JOHNSON AND THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS OUTLAST THE RAIN AS THEY KICK OFF THE NORTHERN TOUR IN NORTH DAKOTA AS THE CAJUN RACES BACK TO A 12TH PLACE FINISH AT RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA (June 16, 2017) – The JJR Marshall Racing #41 team headed to North Dakota, nicknamed the Rough Rider State, for two nights of racing. The fans of this area are no strangers to good racing and love when the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series stars come to town. There were 38 cars entered for the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour race under ominous cloud cover as the event kicked off at this terrific facility.

There were two flights of time trials scheduled on this night and the Ragin’ Cajun was the second car out in Flight A for his two individual performance laps. He pushed off in the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/All Pro Heads #41 Maxim and circled the quarter mile the first time around in 10.012 seconds. A quick lap, but he stayed on the loud pedal as his Kistler Engine hummed and the dirt was kicking up from his Hoosier Racing Tires. He looked fast, and was extremely fast, as he turned in a sub-ten second lap the next time around stopping the stopwatch at 9.963 seconds, which was not only quick time for Flight A but overall on this night. It was Jason’s eighth fastest time of the 2017 racing season to-date.

Starting on the pole in the first and fastest heat race beside Kraig Kinser, the two front row starters led the field to the green in the 10-lap event. Jason drove the forty-one into the lead with Kinser, Terry McCarl, Logan Schuchart and Shane Stewart giving chase. Jason would go on to collect his 13th heat race victory of the year aboard the Fischer Body Shop/Kenny’s Components #41 winning by over 3.5 seconds over Kinser, McCarl, and Stewart with Schuchart picking up the fifth and final transfer spot.

Earning his way into the Craftsman Club Dash, he sat on the pole in the pre-dash starting grid lineup. When the eight pill was pulled for the inversion it relegated him back to the outside of row four for the Dash event start. The track was narrow, which makes passing a bit more challenging, and when the green flag waved it was Jacob Allen taking the lead over David Gravel as the remainder of the field shuffled into the fast lane. Allen would go on to earn the Dash win over Gravel, Kerry Madsen, Joey Saldana, Kraig Kinser, Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet with the Cajun Sensation coming home in the eighth spot.

The only thing that remained on the evening schedule of events was the Gerdau Recycling Northern Tour 40-lap feature event. The track officials were hustling the show along as the rains were moving in to the area quickly. The engines fired and Jason lined up in the eighth position. Jacob Allen jumped into the early lead and led the first four laps before jumping the cushion and flipping hard to bring out the red flag. Jason was on the move in his Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/FK Rod Ends Maxim as he gained three positions early and was set to restart from the fifth position when racing went back under green. With small drops of precipitation turning into bigger drops before the rains came hard, the field of cars were summoned back to the pit area. After an almost three hour delay it was time to get back to some high-speed racing action. On the restart, David Gravel took the point position over Kerry Madsen and as the cars exited turn four Jason slapped the outside of turn four with his right rear sending cars in all different directions with Paul McMahan and Tim Kaeding taking rough rides while flipping. Both drivers were ok. Jason headed to the pit area and the JJR Marshall Racing crew – Philip, Jeff and Jakob – thrashed on the car making repairs so their driver could rejoin the field. They were successful as he tagged the rear of the field for the restart. He got his elbows up when they went back to green flag conditions and raced his way back to a 12th place finish. David Gravel took the win over Kerry Madsen, Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and Joey Saldana.

Jason and the JJR Marshall Racing #41 team will be back at it in North Dakota on Saturday night at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota.