NIGHT FOUR AT THE SECOND ANNUAL WINTER HEAT SHOWDOWN ENDS EARLY WITH AN EIGHTH PLACE RUN IN THE B-MAIN

SOMERTON, ARIZONA (January 8, 2016) – With sunny skies overhead, 44 cars were in the pits at Cocopah Speedway to compete in the fourth of five nights of racing in the Second Annual Winter Heat Showdown series in the desert. The Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) entry was one of the machines sitting at the back of the haulers and he was ready to race around the 3/8th mile oval in the Valvoline/Racediecast.com Maxim Racing sprint car.

He was scheduled to go out and complete in the loaded fourth heat race where he would start near the very back of the pack. There were nine cars in the race with names like Saldana, Hodnett, Pittman, Stewart, McCarl, Balog, and Netto. Add in the Ragin’ Cajun and you have a really stout field racing for position over 8 laps. When the green flag waved, there were cars on the cushion and cars sticking to the very bottom of the track, but passing was certainly at a premium. The laps clicked by quickly and before you knew it Pittman raced under the checkered flag for the win, as Jason came home in the ninth position aboard his forty one.

Hoping for better results in the Qualifier race, he lined up the Priority Aviation Services/Fischer Body Shop #41 Maxim Racing entry up on the outside of row four beside Skylar Gee. When racing was under green flag conditions, Jason went to work trying to build up some momentum around Cocopah’s 3/8 mile surface. Logan Schuchart was checked out at the front of the field after starting on the front row with Greg Hodnett giving chase from his fifth starting position. Schuchart would go on to take the win ahead of Hodnett, as Jason cruised home in the seventh spot.

He would have his work cut out for him in the first of two 15 lap B-Main events. He started from the twelfth position and was eager to use his KSE Racing Products to steer his Jonestown KOA/MSD Performance racer forward. He wasted little time when the green lights illuminated to get his Kistler Engine and Maxim rolling. He was on the move and made his way into the top ten in the first two laps. He stayed on the hammer and made his way up to eighth where he was in a wheel-to-wheel battle with Wayne Johnson for position. Aaron Reutzel was leading the way with Tasker Phillips giving chase in the runner up position. Only four cars would transfer out of each B-Main race and when Reutzel took the checkers he was followed across the stripe by Phillips, Trey Starks and Robbie Price. Jason was able to race his way to an eighth place finish, falling short on this night in the desert.

After four nights of action, Jason is 17th in the overall point standings with 563 points. So far, there have been 48 competitors to race in the 2016 edition of the Winter Heat Showdown at Cocopah Speedway. Jason and the boys will be back in action on Saturday night at Cocopah Speedway to wrap up racing at the diamond in the desert.