Jason Johnson Wins Feature and World Challenge Friday on FVP Night at the 57th Annual Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s General Stores

8/11/2017

Sprint Source

Jason Johnson Wins Feature and World Challenge Friday on FVP Night at the 57th Annual Knoxville Nationals Presented by Casey’s General Stores

Schuchart, Reutzel, Eliason Also Lock Themselves into Finale!

by Bill Wright and Bryan Hulbert

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 11, 2017) – Like an Iowa cyclone, Jason Johnson ambushed the competition Friday at Knoxville Raceway on FVP Night at the 57th Annual Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores. Not only did the Eunice, Louisiana native claim the feature event over 72 cars to lock himself into Saturday night’s $150,000 finale, but he also claimed the Speed Sport World Challenge worth $10,000. The top four finishers claimed spots 17-20 in Saturday’s championship event. Joining Johnson were Logan Schuchart, Aaron Reutzel and Cory Eliason.

Jacob Allen led early in the 25-lap main event ahead of Johnson and Reutzel early. Johnson would waste little time taking the lead as he showed the way on lap two. Meanwhile, Joey Saldana rolled into the top three on the same circuit. Lynton Jeffrey, who had won the first of two B mains, had climbed to ninth in four laps before tipping over in turn three. He was uninjured.

Johnson pulled away on the restart, as Reutzel shot by Saldana for fourth on lap seven. Schuchart was making gains on the low side of the track and grabbed fourth two laps later. Eliason moved into the top five by lap ten. Schuchart’s mastery of the low groove continued, as he shot from fourth to second on lap 12. His teammate, Allen was running third on lap 17 when he hopped the infield berm allowing Reutzel and Eliason to move into the third and fourth lock-in spots for Saturday.

The top four would remain the same to the checkers. Chad Kemenah, who won the second B main, finished fifth, and Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brooke Tatnell, Tim Kaeding and Sammy Swindell rounded out the top ten. Allen and Johnson set quick times in their respective groups, and Sheldon Haudenschild, Tatnell, Saldana, Johnson, Swindell and Kraig Kinser won heats. Aussie Jason Kendrick took the C main. Jake Bubak and Matt Moro were heat flip victims on a rough night for crashes. Five cars turned over in the first B main, including Kendrick, Tayler Malsam, Dustin Selvage, RJ Johnson and Rager Phillips. Fortunately, no one was injured.

“Last night definitely didn’t pan out the way we’d been looking for,” said Johnson in Victory Lane. “It was phenomenal job that David (Gravel) did (Thursday) getting full points. It kind of inspired me really. In our own way, we kind of did the same thing tonight. The guys gave me a fast race car. Hats off to the JJR/Marshall team. How cool would it be if we battled from the back and beat those guys (tomorrow night)?”

Speed Sport World Challenge

James McFadden used a strong low groove to take the early lead in the 20-lap Speed Sport World Challenge. Thomas Kennedy settled into second, ahead of Jason Johnson, Dominic Scelzi and Lynton Jeffrey.

Kennedy’s second place run would come to an end on lap five, when he stopped in turn one. Jason assumed the second spot for a restart that saw a four-wide battle for position behind the leaders. On lap seven, Johnson would shoot by the 2016-17 Australian World Series Sprintcars champion for the lead. A fifth running Brooke Tatnell would exit on lap ten.

Johnson would pull away, but with two laps to go, he was slowed in heavy traffic. McFadden gained within three car lengths, but came up short in his bid to pass the leader. Brad Sweet ened up third, ahead of Scelzi and Brian Brown. Jeffrey, Ian Madsen, Greg Hodnett, Schuchart and Shane Stewart completed the top ten.

57th 5-hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Store Feature Tentative Lineups:

A-Main