7/22/2014
Sprint Source
USAC Southwest Sprints Spice Up Summer Slam at CSP!
Into the closing days of July means the heat is in full effect in Arizona, which is only fitting for Canyon Speedway Park’s Third Annual Summer Slam this Saturday night.
And “Chargin’” Charles Davis, Jr., will be gunning for a third consecutive Summer Slam title as the wingless wonders of the USAC Southwest Sprint Car series headline the heated event atop the 1/3-mile Canyon Speedway Park clay oval with IMCA Modifieds, Micro Sprints, Pure Stocks and Dwarf Cars in action as well. Racing action goes green at 7:00 p.m.
Picking up momentum in the USAC Southwest Sprint Car ranks is reigning series champion R.J. Johnson of Phoenix. Johnson has moved atop the point charts with a 19-point advantage over Charles Davis, Jr., with Josh Pelkey just another 14 points back in third.
That lead trio of Johnson, Davis, Jr., and Pelkey has monopolized USAC Southwest victory lane in points racing action this year as well. Johnson has topped the most recent pair of events including the Father’s Day Classic on June 14, with Pelkey topping two of the three initial events around a Davis, Jr., triumph on April 26.
Davis, Jr., will try to stay perfect in Summer Slam action after beating Johnson, Rick Ziehl and Pelkey to the line in the inaugural version in 2012 and then leading Shon Deskins and Johnson to the checkered flag last year.
Last year’s Summer Slam runner-up, Deskins enters Saturday’s card fourth in USAC Southwest points behind Johnson, Davis, Jr., and Pelkey with Matt Rossi rounding out the current top five. The rest of the current top ten includes Mike Martin, Tye Mihocko, Michael Colegrove, Andrew Reinbold and Nick Aiuto.
While Davis, Jr., guns for another Summer Slam title, Ricky Thornton, Jr., will try to keep the hot hand in the IMCA Modified ranks.
Thornton, Jr., has won nine of 11 IMCA Modified feature events at CSP in 2014 including all five in championship points chase action to build a 30-point edge over Cody Center with Steve Stultz, Ryan Roath and Jason Noll also in the top five. Only seven points separates the four drivers ranked second through fifth.
While Matt Martinez has topped the last two Pure Stock features and three of the last five, he is still one point behind Chris McCurdy, Jr., in the title chase. Zack Madrid is just eight points out of the lead in third with Joe Vlasity and John Parmeley in the top five.
Kenny Hilton is the most recent Micro Sprint winner after a June 14 triumph while Keaton Swane bested the field last time out in Dwarf Cars.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
