CAJUN RUNS TO A 14TH PLACE FINISH IN THE FINALE OF THE U.S. DIRT TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ABOARD THE PRIORITY AVIATION SERVICES, LLC #41 MAXIM

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (September 13, 2014) – The weather and race conditions on Saturday were certainly a bit different than they were on night one at the Port-a-Cool U.S. Dirt Track National Championship finale at Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The temperatures were in the 70s as bright sunshine greeted the fans to the track. Every person in the packed grandstands was excited to see some great ASCS National Tour racing action as 38 cars lined the backstretch pit area. After finishing fifth, one position out of a lock-in spot on the first night of racing, Jason and the Stenhouse Jr. Racing boys had their work cut out for them in order to meet their race weekend goals aboard the Priority Aviation Services, LLC/Fischer Body Shop #41.

After the drivers meeting at 5:45 p.m., Jason climbed into the cockpit of his speed machine and buckled his Crow Enterprizes safety belts as he readied for some top flight action around the 4/10 mile semi-banked clay oval. Starting from the inside of row three in the first heat race, the Louisiana gasser was hoping the racing surface was wide enough to allow for multiple lanes of racing early on to move around in order to move up the scoring pylon to garner a good finish. When the green was displayed, he pedaled down and got up to speed. He was fast and patiently waiting while running in the fourth position for an opportunity to make another pass as Aaron Reutzel was running in the top spot. A lap five caution was displayed for Shawn Petersen as he slowed on the backstretch and rolled to a stop in turn three. The field bunched up with Dale Wester and Harli White directly in front of The Shop Diesel Service/Weld Racing entry that Jason was driving. When the field got back up to speed, these three drivers were all using different lanes and the race for the second spot was up for grabs. The racing was tight, but in the end Reutzel would take the win with Wester, White and Johnson following him across the finish line.

Unable to accumulate enough passing and finishing points to move directly into the A-Main, Jason lined up third in the second of two 12 lap B-Mains in which the top three finishers in each advanced to the evening’s feature event. Pole sitter Dustin Morgan brought the field to the green, but it was outside front row starter Travis Rilat leading the way after lap one with Jason’s Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Gleco Plating Inc. Maxim close behind. When the checkered flag waved over the field, Jason secured the runner-up spot behind Rilat and advanced to the A-Main event.

Twenty two cars made it to the 30 lap finale of the U.S. Dirt Track National Championship with only one of the drivers having the honor of claiming the top step of the podium at the end of the evening. The 4-time ASCS National Tour champion, who is a native of Eunice, Louisiana, certainly had his work cut out for him as he was scheduled to start in the twentieth position. Never one to shy away from a challenge, the Stenhouse Jr. Racing crew made the final changes to the car and Jason rolled the Priority Aviation Services, LLC Maxim out onto the track under the lights. From the outside of row ten, the front of the pack must look like they are miles away. But when the green lights illuminated around the speedway, he got his elbows up and started to focus his Ford ponies forward. Outside front row starter, Jeff Swindell, seized the early lead and relinquished it to Sam Hafertepe, Jr. on lap nine. A little further back in the pack, Jason was working hard for every position he was getting along the way. Seth Bergman would move into the lead on lap seventeen with Jason making his way into the top fifteen. Bergman would go on to take the win ahead of Hafertepe, Brad Loyet, and Johnny Herrera with Swindell rounding out the top five. Jason would advance six positions to finish in the fourteenth position. Not the finish they were hoping for, but a good run nonetheless for the forty one team.