David Smith, Jr.
NCRA Public Relations
(405) 740-4769
[email protected]
Travis Johnson, NCRA Sport Modified Champion!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Park City, Kansas – November 12, 2012 - The driver with the most tour victories in the short four year history of the Bob Howard P.D.C. and Mopar National Championship Racing Association of Park City, Kansas presented by Precise Racing Products southern sport modified division finally captured his first career series championship and didn't even plan on doing so before the 2012 race season even started.
Travis Johnson of Enid, Oklahoma wasn't sure of his plans before the season started, but that all changed after the first couple of races. "We talked about it but hadn't planned on it," said Johnson, who leads the tour with ten career feature wins in three years competing with the series. "We ran the first couple of races, ran well and decided to go ahead and give it a try."
Johnson was in contention last year and was closing in on eventual tour champion Chad McNamara when the finale was nixed by rain. But that didn't matter as he wasn't looking to win the championship anyway.
Driving for James and Cheryl Longpine and utilizing Carol's Motors, he started this season red hot, winning the first four out of five races on the schedule, all on different tracks. "My crew of Tim Tice, Roger Muncy and Jim and Baylee Chaffin had the car ready to race all year long and perfectly maintained. We, as a team, do not focus on points. Our main focus is on the car and keeping an accurate setup each week."
Among the tracks he conquered this year were 81 Speedway in Park City, Salina High Banks in Salina, Oklahoma and the two-day Elk City Speedway (Oklahoma) and Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas event which didn't end with just those two victories that weekend. Capping off the weekend the crew changed cars and then won the series modified division at his home track of Enid Speedway in Enid, Oklahoma. Helping claim the championship was the fact he only finished out of the top five twice, an eighteenth place finish the second race of the season as well as an eighth place finish.
In the southern sport mod division, Enid Speedway is where he has picked up five of his ten career feature victories and easily one of his favorite race tracks. "I enjoy racing at all the different race tracks but have to say Enid Speedway, being my home track, is probably my favorite. We just run well there."
At the end of the season, he and the Longpines went their separate ways with Johnson already having things in place to defend his championship next season. "I really want to thank James and Cheryl for allowing me to be their driver for the past couple of years. My crew and I already have a brand new Western Flyer sport mod bought and are putting it together for next season. I also want to give special thanks to my wife, Kim as well as our children Colton, Ashlyn, Haden and Mason for their love and support during race season as there are a lot of times I am at the race shop. I couldn't do this without them."
Johnson will be officially crowned 2012 NCRA southern sport modified champion when the series holds their annual banquet on Saturday night, January 26, 2013 in Wichita, Kansas. He will be the third different tour champion in a row, followed by McNamara ('09, '11) and Todd Decker ('10).
For more information concerning the Bob Howard PDC and Mopar NCRA southern sport modified division, check out their official website www.racencra.com. There you will find information not only pertaining to the sport mods but the other four divisions the series sanctions as well, including 360 sprints, 305 sprints, late models and modifieds.
