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David Smith, Jr.
NCRA Public Relations
(405) 740-4769
[email protected]
Restart Allows Johnson to Claim NCRA Sport Mod Feature in Elk City!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Elk City, Oklahoma - June 22, 2012 - Travis Johnson took advantage of track position on a restart with just six laps to go and then held on to win an exciting Bob Howard PDC and Mopar National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products southern sport modified feature Friday night at Elk City Speedway in Elk City, Oklahoma.
Robert Elliott and J.D. Choate started on the front row for the twenty-five lap feature with Choate and his Adams Chassis taking the lead as the green flag fell. Elliott would stay glued to the leaders bumper before the first of three cautions fell on lap two when Jake Gilliland and Dylan Reeves got together at the bottom of turn two.
The double file restart saw Choate up high and Elliott down low with Chad McNamara, Justin North and David Loyd your top five.
Choate and Elliott continued to battle for the lead while McNamara, North, Loyd and eighth starting Johnson waged battle for the third position. Johnson, aboard the #86j Carol's Racing Engines powered Big Chief Racing Chassis began making his move to the front and into the fifth position on lap five.
Back up front Elliott, aboard the #21 Fine Roofing sponsored Johnie Raushenberg owned sport mod, pulled even with Choate for the next couple of laps before driving underneath last year's tour rookie contender coming out of turn two to take the lead on lap nine. Johnson would take the runner up position from Choate one lap later and set his sights on the leader.
At the races midway point it was Elliott, followed by Johnson, Choate, McNamara and Brandon Smith as the front runner began to enter lapped traffic. This allowed Johnson to close to within three car lengths of Elliotts bumper before some of that lapped traffic almost caused a stir amongst the top three. Chris Lyons and another car got together coming out of turn four in front of the leaders on lap eighteen causing Elliott and Johnson to both make evasive action and saw Choate drive between the two. But the caution would wave allowing Elliott and Johnson to start first and second on the restart.
With the leader making the decision to start inside or outside on the restart, Elliott chose the inside which would cause him to relinquish the lead on the restart as Johnson got a run entering turns and one two and took the line away from Elliott entering the backstretch to take the lead.
Elliott stayed glued to Johnson's bumper and looked to be making a move for the lead before the final caution fell with just three laps to go when Kevin Snow lost power and coasted to a stop at the top of turn four.
The final restart saw the drivers line up single file and that allowed Johnson to keep his momentum up front and lead the final laps to take the two car length victory and a $550 payday along with his ninth career tour victory.
"I wasn't really surprised he (Elliott) chose the bottom on the restart because that's where he ran and he was really strong down there," said Johnson in victory lane. "The track was really racy as we could run top or bottom."
Choate finished a career best third while two time and defending series champion McNamara came home fourth. Former series champion Todd Decker, who came into the night as the series early season points leader, moved up from his tenth starting position to round out the top five.
The eight lap heat races for the twenty-eight car field were won by Elliott, McNamara, Choate and David Loyd while John Pankratz topped the ten lap "B" feature.
Officials with the NCRA would like to thank C&C Salvage out of Elk City, Lance Wilson with O'Reilly Auto Parts of Elk City and David Miller for added money and draw prizes for tonight's racing action.
1st Heat: 1) Robert Elliott, 2) Justin North, 3) Joe Gilliland, 4) Kevin Snow, 5) Steven Torrez, 6) Courtney McCartney, 7) Milt David
2nd Heat: 1) Chad McNamara, 2) Joe Adams, 3) Travis Johnson, 4) Landon Maddox, 5) Tim Linares, 6) Mark Harrison, 7) Daylon Reeves
3rd Heat: 1) JD Choate, 2) Caleb Edwards, 3) Cleo Adams, 4) Bobby McGehee, 5) Chris Lyons, 6) Troy Brinkley, 7) Ross McCartney
4th Heat: 1) David Loyd, 2) Brandon Smith, 3) Todd Decker, 4) John Pankratz, 5) Donny Raney, 6) Dustin Robinson, 7) Larry Fletcher
B Feature: 1) John Pankratz, 2) Donny Raney, 3) Chris Lyons, 4) Ross McCartney, 5) Daylon Reeves, 6) Dustin Robinson, 7) Courtney McCartney, 8) Milt David, 9) Stephen Torrez, 10) Troy Brinkley, 11) Larry Fletcher, 12) Tim Linares, 13) Landon Maddox, 14) Mark Harrison
A Feature: 1) 86j Travis Johnson, 2) 21 Robert Elliott, 3) 7c JD Choate, 4) 327 Chad McNamara, 5) 42 Todd Decker, 6) 69 Brandon Smith, 7) j11 David Loyd, 8) k6 Joe Adams, 9) 9x Cleo Adams, 10) 42r Ross McCartney, 11) 21r Dylan Reeves, 12) mc20 Bobby McGehee, 13) 31 Justin North, 14) 99 Caleb Edwards, 15) 14l Chris Lyons, 16) 16j John Pankratz, 17) 74 Kevin Snow, 18) 10 Dustin Robinson, 19) 9 Donny Raney, 20) 186 Jake Gilliland.
David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com
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