Johnson King of the Mountain at El Paso

Schatz recovers from early trouble for second

CALHAN, Colo. - Sept. 14, 2016 - Jason Johnson dominated the 24-car field Wednesday night, winning The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series' inaugural stop at El Paso County Raceway. Johnson led all 40 laps to take home the $10,000 purse.

In the series' first stop in the state of Colorado since 2005, Johnson's consistent performance landed him in the Craftsman Club® Dash. By virtue of the invert, Johnson's No. 41 Jason Johnson Racing Maxim car led the six-car dash into the green flag; he did not forfeit his top-spot, which put him in the lead spot for the feature.

"I'm surrounded by a great group of guys..." said Johnson, beaming ear-to-ear. "...including Tim Engler. Because the altitude is so different here, we worked with Tim all last week preparing for tonight.  He definitely helped us out to get our Kistler engine running pretty good."

In a 40-lap thriller that had the track's record-breaking crowd on the edge of their seats, the 2015 World of Outlaws Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year held his ground. But it was the unexpected that had the crowd in awe on the opening lap of the race. In a five caution showdown, the first caution included one of the series' top juggernauts.

Defending Series Champion and current points leader Donny Schatz had a rare miscue barreling into turn four, overshooting the cushion. This set Schatz back. Schatz, who had 64 top ten finishes entering the day, was an outsider looking into the top ten at 15th place.

On the restart, Brad Sweet catapulted his No. 49 Kasey Kahne Racing GF1 racecar into second position from fourth. Sweet became the utmost threat for Johnson at this point in the race, as he began to chip away at Johnson's lead. Like a teeter-totter, Johnson recovered his lead. He led by a 1.261-second margin 10 laps into the feature.

Sweet again charged ahead, diminishing Johnson's lead to .657 seconds on lap 18. Schatz, who made his way to 12th, continued to rise up to seventh position before the race's third caution. On the restart, the swiftness of Schatz's No. 15 Tony Stewart/ Curb-Agajanian Racing J&J machine landed him a podium spot. While Schatz moved through the field, Johnson fended-off Sweet's advances.

"I just stayed consistent and changed-up where I started," Johnson said. "Brad was doing a hell of a job. Hats off to his race team. I saw Brad there the first restart in turns three and four, and he raced me clean. He's a class-act. I can't thank him enough. I want to thank the crowd. It's nice to come to Colorado."

With 15 laps remaining, 1.527 seconds separated Johnson from Sweet. Schatz, still gaining ground, was a within .400 seconds of Sweet. Though the race's fourth caution regrouped the field - and more importantly the podium - the splits foreshadowed the impending battle between Sweet and Schatz.

"Jason always got a good run, and for the time we waited off turn two, with the angle of the track we just about ran into him," Sweet said. "Then Donny snuck up on us at the end. We were just a little bit off. We didn't know it was going to be this slick. [The track] slicked-off pretty early."

Sweet and Schatz found themselves in a battle for the runner-up position. The two drag-raced side-by-side down the stretches of the quarter-mile oval, but it took Schatz seven more laps to get under Sweet. Schatz solidified second, while Johnson was on his way to a victory.

"I'm stuck in West Coast mode, I guess," Schatz said. "I just made a mistake getting in there, and I'm lucky I didn't go into the wall. I got back going, and it would have been nice to see that go without all the yellows. I started to pick them off pretty good. You make mistakes like that, and you get fired for mistakes like that. But, we got to rebound."

Schatz, who cut Johnson's lead from .665 seconds to .371 seconds in two laps, took a shot at the checkers. The fans cheered on the two 900-horsepower cars thundering down the front-stretch. But it was Johnson who got the best of Schatz. Sweet rounded-out the podium. Johnson was able to scale his car in victory lane with his son Jaxx, slapping a big smooch on the side of his face. The victory was Johnson's third of the season.

"It's fun to compete with the World of Outlaws and guys like Donny Schatz," said Johnson. "The guys you look up to. It's a great honor, and I want to thank you all for coming out."

El Paso County Raceway Notebook

RACE NOTES:  Jason Johnson led every lap of the 40-lap feature Wednesday night, enjoying his third win of the season. The victory was Johnson's 16th top-five performance of 2016. His last victory was on August 13 at the famed 5-hour ENERGY Knoxville Nationals, where he also survived a push by Schatz.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Bud Kaeding; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Morton Buildings ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kalib Henry; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jason Sides, Justyn Cox; Craftsman Club Fast Five ($100 cash): Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Brad Sweet, Jacob Allen; Craftsman/Sears: Austen Wheatley; KSE Hard Charger: Shane Stewart; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Daryn Pittman; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Paul McMahan; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Brad Sweet.

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 21 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Stockton Dirt Track on March 18, Stockton Dirt Track on March 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on April 2, Lincoln Speedway on May 19, Weedsport Speedway on May 22, Lincoln Park Speedway on June 8, Knoxville Raceway on June 11, River Cities Speedway on June 17, Rockford Speedway on June 29, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 3, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9, Attica Raceway Park on July 12, Eldora Speedway on July 16, Ohsweken Speedway on July 26, Junction Motor Speedway on August 16, Angell Park Speedway on August 21, River Cities Speedway on August 26, Nodak Speedway on August 28, Willamette Speedway on September 7); David Gravel - 9 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 12, Tri-State Speedway on May 14, I-96 Speedway on June 6, Eldora Speedway on July 14, Lernerville Speedway on July 19, Wilmot Raceway on July 30, Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 5, Skagit Speedway on Sept 2 and 3); Daryn Pittman - 7 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27, Perris Auto Speedway on April 16, USA Raceway on April 18, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, Jackson Motorplex on June 24, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Brad Sweet - 7 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26, Ocean Speedway on April 1, Bakersfield Speedway on April 15, Plymouth Speedway on May 13, Badlands Motor Speedway on July 2); Shane Stewart - 6 (Arizona Speedway on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 23, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 30, Granite City Speedway on June 15, Brown County Speedway on June 19, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9); Joey Saldana - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 22, Jacksonville Speedway on May 4, I-80 Speedway on June 22); Jason Johnson - 3 (Placerville Speedway on March 24, Knoxville Nationals on August 13, El Paso County Raceway on September 14); Lance Dewease - 2 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Kerry Madsen - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 6 and 7); Rico Abreu - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 6, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Bill Balog - 1 (Beaver Dam Raceway on June 25); Chad Kemenah - 1 (Fremont Speedway on June 3); Terry McCarl - 1 (Knoxville Raceway on June 10); Logan Schuchart - 1 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 9); Jason Sides - 1 (I-30 Speedway on April 26); Greg Wilson - 1 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 27).

