6/26/2018
Inside Line Promotions
Chase Johnson Posts Pair of Top 10s During KWS-NARC Doubleheader
(Photo by Collin Markle Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – CALISTOGA, Calif. (June 26, 2018) – Chase Johnson earned a pair of top-10 finishes last weekend to close in on a podium position in the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series championship standings midway through the season.
Johnson and the Shawn and Cyndi Thomas owned No. 68 sprint car have recorded four consecutive top 10s in series competition and are only 21 points behind third place in the standings after nine of 16 races this season.
Last weekend began on Friday at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., where Johnson qualified 10th quickest.
“We pulled a big number for when we went out on the track for time trials and that hurt us with the track conditions drying out,” he said. “We were the second-to-last car to hit the track and we were able to put down what I felt was a really quick lap.”
Johnson then finished fifth in a heat race after lining up on the pole.
“It was a pretty bad jump from the outside and they didn’t call it back,” he said. “By the time we were at the start/finish line we were back to fourth. The top five transferred so we finished within a transfer spot.”
He capped the night by maneuvering from 10th to a fourth-place finish in the main event.
“The A Main was good,” he said. “The track conditions were a bit rough due to how dry the night was. My crew did a great job giving me a great setup on the race car. We had plenty of forward bite and good traction. We were able to move up through the field fairly quickly. As the race went on and the track took rubber we were getting faster than I think everyone on the track. We were up to third at one time, but on a green-white-checkered restart one guy went around the outside of me and passed me down the backstretch.”
Saturday’s Pombo-Sargent Classic at Calistoga Speedway started nearly the same for Johnson.
“We went out late again for time trials,” he said. “It was the same type of track conditions as Watsonville. It was dry because of how hot it was outside. Each car was getting slower. We were able to put down a decent lap for when we went out.
“The heat race was the same type of story, but not as bad as the first night as far as a jumped start. We still locked into the A Main.”
Johnson’s fourth-place finish in a heat race lined him up eighth for the A Main.
“We drove it up to fifth and was passing for fourth when we started running out of fuel,” he said. “That let us get passed to put us back to sixth. It started to spit and sputter the last couple of laps. We went down into turns three and four on the last lap and there was no more to go coming to the checkered. We’re lucky we finished.”
Johnson was credited with a sixth-place result.
“Earlier in the year we were struggling to move forward during A Main,” he said. “We were qualifying well, but having a tough time in the A Mains. To have the last two races of making strides moving forward felt good. Each night I felt like we were faster than our results showed.”
Johnson will compete this Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series and Sprint Car Challenge Tour. He will pilot the No. 68 in 410 action and the Van Lare No. 5v during 360 competition. The weekend wraps up on Sunday at Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, Calif., where Johnson will drive the No. 5v during the Sprint Car Challenge Tour event.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 22 – Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, Calif. – Qualifying: 10; Heat race: 5 (1); Feature: 4 (10).
June 23 – Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, Calif. – Qualifying: 8; Heat race: 4 (1); Feature: 6 (8).
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series and Sprint Car Challenge Tour and Sunday at Petaluma Speedway in Petaluma, Calif., with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.ChaseJohnsonRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChaseJohnson24
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chase.Johnson.Racing1
APPAREL –
Johnson has t-shirts and sweatshirts for sale at his race trailer at every race he competes in this season. T-shirts are $25 each and hoodies are $35 apiece.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – PitStopUSA.com
PitStopUSA.com is an online motor sports superstore that offers more than 40,000 different circle track parts, supplies, tools and accessories from more than 400 of the premier brands in the industry. PitStopUSA.com specializes in racing safety equipment and is proud to offer the widest assortment anywhere. For more information, visit http://www.PitStopUSA.com.
“Pit Stop USA has been a huge supporter of mine since the beginning of my sprint car career in 2010,” Johnson said. “Pit Stop USA not only makes sure that I have the correct safety equipment needed, but offers only the best products we bolt onto our race cars. They have made race shopping easy with their great customer service and a top of the line website. I couldn’t be happier to represent the online motor sports superstore.”
Johnson and Vanlare Racing would also like to thank Bianchi Farms, CCI and Vanlare Steering Repair for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
Article Credit: Inside Line Promotions
Submitted By: Shawn Miller