JOHNSON KEEPS DIGGING AND BRINGS HOME A SOLID SIXTH PLACE FINISH IN THE FINALE OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL JESSE HOCKETT/DANIEL MCMILLIN MEMORIAL AT LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY

WHEATLAND, MISSOURI (September 27, 2014) – The Stenhouse Jr. Racing team was back at Lucas Oil Speedway for the finale of the fourth running of the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial race. This is a race everyone wants to pull into victory lane for and climb to the top step of the podium. It was no different in the JJR pit area as the boys worked hard on Fischer Body Shop/Serratelli Hat Company #41 and had it race ready.

When Jason pushed out for hot laps he was getting around the 4/10 mile oval quickly. In fact, when all the hot lap sessions were completed, his time of 13.579 seconds led the way. But he definitely realizes you don’t win races in hot laps. He would need all of the Ford speed his power plant could provide as he was slated to start from the eighth and final starting spot in the fourth heat race. He rolled the Shop Diesel Service/Valvoline machine to the outside of row four and let the hammer drop when the green flag waved high in the sky. He was working every lane and making his way forward. Eight laps is not a lot of time, but he was making the most of it. When the checkered flag was unfurled, pole sitter Blake Hahn got to it first as the Ragin’ Cajun followed him across the line in the runner-up spot. When the points were tabulated after qualifying, he had earned his way into the A-Main event.

The Saturday night finale was a 30-lap event. In the redraw the Rocky Mount, Missouri resident pulled a four, which put him on the outside of row two for the start of the feature. The front row was comprised of Wayne Johnson on the inside and Sam Hafertepe, Jr. on the outside. Jeff Swindell was to the inside of Jason and when the green waved the engines roared down the front straightaway. The start was chaos as these high speed masters were working hard inside the cockpits of the sprint cars. When the first caution waved, Jason had slid back to the fifth spot in the Priority Aviation Service, LLC Maxim as Jeff Swindell paced the field. When the action resumed he was back to work. Losing a few spots, he gathered himself and refocused when racing was again slowed and he readied for the restart. A little further front, Derek Hagar was pressing Jeff Swindell for the lead and on lap 24 he got it. Jason was also able to grab a spot before the race ended as he moved into the sixth position. Hagar took the win ahead of Swindell, Hafertepe, and Tony Bruce, Jr. with Johnny Herrera rounding out the top five. Jason kept digging throughout the entire weekend and went home with a solid 6th place finish.