THE RAGIN’ CAJUN DRIVES FORWARD IN HIS FAST MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION #41 MAXIM HOTROD TO A SOLID 7TH PLACE FINISH AT WILMOT RACEWAY IN THE O’REILLY AUTO PARTS BADGER 40

WILMOT, WISCONSIN (July 30, 2016) – After rain halted the action at Hartford Speedway just before the Dash event on Friday night, Jason and the JJR crew headed off to Wilmot Raceway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Badger 40 event on Saturday night. These road warriors have fielded a really fast car recently for the Ragin’ Cajun and they would need every ounce of that speed on this night as 33 cars were entered in the event in the Badger State.

After hot laps and the opening ceremonies concluded, it was the individual performance portion of the show – time trials. Jason climbed aboard his Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/KSR Racing Products #41 and buckled in to his Fibreworks Composites custom fitted seat. It was time to test himself against the clock around Wilmot’s 1/3-mile racing surface. He was the 13th car out and jumped on the accelerator and he got his Kistler Engines motor humming as he took the green. He planted his Louisiana right foot into the loud pedal and whistled around turns one and two. Staying in the gas he screamed down the backstretch and through turns three and four. The stopwatch read 13.615 seconds when he crossed through the timing light, which was a top ten lap at the time. He stayed on the hammer the second time around and got even quicker with a lap of 13.461 seconds. When Jereme Schroeder, the last driver out in qualifying took the checkers, Jason’s quickest lap was good enough for 11th quick overall on the night. A good start to the night as the sun began to set on the horizon.

When the World of Outlaw (WoO) officials posted the heat race lineups, which are set by qualifying times, Jason was slated to start third in heat race number three in the Priority Aviation Services, LLC/Wilwood Disc Brakes #41. He would share row two with Jeremy Schultz as they followed Daryn Pittman and Paul McMahan during the pace laps. When the flag man authorized them to get up to speed, the sweet sound of sprint cars filled the air as Pittman led McMahan and Johnson on lap one. Pittman was showing the way in the 10 lap heat race with the two speedsters behind him doing their best to try to track him down. Pittman would go on to secure the win as McMahan in his #7 followed him across the line in the runner-up spot with Jason coming home in third, Jeremy Schultz was fourth with Bill Rose locking down the fifth and final transfer spot to the feature.

After patiently waiting for the remaining qualifying action to be completed, the Louisiana hot shoe was eager to get back on the track to see what he could do in the fast JJR #41 hotrod on this night in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Badger 40 event. He would start from the inside of row six in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/FK Rod Ends Maxim with Jordan Goldesberry’s #65 to his outside. Front row starters David Gravel and Jason Sides would bring the field to the green at speed in front of the packed grandstands representing the awesome Wisconsin sprint car fans. Jason wasted little time using his speed as he moved the forty-one into the top ten early. The green flag was replaced by the yellow flag numerous times during the first 12 laps of the race. On each restart, Jason would make his presence known as he would collect some positions and move further towards the top of the scoring charts. He was fast and was driving a smart race as he passed Daryn Pittman to move into the fifth position just after the mid-point of the race. Pittman would steal the position back as the two racers battled cleanly for the opportunity to be represented in the top five. Jason was then running solidly in the sixth position in the waning laps before he experienced a cut in his tire. He surrendered the sixth spot to Shane Stewart on the last lap, but brought his entry home safely with a solid and respectable 7th place finish on the night. It was his 30th top ten finish of the year racing against the best in the business night in and night out. A great run for the forty-one!