WHEN ALL THE DUST SETTLED IN SOUTH DAKOTA, THE CAJUN SENSATION FINISHES IN THE RUNNER-UP SPOT AT BLACK HILLS SPEEDWAY IN LUCAS OIL ASCS NATIONAL TOUR ACTION

RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA (July 18, 2014) – The Stenhouse Jr. Racing team was back in action with the formidable Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour in South Dakota at Black Hills Speedway. There were 27 cars in the pit area and everyone was ready to fill the air with the sound of roaring engines. The fans were excited and so were all of the drivers and teams. Everyone was anxious to put on a good “ASCS style” show for the fans, so they had one to remember and talk about for a while.

With 27 cars in the pit area, the ASCS National Tour officials set the lineups for the three heat races. Jason, in the www.racediecast.com/AccuDoc Solution #41, would be in the third qualifying event on the outside of the front row. When the checkered flag flew on the second heat race, Jason rolled his Weld Racing wheels out onto the track to prepare for action. Eight laps . . . Nine Cars . . . and, nine drivers all wanting to get the heat race win. When the racing action went green, the driver in the forty one dropped his right foot and set sail. He did not look back as he took the win ahead of Bryan Gossel, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Aaron Reutzel and Johnny Herrera.

Making the redraw, the Cajun Sensation would start the 30-lap feature from the outside of row three in the sixth position. At the beginning of the event, everyone thought the topside of the 1/2 mile, semi banked oval was going to be the ticket to success. But, all of the competitors found slicked off conditions at the top side as everyone was just sliding around. With front row starter Sam Hafertepe, Jr. showing the way early, Jason jumped on it and stole some spots early in the race to position himself right behind Hafertepe’s #15H fuel cell. The Eunice, Louisiana native, in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/CURB Records Maxim, used the low line out of turn four to take the lead from the early leader on lap eight. There was a lot of dust flying around as the cars were up to speed creating a thick blinding wall for the drivers to navigate through at high speeds. Conditions were treacherous and on lap eighteen when the yellow came out for Jeff Sires’ spin, so the officials replaced the yellow with the competition red to see if they could put a little water down to help with the dust. When racing resumed, the MVT #41 was on the point with Brad Loyet right on his tail tank. Jason maintained the lead, but on lap twenty one Loyet seized the point position and led the remaining distance to take the win ahead of Jason, Aaron Reutzel, Hafertepe, and Johnny Herrera. After his second consecutive runner-up finish in ASCS National Tour action, Jason commented, “Any time you are on the podium is good. We wish we could have gotten the win, but we will keep digging and get there.” He continued when asked about the track conditions, “I thought it was going to be around the top in the beginning of the race to be quite honest. You know, we all went up there and just slid around until somebody ran over a cone at one point. Then they took the cones away and it was just how low you could get down and still see.”

When the dust finally settled around the speedway, the racing did not disappoint and the fans and drivers certainly will forever remember and talk about the clouds of dust for a long time coming. But, that is the beauty of dirt track racing . . . and, fortunately it washes off easily enough in the shower.