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; El Paso County Raceway, Colo.; Sept. 14, 2016

Feature - (40 Laps) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] [$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$5,500]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4] [$3,200]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [6] [$2,800]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5] [$2,500]; 6. 5-David Gravel [3] [$2,300]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7] [$2,200]; 8. 9X-Jake Bubak [15] [$2,100]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [14] [$2,050]; 10. 7-Parker Price-Miller [8] [$2,000]; 11. 83-Joey Saldana [12] [$1,500]; 12. 2-Shane Stewart [9] [$1,200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [10] [$1,100]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [11] [$1,050]; 15. OJ-Jeremy McCune [18] [$1,000]; 16. 24-Rich Martin [20] [$900]; 17. O5-Justin Wolfe Medlock [19] [$800]; 18. 13-Clyde Knipp [13] [$800]; 19. 77-Damon McCune [17] [$800]; 20. 4P-JR Nelson [21] [$800]; 21. 14J-Jeff Hefner [16] [$800]; 22. 24X-Leroy Brush [22] [$800]; 23. 2N-Shad Peterson [23] [$800]; 24. 4N-John Nelson [24] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-40; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9X-Jake Bubak [+7]

Qualifying - 1. 49-Brad Sweet, 12.608; 2. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 12.656; 3. 5-David Gravel, 12.697; 4. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.716; 5. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.743; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.761; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.805; 8. 7-Parker Price-Miller, 12.842; 9. 41-Jason Johnson, 12.859; 10. 1A-Jacob Allen, 12.887; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 13.044; 12. 83-Joey Saldana, 13.057; 13. 13-Clyde Knipp, 13.101; 14. W20-Greg Wilson, 13.196; 15. 9X-Jake Bubak, 13.330; 16. 14J-Jeff Hefner, 13.374; 17. 24-Rich Martin, 13.500; 18. OJ-Jeremy McCune, 13.571; 19. O5-Justin Wolfe Medlock, 13.902; 20. 77-Damon McCune, 14.067; 21. 4P-JR Nelson, 14.685; 22. 24X-Leroy Brush, 13.981; 23. 2N-Shad Peterson, 14.341; 24. 4N-John Nelson, 25.928

Heat 1 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1] ; 2. 7S-Jason Sides [2] ; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [3] ; 4. 1A-Jacob Allen [4] ; 5. 13-Clyde Knipp [5] ; 6. 14J-Jeff Hefner [6] ; 7. O5-Justin Wolfe Medlock [7] ; 8. 24X-Leroy Brush [8]

Heat 2 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 7-Parker Price-Miller [3] ; 4. 21-Brian Brown [4] ; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [5] ; 6. 77-Damon McCune [7] ; 7. 24-Rich Martin [6] ; 8. 2N-Shad Peterson [8]

Heat 3 - (10 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) - 1. 5-David Gravel [1] ; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3] ; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [2] ; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [4] ; 5. 9X-Jake Bubak [5] ; 6. OJ-Jeremy McCune [6] ; 7. 4P-JR Nelson [7] ; 8. 4N-John Nelson [8]

Craftsman Club Dash - (8 Laps, finishing order determined first 6 starting positions of A-feature) - 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2] ; 3. 5-David Gravel [4] ; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [6] ; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [3] ; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]

Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Championship Standings 

Pos.

Car

Driver

Total

Diff

Wins

Top 5's

Top 10's

QT

1

15

Donny Schatz

9593

0

21

51

65

5

2

5

David Gravel

9337

-256

9

39

58

5

3

9

Daryn Pittman

9332

-261

7

39

56

6

4

49

Brad Sweet

9323

-270

7

39

54

13

5

83

Joey Saldana

9170

-423

4

27

51

10

6

2

Shane Stewart

9120

-473

6

31

56

4

7

41

Jason Johnson

8672

-921

3

16

40

2

8

1S

Logan Schuchart

8540

-1053

1

13

31

2

9

7s

Jason Sides

8366

-1227

1

5

24

2

10

7

Paul McMahan

8072

-1521

0

1

18

0

11

W20

Greg Wilson

7770

-1823

1

4

12

0

12

1A

Jacob Allen

7522

-2071

0

2

10

0

13

29

Kerry Madsen

5639

-3954

2

12

26

2

14

13

Clyde Knipp

4882

-4711

0

0

0

0

15

41

Dominic Scelzi

3076

-6517

0

1

5

0

16

24

Terry McCarl

3006

-6587

1

1

4

0

17

1

Sammy Swindell

2947

-6646

0

2

5

1

18

11k

Kraig Kinser

2770

-6823

0

3

7

0

19

24

Rico Abreu

2469

-7124

2

8

12

3

20

17W

Bryan Clauson

2456

-7137

0

1

6

0