NIGHT TWO AT THE DIRTCAR NATIONALS IS HIGHLIGHTED WITH THE RAGIN’ CAJUN SETTING QUICK TIME AND CAPTURING A THIRD PLACE FINISH AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK

BARBERVILLE, FLORIDA (February 11, 2016) – It was night two of the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park for Jason and the JJR team. After a good run on night one, the driver and crew were looking to improve on the efforts on this night of racing action aboard the Priority Aviation Services, LLC/Mesilla Valley Transportation #41 Maxim. There were 30 sprint cars signed into the pits on Thursday night as each driver ad crew were preparing to put on a show under the Florida skies.

The Ragin’ Cajun pushed out third to take his time trial laps in his Jonestown KOA/Valvoline Kistler Engines powered Maxim. He got on the hammer and took the green. He was on the move, making tracks and not looking back. When he stopped the clock at 13. 329 seconds it was quick time. Lap two was a little slower at 13.401, but his quickest lap stood tall and he kept the #41 at the top of the time trial board after the last and final driver, Lucas Wolfe, crossed under the checkers. It was his first quick time in 2016!

Being the quickest qualifier put the Cajun Sensation on the outside of row two beside Bryan Clauson in the first 8-lap Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions heat race. When the green flag was unfurled, Brad Sweet roared into the lead with Greg Hodnett right behind. Jason rolled up the track coming off turn two and fell back to fifth in the running order. He stayed up on the wheel and used his KSE Racing Products to steer his way around the lightning quick oval. Sweet would go on to take the heat race win over Hodnett, Clauson, and Tim Shaffer with Jason coming home in the fifth position.

Philip, Jeff and Jacob then prepped the car for the 6-lap Dash event, which is used to set the first four rows of the A-Main. Jason would start from the pole position in the Fischer Body Shop/Waco Metal Kistler Engines powered machine. Danny Lasoski would be to his outside and would jump into the lead at the start of the race coming off turn four. Jason would start his high speed chase as he tried to track down Lasoski. Dave Blaney was using the outside groove to get the nose of his car up beside Jason, but the Cajun kept the pedal down and ran his line putting some space between himself and Blaney. Lasoski would take the win followed by Jason, Dave Blaney, and Dale Blaney with Bryan Clauson coming home in the fifth position.

The A-Main was next on the agenda and Jason would find himself on the front row with pole sitter Danny Lasoski for the 30-laps of high speed action. After the four-wide salute to the fans, he rolled around the top anxiously awaiting the green flag racing. He pulled down one last time on his red Crow Enterprizes safety belts and flipped the shield down on his Bell Helmet. It was ‘go’ time under the Florida stars. When the flagman leaned out from his perch he waved the green flag and the engines came to life. Lasoski drove off the bottom to lead lap one, but Jason was on the loud pedal and building his momentum up around the top in the Priority Aviation Services missile. He used that speed to make a pass for the lead through turns one and two and stretched his lead to a two second margin when Paul McMahan flipped hard in turn one to bring out the red flag. When the engines re-fired, the aligned in their single file restart order and Jason got them up to speed. He was pounding down the walls and a fierce fight for the positions directly behind him was on between Dale Blaney, Lasoski and Donny Schatz. Jason would lead through lap 20 when Schatz chased him down using the low side of the speedway to take the lead. Five laps later, Dale Blaney would take the runner-up spot, but Jason was able to secure his first podium finish of the year as he finished third on this night at Volusia Speedway Park. A great run for the forty one!

Jason and the JJR team will kick off the 2016 Craftsman World of Outlaw season on Friday night on night three of the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Come out and catch up with the team and their sponsorship partners.