5/27/2007
Sprint Source
O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 Green Valley Shootout goes to Jason Johnson
Glencoe, AL - 2006 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 sprint car Driver of the Year, Jason Johnson from Eunice, Louisiana won the 30-lap O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com "Sunday Night Shootout" at Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama. Johnson who led the Nation last season in winged 360 sprint car wins with 24 victories picked up his sixth on the 2007 season by chasing down early race leader Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee on lap fourteen and making the winning move exiting turn four of the 3/8 mile clay oval for his third career O'Reilly USCS win. The victory came in the third round of the seven-race O'Reilly USCS Speed Week 2007.
When the main event started K&N Filters Pole Award recipient Don Young started on the front row next to 2006 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek Hager from Marion, Arkansas. Young who finished in the runner-up spot in Butlerbuilt Heat Two earlier in the evening, raced into the lead in turn one of lap one. Young who appeared to have a great working race car started to stretch his lead over the field quickly with Butlerbuilt Heat Two winner and third place starter Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi's in pursuit of him. On lap-five Jason Johnson who earlier won the Engler Machine and Tool Heat One and started fourth got past Lee Sowell into the runner-up spot. Johnson would then have his work cut out for him to catch Don Young who had built a half straightaway lead by lap six.
Johnson began to close the gap in lapped traffic and by lap-fourteen got a good enough run on the teenager to make the winning move. Young held on and fought back trying to take the point back for several laps before Johnson formerly known as the "Cajun Sensation" could build a comfortable margin. On the final lap, Johnson held nearly a half straightway lead. Young raced home in the runner-up spot followed by hard chargin' Travis Rilat from Forney, Texas in the third position. Rilat started eighth. Current Speed Week 2007 points leader and defending O'Reilly USCS Champion Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee finished in the fourth position and the evenings Lucas Oil Power Dash winner Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida rounded out the top five finishers
Past O'Reilly USCS Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas headed the second five cars in sixth place followed by Lee Sowell in seventh. Derek Hagar who came into the night ranked second in Speed Week 2007 points, finished in the eighth position. Raymond Stull from Coldwater, Mississippi was ninth in the final running order and 2004 O'Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year finished in tenth place, still on the lead lap. All but one car that started the 30-lap caution-free speed contest finished the race.
Danny Martin, Jr. kicked of the competition by winning the evening's six-car, six-lap Lucas Oil Power Dash. As previously mentioned Jason Johnson won the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race and Lee Sowell won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Travis Rilat garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from eighth place into third place. Don Young garnered the K&N Filters Pole Award and was also recognized as the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race, which is awarded to the top-finishing driver under twenty-five years old.
The next O'Reilly USCS National points event and O'Reilly USCS Mid-South Thunder points event is the Speedweek 2007 Round Four at Clayhill Motorsports www.clayhillmotorsports.com in Atwood, TN. After two days off on Tuesday and Wednesday, the schedule picks back up at Clarksville Speedway in Clarksville, Tennessee on Thursday night, May 31st. The tour then visits Camden Speedway in Camden, Tennessee on Friday night June 1st before the grand finale in the "Columbus Clash" at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS on Saturday night June 2nd.
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
