9/23/2019
Inside Line Promotions
Kaleb Johnson Earns Hard Charger Award in Jackson Motorplex Finale
(Photo by Speedway Shots)
Inside Line Promotions – JACKSON, Minn. (Sept. 23, 2019) – Kaleb Johnson charged through the field to score a sixth-place finish in Saturday night’s 305 sprint car feature during the Casey’s General Stores Open Wheel Nationals presented by Sea Foam at Jackson Motorplex. His performance earned him the Hard Charger Award and marked the second consecutive night that he passed a number of cars in the feature.
“Given where we started, I thought it went pretty well,” Johnson said of his advance from 15th to sixth. “You always want to do better, but things don’t always work out the way you want. But I think our weekend went all right.”
Johnson started and finished third in his heat race on Saturday, which slotted him 15th on the starting grid determined by a passing-points format.
“The track on Saturday was different than the night before,” he said. “There was more moisture earlier in the night, which didn’t really work in our favor in the heat race. We were a little off with our car and it was really tough to pass.”
After getting caught up in an opening-lap incident in Friday’s feature, Johnson was less aggressive early in Saturday night’s event.
“Keeping in mind how the previous night went, I was kind of cautious the first couple of laps on Saturday and made sure I didn’t put myself in a bad situation,” he said. “Once we got going and I figured out where the car was good, it went pretty well and we were able to pass quite a few cars early. I think we were up to about eighth after about 10 laps and were able to get by a couple more after that.”
Johnson was able to rally from adversity in the feature on the opening night as he recovered from a Lap 1 incident to salvage an 11th-place finish after starting 10th in the 24-car field.
“A car spun out in front of me in the first turn and I just had nowhere to go,” he said. “I tried to slow down as much as possible, but still ended up hitting him, bending our front axle and the nose wing. But we were still able to run and make it up to 11th after restarting last. That’s kind of how our year has gone.”
Johnson will get behind the wheel of his 360ci sprint car this weekend for the first time since early August for a Sprint Invaders doubleheader on Friday and Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa.
“I’m really looking forward to getting in the 360 again and racing a new track,” he said. “Unfortunately, this will probably be our last race of the year.”
QUICK RESULTS –
Sept. 20 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Heat race: 2 (3); Feature: 11 (10)
Sept. 21 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Heat race: 3 (3): Feature: 6 (15)
SEASON STATS –
32 races, 0 wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s, 20 top 15s, 23 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, with the Sprint Invaders
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.kalebjohnsonracing.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kaleb___Johnson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KalebJohnsonRacing22
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Dave’s Lawn Care and Landscaping
Dave’s Lawn Care and Landscaping of Jackson, Minn., offers complete yard maintenance and landscaping, including thatching, mowing, spraying, patio installation, retaining walls, sodding, tilling, flower beds and shrubbery. They have the most combined experience in the Jackson area.
“We’re happy to have Dave’s Lawn Care and Landscaping back with us for a third year,” Johnson said. “I’m sure they do nice work because they are always busy. We really appreciate their support.”
Johnson would also like to thank Medical Machining Specialists, Merle Johnson Farm Toys, 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 and Last Deck for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
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Article Credit: Inside Line Promotions
Submitted By: Shawn Miller