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Jason Johnson is ASCS Knoxville King
By Bob Wilson

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 20) Jason Johnson of Eunice, Lousianna captured the 25-lap American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) feature event at Knoxville Raceway Friday night. The event was part of the American Sprint Cars on Tour (ASCoT) National series northern swing. The event was also paired with the 7th annual Knoxville Midget Nationals.

Johnson got the jump on fellow front row starter Jesse Giannetto when the green flag dropped to start the race. Right away Wayne Johnson (no relation) filled in right behind him from a second row start. Giannetto ran a close third.
A brief but steady shower prior to the six o’clock hour forced the racing to get a late start as the first flight of hot laps were not pushed off until 8:05 p.m. With a full slate of midget races being contested, the mighty Knoxville half mile became hard and dry slick. Most drivers found the high cushion to be the fastest way around on this night.

By lap five, Johnson had moved into lap traffic as he headed into turn three. W. Johnson began to try various ways to pass for the lead including sliders in turns one and two. He was never more than five car lengths behind as he trailed the top spot.
It was lap 10 which saw W. Johnson take the lead in lap traffic as he rode the high side in traffic. J. Johnson had chosen the bottom but W. Johnson’s momentum out of turn four gave him the push he needed to take the lead as he shot down the front stretch. It was right after that lead change that he began to blow smoke from his sprinter.

The backmarkers proved to be an asset to Johnson as he was able to place at least two cars between himself and the runner-up car. He began to put some distance between himself and W. Johnson.

Lap 17 proved to be the demise of Wayne Johnson as his engine went up in smoke going into turn three. The yellow came out and he was pushed to the infield gaining an 18th position finish.

With lap cars left in the realignment, Jason Johnson was able to pull away from the field on the restart. By the 20th circuit he had an entire chute gap between himself and second place. In the waning laps of the race, Brian Brown was able to pass Giannetto to take the runner-up spot.

As Johnson took the $3,000 checkered flag, Brown was flying into turn three. Giannetto held for third, Garry Lee Maier was fourth and Jake Peters came from a 12th position start to take fifth. Amazingly Josh Higday drove from the tail of the 24-car field to finish sixth. Rounding out the top ten were Zach Chappell, Gregg Bakker (from 22nd), Gary Wright (from 21st) and Dustin Selvage (from 17th). Fifty-three cars took part in the events.

KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
June 20, 2008


ASCS 360 RESULTS

Heat 1, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 2. Joe Beaver, Knoxville IA; 3. Mike Houseman Jr., Des Moines IA; 4. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 5. Rod Richards, Runnells IA; 6. Alan Zoutte, Knoxville IA; 7. Ryan Roberts, Aurora NE; 8. Dave Hall, Des Moines IA; 9. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA;

Heat 2, 8 laps, 2:10.3 NEW TRACK RECORD: 1. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 2. John Hall, Marion IA; 3. Tom Lenz, Marion IA; 4. Natalie Sather, Fargo ND; 5. Nate Van Haaften, Otley IA; 6. Danny Heskin, St. Michael MN; 7. Nate Mosher, Prairie City IA; 8. Larry Pinegar II, Pleasant Hill IA; 9. RJ Johnson, (R) Tampa FL;

Heat 3, 8 laps, No Time: 1. Zach Chappell, Talala OK; 2. Wayne Johnson, Knoxville IA; 3. Brett Mather, Ames IA; 4. Jon Agan, Knoxville IA; 5. Gary Taylor, Sapulpa OK; 6. Kenneth Walker, Sapulpa OK; 7. Kathryne Minter, Bedford TX; 8. Cody Petersen, (R) Hermosa SD; 9. Russ Hall, Des Moines IA;

Heat 4, 8 laps, 2:14.1: 1. Chuck Swenson, Watertown SD; 2. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 3. Jake Peters, Sioux Falls SD; 4. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD; 5. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Ricky Montgomery, Lakewood CO; 7. Nick Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 8. Tyler Thompson, Des Moines IA; 9. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA;

Heat 5, 8 laps, 2:12.5: 1. Jesse Giannetto, Cedar Rapids IA; 2. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 3. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 4. Dustin Selvage, Indianola IA; 5. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 6. Mike Boston, Crete NE; 7. Trey Robb, Newcastle OK; 8. Forrest Sutherland, Cherryvale KS; 9. Jack Dover, Springfield NE;

Heat 6, 8 laps, 2:16.1: 1. Ryan Anderson, Charter Oak IA; 2. Rick Ideus, Silver City IA; 3. Matt Moro, Ankeny IA; 4. Dan Thornburg, Des Moines IA; 5. Bobby Becker Jr., Denton NE; 6. Aaron Berryhill, Broken Arrow OK; 7. Matt Covington, Glenpool OK; 8. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD;

B Feature 1, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Dustin Selvage, Indianola IA; 2. Matt Moro, Ankeny IA; 3. Nick Smith, Broken Arrow OK; 4. Jack Dover, Springfield NE; 5. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Trey Robb, Newcastle OK; 7. Dave Hall, Des Moines IA; 8. Tyler Thompson, Des Moines IA; 9. Danny Heskin, St. Michael MN; 10. Mike Houseman Jr., Des Moines IA; 11. Alan Zoutte, Knoxville IA; 12. Aaron Berryhill, Broken Arrow OK; 13. Russ Hall, Des Moines IA;

B Feature 2, 10 laps, 2:54.0: 1. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 2. Natalie Sather, Fargo ND; 3. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 4. Kenneth Walker, Sapulpa OK; 5. Matt Covington, Glenpool OK; 6. Nate Van Haaften, Otley IA; 7. Bobby Becker Jr., Denton NE; 8. Rod Richards, Runnells IA; 9. Ryan Roberts, Aurora NE; 10. Larry Pinegar II, Pleasant Hill IA; 11. Chad Meyer, Sioux Falls SD; 12. Jeff Mitrisin, Oskaloosa IA;

B Feature 3, 10 laps, No Time: 1. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 2. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD; 3. Ricky Montgomery, Lakewood CO; 4. Nate Mosher, Prairie City IA; 5. Gary Taylor, Sapulpa OK; 6. Kathryne Minter, Bedford TX; 7. Forrest Sutherland, Cherryvale KS; 8. Mike Boston, Crete NE; 9. Rager Phillips, Pleasantville IA; 10. Brett Mather, Ames IA; 11. Cody Petersen, (R) Hermosa SD; 12. RJ Johnson, (R) Tampa FL;

A Feature, 25 laps, No Time: 1. Jason Johnson, Eunice LA; 2. Brian Brown, Grain Valley MO; 3. Jesse Giannetto, Cedar Rapids IA; 4. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron KS; 5. Jake Peters, Sioux Falls SD; 6. Josh Higday, Des Moines IA; 7. Zach Chappell, Talala OK; 8. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls SD; 9. Gary Wright, Hooks TX; 10. Dustin Selvage, Indianola IA; 11. Jon Agan, Knoxville IA; 12. Matt Moro, Ankeny IA; 13. Natalie Sather, Fargo ND; 14. Tom Lenz, Marion IA; 15. Chuck Swenson, Watertown SD; 16. Rick Ideus, Silver City IA; 17. Ryan Anderson, Charter Oak IA; 18. Wayne Johnson, Knoxville IA; 19. Joe Beaver, Knoxville IA; 20. Eric Baldaccini, Keller TX; 21. Dan Thornburg, Des Moines IA; 22. John Hall, Marion IA; 23. Billy Alley, Lincoln NE; 24. Nick Smith, Broken Arrow OK.

Lap Leaders: J. Johnson 1-9; W. Johnson 10-16; J. Johnson 17-25