Jason Johnson Wins ASCS Gulf South

Weekend of Speed Opener at Corpus Christi

Lonnie Wheatley, CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (August 29, 2008) – Jason Johnson lifted the lid on the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region's three-race Labor Day Weekend of Speed by charging to victory lane in Friday night's 25-lap feature at South Texas Speedway.

After a miscue in traffic negated a Channin Tankersley move for the lead, Johnson battled past both Tankersley and then early leader Tommy Bryant on the sixth round en route to his 14th overall ASCS feature win of the season aboard Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 41 Eagle.  "The Ragin' Cajun" lapped all the way up to sixth place in the fast-paced affair to collect the $2,000 winner's share.  While Johnson gridded the feature field fourth, polesitter Bryant outgunned fellow front row starter Greg Rilat for the point at the drop of the green flag with third-starter Tankersley getting the best of Johnson on the opening circuit to stake a claim on second.   Tankersley went to work on Bryant and charged into the lead exiting turn four on the fifth lap, only to become entangled with a lapped car exiting turn two.  While Tankersley continued, the lapped car spun and brought out a caution, thus negating the pass for the lead.   With Bryant back in front of Tankersley on the restart, Johnson quickly disposed of Tankersley for second and then took the lead away from Bryant a lap later before checking out on the field as the final 21 laps ran off in non-stop fashion.

Jason Johnson (41) takes the lead away from Tommy Bryant (21T) on the sixth round en route to winning Friday night's 25-lap ASCS Gulf South Region Weekend of Speed feature event at Corpus Christi's South Texas Speedway. TWC Photo

"He (Tankersley) was just as fast as we were, if he hadn't been overdriving it so bad it would have been tough to get around him," Johnson explained.

Tankersley, a 17-year-old winner of a pair of ASCS Gulf South Region feature events this season confessed that, "I got impatient."

While Johnson raced through lapped traffic over the final 15 circuits, Bryant and Tankersley battled it out for runner-up honors much of the way before Tankersley took the position for keeps on the 19^th round.  And two laps before the checkered flag flew, reigning series champion and current points leader Brandon Berryman wrestled the show position away from Bryant.

Bryant settled for fourth, with Rilat rounding out the top five.  Rookie shoe Aaron Reutzel was the final car on the lead lap in sixth, with Travis Elliott, Ryan Hall, Gary Watson and Darryl Wills completing the top ten.

Bryant, Wills and Johnson topped heat race action.  The ASCS Gulf South Weekend of Speed continues with Saturday night's series debut at Texana Raceway Park in Edna, TX, and then concludes on Sunday night at 105 Speedway in Cleveland, TX.

American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region

Results from South Texas Speedway: 

Heat One (8 Laps):  1. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 3. 85-Jerry Bell, 4. 35-Greg Rilat, 5. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 6. 17c-Greg Coleman, 7. 12s-Steve Hubbard.

 

Heat Two (8 Laps):  1. 23-Darryl Wills, 2. 71-Channin Tankersley, 3. 15T-Travis Elliott, 4. 79-Ryan Hall, 5. 8-Bruce Crockett, 6. 14e-Todd Evans.

 

Heat Three (8 Laps):  1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 31-Brandon Berryman, 3. 74-Brandon Corn, 4. 3-Gary Watson, 5. 51-Wes Miller, 6. 61-Travis Knighton.

 

"A" Feature (25 Laps):  1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 71-Channin Tankersley, 3. 31-Brandon Berryman, 4. 21T-Tommy Bryant, 5. 35-Greg Rilat, 6. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 7. 15T-Travis Elliott, 8. 79-Ryan Hall, 9. 3-Gary Watson, 10. 23-Darryl Wills, 11. 8-Bruce Crockett, 12. 74-Brandon Corn, 13. 51-Wes Miller, 14. 17c-Greg Coleman, 15. 85-Jerry Bell, 16. 22L-Kent Lewis, Sr., 17. 12s-Steve Hubbard, 18. 14e-Todd Evans.  DNS: 61-Travis Knighton.

 

ASCS Gulf South Region Points

(Top Ten):  1. Brandon Berryman 2,420, 2. Greg Rilat 2,389, 3. Gary Watson 2,382, 4. Tommy Bryant 2,280, 5. Travis Elliott 2,225, 6. Chris Sweeney 2,170, 7. Channin Tankersley 2,115, 8. (tie) Travis Knighton and Brandon Corn 1,910, 10. Michael McNeil 1,523.