6/28/2014
ASCS
C.J. Johnson Wins the Steve King Memorial
(Photo Credit: TWC)
David Smith, Jr. – Dodge City, Kansas – June 28, 2014 - Four-time and defending National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products sprint car champion C.J. Johnson took advantage of early race leader Jake Martens miscue to claim victory as the series joined forces with the American Bank of Oklahoma American Sprint Car Series Sooner Region Saturday night at Dodge City Raceway Park in Dodge City, Kansas.
Johnson and Martens started on the front row for the twenty-five lap feature with Martens taking the lead as the green flag fell. Seth Bergman, Jeff Stasa and Kevin Ramey were the top five as Martens quickly opened up a half stretch lead by lap two.
While Martens kept his advantage, Johnson and Bergman battled for the runner up position with Johnson holding off the Washington resident throughout the early portion of the feature. Slower cars changed the complexion of the race on lap eight as Martens looked to put a couple of cars a lap down. One lap later was costly as he went to pass one of those slower cars and drifted high exiting turn two and brushed the wall. This allowed Johnson and Bergman to pass the early race leader, dropping him back into the third position.
This set up a two car battle for the top spot as Johnson, aboard his familiar #45x ASI powered, JE chassis, ran the middle portion of the three-eighths mile clay oval. Lap seventeen saw Bergman down low and look to make a bid for the lead coming out of turns three and four, only to have Johnson maintain the lead.
Two laps later the Bergman’s power plant went up and smoke and he retired into the infield and credited with an 18th place finish.
From then on there was no catching Johnson as he went the rest of the caution free feature unchallenged to claim his first series feature victory of the season and first since May of last year. He also became the tenth different NCRA feature winner in the last ten appearances.
The victory put a positive on what was a trying night for the NCRA sprint car champion as he suffered a blown motor on the last lap and would coast to victory in the first heat race.
Martens rebounded to finish a disappointing second while ninth starting Sean McClelland finished third. Kevin Ramey came home fourth with Jordan Weaver rounding out the top five. Luke Cranston was the races hard charger as he worked the Danny King owned #e85 sprinter from his fifteenth starting position to a sixth place finish.
The three, eight lap heat races for the twenty-five car field were won by Johnson, Martens and Bergman while Cranston led wire to wire the twelve lap “B” feature.
It was not a good night for Oklahoma’s Dustin Morgan, who came into the night leading ASCS Sooner Region points. After blowing a tire during his heat race, Morgan was a victim of circumstance as a couple cars got crossed up on the front stretch. Morgan’s right rear made contact with one of the sprinters and executed several end over end flips from the flag stand, eventually ending up entering turn one. He was uninjured.
The NCRA and ASCS Sooner Region will load up and head to 81 Speedway in Park City for a Sunday night “Harvest of Gold Challenge.”
Steve King Memorial Champions: C.J. Johnson (2014), Jack Dover (2009 and 2013), Brady Bacon (2010 and 2012), (2011 event was rained out.)
American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region
vs.
National Championship Racing Association
6th annual Steve King Memorial
Dodge City Raceway Park - Dodge City, Kan.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Car Count: 25
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 45X-C.J. Johnson; 2. 1-Ty Williams; 3. 92-Jordan Weaver; 4. 17X-Josh Baughman; 5. 8-Alex Sewell; 6. E85-Luke Cranston; 7. 17W-Harli White; 8. 21X-Taylor Velasquez; 9. 10C-Jeremy Campbell
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 48-Jake Martens; 2. 81-Jon Freeman; 3. 1H-Sean McClelland; 4. 1X-Tony Bruce Jr; 5. 85-Forrest Sutherland; 6. 98-J.D. Johnson; 7. 74-Zach Merritt; 8. (DNF) 93-Dustin Morgan
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Seth Bergman; 2. 91-Jeff Stasa; 3. 7M-Kevin Ramey; 4. 72-Raymond Seemann; 5. 33-Kris Miller; 6. 2J-Zach Blurton; 7. 20G-Jake Greider; 8. (DNF) 27-Andy Shouse
B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. E85-Luke Cranston[2]; 2. 85-Forrest Sutherland[1]; 3. 98-J.D. Johnson[3]; 4. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[11]; 5. 2J-Zach Blurton[4]; 6. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[8]; 7. (DNF) 17W-Harli White[5]; 8. (DNF) 74-Zach Merritt[6]; 9. (DNF) 20G-Jake Greider[7]; 10. (DNF) 93-Dustin Morgan[9]; DNS 27-Andy Shouse
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 45X-C.J. Johnson[1]; 2. 48-Jake Martens[2]; 3. 1H-Sean McClelland[9]; 4. 7M-Kevin Ramey[7]; 5. 92-Jordan Weaver[6]; 6. E85-Luke Cranston[14]; 7. 91-Jeff Stasa[4]; 8. 17X-Josh Baughman[8]; 9. 1X-Tony Bruce Jr[11]; 10. 72-Raymond Seemann[10]; 11. 8-Alex Sewell[12]; 12. 81-Jon Freeman[5]; 13. 10C-Jeremy Campbell[17]; 14. 17W-Harli White[20]; 15. 98-J.D. Johnson[16]; 16. 33-Kris Miller[13]; 17. (DNF) 85-Forrest Sutherland[15]; 18. (DNF) 23-Seth Bergman[3]; 19. (DNF) 21X-Taylor Velasquez[19]; 20. (DNF) 2J-Zach Blurton[18]
Submitted By: Bryan Hulbert
