R. J. Johnson Wins Fourth Series Title
Story By: RICHIE MURRAY / USAC MEDIA
Photo By: RICH FORMAN / USAC PHOTO
QUEEN CREEK, AZ- November 6, 2016- Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma scored the feature victory in Saturday night’s “Western World” USAC Southwest Sprint Car season finale at Arizona Speedway.
Bacon, driving his Keith Ford/Walker Filtration Systems – Sun Valley AG Transport/Spike/Nogrady, exchanged the lead with early race leader Ryan Bernal on three separate occasions, taking the lead for good with 18 laps to go, then pulling away for the victory over R.J. Johnson, Chris Windom, Ryan Bernal and Shon Deskins.
Meanwhile, Johnson was crowned as USAC Southwest Sprint Car champion for the fourth consecutive year by 131 points over Charles Davis, Jr., Matt Rossi, Mike Martin and Tye Mihocko.
USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: November 5, 2016 – Queen Creek, Arizona – Arizona Speedway – “49th Annual Western World Championships”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Shon Deskins (#20 SDR), 2. Chris Windom (#5X Baldwin), 3. Aaron Farney (#17GP Dutcher), 4. Dennis Gile (#13G Gile), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 6. Stevie Sussex (#21AZ Burkhart), 7. Jason Grady (#45 Grady), 8. Andy Reinbold (#19 Underwood). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson (#77M Michael), 2. Ryan Bernal (#56 Phulps), 3. Zach Madrid (#98Z Madrid), 4. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 5. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 6. Tom Ogle (#48 Ogle), 7. Ryan Stolz (#56X Stolz). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 2. Brady Bacon (#73 Ford), 3. Brady Short (#19A Underwood), 4. C.J. Leary (#30 Leary), 5. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 6. Josh Grady (#12J Grady), 7. Asa Kesterson (#18 Kesterson). NT
FOURTH HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Brian Hosford (#22B Weber), 2. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 3. Clinton Boyles (#77 JHR), 4. Josh Hodges (#74X Hodges), 5. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 6. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 7. Rob Lindsey (#23 Lindsey). NT
SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Sussex, 2. Mihocko, 3. Curtis, 4. Ogle, 5. Reinbold, 6. Lundy, 7. Jo.Grady, 8. Ja.Grady, 9. Lindsey, 10. Stolz, 11. Kesterson, 12. St. James. NT
ALSO AT TRACK: Tanner Grau (#34 Team AZ)
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Brady Bacon, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Chris Windom, 4. Ryan Bernal, 5. Shon Deskins, 6. Matt Rossi, 7. Josh Hodges, 8. C.J. Leary, 9. Charles Davis Jr., 10. Stevie Sussex, 11. Mike Martin, 12. Brady Short, 13. Tye Mihocko, 14. Tom Ogle, 15. Aaron Farney, 16. Andy Reinbold, 17. Matt Lundy, 18. Chris Bonneau, 19. Michael Curtis, 20. Zach Madrid, 21. Brian Hosford, 22. Clinton Boyles. NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Bernal, Laps 4-10 Bacon, Lap 11 Bernal, Laps 12-30 Bacon.
HARD CHARGER: Josh Hodges (15th to 7th)
FINAL USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Johnson-1,470, 2-Davis-1,339, 3-Rossi-1,166, 4-Martin-1,160, 5-Mihocko-1,020, 6-Gile-927, 7-Sussex-897, 8-Hosford-820, 9-Bonneau-799, 10-Reinbold-787.
