A FAST START FOR THE RAGIN’ CAJUN TO KICK OFF THE NORTHERN TOUR AT RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY ENDS TOO EARLY DUE TO AN ON TRACK TANGLE RESULTING IN A 22ND PLACE FINISH

GRAND RAPIDS, NORTH DAKOTA (June 17, 2016) – As a competitor on the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series your journey takes you around the country to a variety of different tracks, by size, surface and promotion. On Friday night, Jason and the JJR team visited River Cities Speedway as they joined 33 other competitors and teams to put on a show for North Dakota. After getting deluged by 2.5 inches of rain, the track officials and SLS Promotions team did an incredible job to get the track ready so the fans could enjoy seeing The Greatest Show On Dirt.

Pushing off 25th for his two time trial laps, Jason got the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Valvoline #41 Maxim rolling. Bot of his laps were consistent and fast, but the quicker of his two qualifying laps came in at 10.232 seconds, which ended up being seventh quick overall on the night.

His solid qualifying effort placed him on the outside of the front row in heat race number three with Daryn Pittman on the pole. The goal was to finish in one of the top two spots to advance on to the Dash event for the second night in a row. When the green flag waved over the 10 lap event, Pittman raced out into the lead with Jason close behind. The Cajun speed chauffeur kept the pressure on while at top speed. Pittman would eventually cross the finish line just ahead of Jason in his Priority Aviation Services, LLC/KSE Racing Products #41 to take the win as Shane Stewart, Greg Wilson and Jordan Adams rounded out the top five.

Accomplishing his mission in his heat race, Jason earned a starting spot in the 6 lap Dash event where he would start on the inside of row four from the seventh starting position. When the green lights illuminated around the track, Logan Schuchart seized the lead from the pole while Jason powered down and moved up in the running order. Schuchart would lead every lap to take the win ahead of Daryn Pittman, Brad Sweet and David Gravel as Jason came home fifth aboard the Fischer Body Shop/Vortex Racing Products Maxim.

The night to this point was one of speed and race plan execution as the team had put together a very solid qualifying effort, heat race finish and moved forward in the Dash. He would start from the third starting position for the 40 lap feature event with Jacob Allen to his outside. Logan Schuchart would jump out into the lead at the start of the feature as the racing was tight around River Cities Speedway. The World of Outlaws always put on a great show where the racing is tight, and in wheel-to-wheel action anything can happen. Something did happen on lap two, but unfortunately it happened to Jason as he tangled with Jacob Allen while racing for a top five position. Allen flipped on his side as Jason suffered front end damage. A disappointed driver was towed back to the work area hoping the crew to make the necessary repairs in order to continue to race.  Upon arrival to the work area the damage was extensive. The JJR crew – Philip, Jeff and Jakob – went to work feverishly in an attempt to make the repairs. While they did not get the repairs completed in time, as the damage was too extensive, the uplifting part was seeing many of the other World of Outlaw teams pitch in to try to help a fellow competitor get back on the track. It is a part of racing that many do not see or acknowledge, but the racing family while they are on the road is just as helpful and supportive in times of need as they are ultra competitive when on the track. That’s sprint car racing. That’s World of Outlaws racing. Jason was would be scored 22nd on the night. Back on the track, Donny Schatz chased down Schuchart and went on to take the win ahead of David Gravel, Schuchart, and Stewart with Pittman coming home in fifth.