FRIDAY NIGHT WORKOUT IN MISSOURI: PARKER PRICE-MILLER JUMPS IN THE SEAT OF THE TEAM JACK FOUNDATION #41 MAXIM AND RACES TO A TOP TEN FINISH TO OPEN UP THE IRONMAN WEEKEND AT I-55
PEVELY, MISSOURI (August 7, 2020) – With rain washing out and postponing the first two races scheduled to start August, the drivers a teams headed to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 for one of the most grueling weekends of racing on the World of Outlaws schedule each year. Owned by racing legend Ken Schrader, the spectacular racing facility is located just south of St. Louis, Missouri with the frontstretch running parallel to its’ namesake interstate. The pit area is nestled over the hill off turn two and the racing is tight, fast and furious which takes extreme focus and precision on the drivers and teams part in order to be successful. Friday night’s racing action is the preamble to Saturday night’s Ironman 55 and is labeled the Night Before the Ironman. Teammate Parker Price-Miller (PPM) was capably filling the seat of the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 while David Gravel was debuting in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series event at Michigan International Speedway on Friday evening with GMS Racing in the ChevyGoods.com #24. Gravel was nothing less than impressive in his debut outing coming home with a 10th place finish for GMS Racing.
With 31 teams signed into the pit area, Parker would be the 28th car out for time trials aboard the Team Jack Foundation/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/LogoDaddy #41 Maxim. The talented young driver got up on the wheel and stomped his right foot down on the loud pedal. He was wheeling the forty-one around the racy 1/3-mile dirt track racing against the clock. His first lap was completed in 10.512 seconds, but he had no time to process as the clock was now clicking on his second circuit. Lap two was better at 10.451 seconds, which ended up being fifth quick overall.
His best lap in time trials position him in the second of three Drydene Heat Races where he would start on the outside of the front row in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/C&R Racing #41. The field is always stout here at I-55 and there is no room for error. Sheldon Haudenschild, last year’s Ironman 55 champion, sat on the front row and brought the field to the green flag with Parker Price-Miller and Shane Stewart in the Indy Race Parts/Jonestown KOA #71 chasing at speed. Parker was on the high side and the track still had a lot of moisture in it and was “cowboying up” as he wrestled his high speed machine. Stewart snuck by to take over the runner-up position as Parker got shuffled back in the running order. But the talented chauffeur kept his elbows up and found his line and used his Kistler Engines speed to drive back into the third position. Sheldon Haudenschild would lead all 10 laps to take the win over Stewart with Price-Miller coming home third. Jason Sides, Zach Hampton and Paul McMahan filled the final transfer positions to the feature from the second heat race.
Missing out by one position to transfer to the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, Parker would start from the outside of row four for the 35-lap Night Before the Ironman World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet made up the front row with Logan Schuchart and Donny Schatz in row two, Shane Stewart and Jacob Allen in row three, as Rico Abreu joined Parker Price-Miller in row four. With the fans in the stands on their feet to see the best in the business at I-55, the green flag dropped and Sheldon and Brad were up to speed and putting on a show. Sweet officially led lap one by a nose, but it was Haudenschild who was the gasser and star on this night as he drove right back into the lead. Parker was wheeling the Mark Burch Motorsports/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim from just outside the top ten in the early going, but he was fast and racing cleanly for positions. On the fourth circuit he would drive into tenth place and continue to drive a great race for the balance of the race. He was able to pick up a few positions and work his way back up to his eighth place starting spot for most of the middle and latter stages of the race. Haudenschild was worth the price of admission alone watching him aggressively, and artistically, weave through slower traffic like a high speed sewing machine. Sheldon would collect the win over Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu with Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart rounding out the top five. Kyle Larson came home sixth with the remainder of the top ten being occupied by Shane Stewart and Carson Macedo with Parker Price-Miller bring the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Weld Wheels #41 home ninth as Kraig Kinser completed the top ten.
Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Saich Family; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Weikert’s Livestock; J.R.C. Transportation, Inc.; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; Tiger Towing; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; AutoMeter; Bell Racing USA; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Crow Enterprizes, Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne FK Shocks; Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; Kistler Racing Engines; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy Graphics; Max Papis Innovations (MPI); MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Schoenfeld Headers; Shell Shock Paint; Simpson Race Products; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.
To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR), go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.