson’s racing weekend began Friday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., where he lined up sixth for the feature.
“Jackson was a bit of a heartbreaker,” he said. “We were able to take the lead by about the third lap, but then we had a nozzle line fall off a few laps later and drop our engine down to about six cylinders. We somehow managed to briefly regain the lead while in traffic, but I knew it wouldn’t last since we were down so much on power and it didn’t. We were fortunate to finish the race let alone hang on to second. But I feel it would have been a different story if the nozzle line hadn’t come off.”
The evening didn’t begin well for Johnson the following night at Park Jefferson International Speedway in Jefferson, S.D.
“The motor didn’t run well in the heat race, but we worked hard and were able to fix it in time for the feature,” said Johnson, who rolled off ninth in the main event.
“The feature was kind of a caution-fest. I was able to get to fourth pretty quickly and raced there for a while. Then I tried to pass the second and third-place cars around the top and went off the track a bit and lost a spot. But I was able to regain that spot and pass the next two cars to take second near the end.
“Unfortunately, they shortened the race by about five or six laps due to the cautions. That was frustrating since we were moving through the field and I felt we had the car to win. It was also frustrating since they never told us over the radio that they were shortening the race. But that’s one of those racing deals you can’t do anything about.”
Johnson moved on to competition at Clay County Fair Speedway on Sunday night.
“Clay County was the disappointment of the weekend, mainly because of how well we ran the previous two nights,” he said. “I expected the track to remain pretty heavy for the feature and had the wrong setup. I started fourth and ran there for a while until I missed the top in one corner and a couple of guys got by me. I ended up sixth. It was disappointing, but there are going to be nights when you aren’t good. You just have to accept it and move on.”
Johnson is looking forward to another busy racing week, including a return to 360 sprint car competition.
“We’re excited to get our 360 motor back this week,” he said. “We plan to race the 305 at Jackson on Wednesday as a support class for the Lucas Oil Late Models. Then we plan to run both cars on Friday at Jackson and the 360 at Knoxville Raceway (in Knoxville, Iowa) on Saturday.”
QUICK RESULTS –
July 12 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 2 (6).
July 13 – Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D. – Heat race: 5 (7); Feature: 2 (9).
July 14 – Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa – Heat race: 5 (3); Feature: 6 (4).
SEASON STATS –
19 races, 0 wins, 9 top fives, 12 top 10s, 14 top 15s, 16 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn.; Friday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., with the Midwest Power Series 360 Sprint Cars and IMCA 305 Sprint Cars; and Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, with the Midwest Power Series 360 Sprint Cars
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.kalebjohnsonracing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kaleb___Johnson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KalebJohnsonRacing22
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Merle Johnson Farm Toys
Merle Johnson Farm Toys in Jackson, Minn., has been a buyer and seller of new and used toy tractors and diecasts around the Upper Midwest for more than 30 years. They also ship nationally and internationally. For more information, call 507-847-2798.
“Merle Johnson Farm Toys is owned by my Grandpa and Grandma,” Johnson said. “They’ve been a supporter of my racing since I began in go-karts when I was 5-years-old. I’m really grateful for all of the support they’ve given me throughout my racing career.”
Johnson would also like to thank Medical Machining Specialists, Oddson Underground, Kat’s Hog Heaven, DeBerg Concrete, GRP Motorsports, Snyder Logging and Tree Service, Sea Foam Products, The Ron Weber Team, 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.
Article Credit: Inside Line Promotions
Submitted By: Shawn Miller
