STEVIE SUSSEX CHARGES TO VICTORY AT ARIZONA SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
MARCH 21, 2017... Starting ninth, Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Arizona) raced past “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. on the twenty-fourth lap to claim last Saturday’s checkered flags at Arizona Speedway. The $1,500 Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car victory marked Sussex’s first win on the campaign and the eleventh series win of his career. Davis, R.J. Johnson, Landon Cling, and Chris Bonneau followed Sussex to the checkered flags.
Piloting Mike Burkhart’s #21AZ Pacific Supply / Team AZ Automotive RSS, Stevie Sussex earned the night’s hard charger award / “best passing job” by taking the victory after starting ninth. Earlier in the program, the young driver ran third in his heat race and ranked ninth out of nineteen racers in passing points. To date, the two-time Hank Arnold Memorial winner leads the point standings with one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and 27 feature laps led.
After leading the first twenty-three laps, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) had to settle for second in the 30-lap feature. Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis won the night’s second 8-lap heat race and placed fifth overall in passing points. The five-time Arizona sprint car champion heads to Canyon ranked third in the point chase with three heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 24 feature laps led on the year.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) ran third at the checkered flags. Racing Bobby Martin’s #51 Martin Family Auto Museum / Pecon Builders Sherman, Johnson won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and sat fourth in passing points. To date, the four-time champion is second in the point chase with one semi-main win, one hard charger award, and three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Landon Cling (Tempe, Arizona) had one of his best nights in USAC SouthWest action with a fourth place run after starting seventh. Piloting the family owned #54 Cling’s Aerospace Ellis, Cling ran second to R.J. Johnson in his heat race and sat seventh overall in passing points. At press time, the 2016 Rookie of the Year is fifth in the point standings on the strength of two fast time awards and one top-10 finish.
Chris Bonneau (Phoenix, Arizona) scored fifth in the 30-lap main event. Driving his #78 Priced Right Auto Sales XXX, Bonneau ran third in his heat race and placed fifth overall in passing points. At press times, the veteran driver ranks eighteenth in the championship points with one top-10 finish to his credit.
Nick Aiuto (Maricopa, Arizona) earned the night’s Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award. Racing the #27 Hughey & Phillips / Speed Mart Eagle, Aiuto placed second in his heat race to Michael Curtis and finished fifteenth in the main event. To date, the veteran driver is tenth in points with one top-10 finish on the season.
Michael Curtis (Cottonwood, Arizona) raced to victory in the night’s third 8-lap heat race. Driving Kevin Turner & Greg Wheeler’s #11C DAR Racing / WSP entry, Curtis placed sixth in passing points and claimed seventeenth in the main event. At press time, the young driver ranks twenty-third in passing points with one top-10 finish.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will return to action on Saturday, April 1st, at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona. The “Showdown at Canyon” will also feature IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks, Dwarf Cars, and non-wing Power 600 Micro Sprints. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.7223.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Hoosier Tire, and Beaver Stripes, for their support.
For more information on the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series, visit www.southwestsprintcars.com, www.usacracing.com, or follow the series on Facebook.
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SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: March 18, 2017 – San Tan Valley, Arizona – Arizona Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin), 2. Landon Cling (#54 Cling), 3. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 4. Jonas Reynolds (#0 Harland), 5. Brent Yarnal (#29 Yarnal), 6. Jeff Lowery (#45 Lowery). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Andy Reinbold (#19 Reinbold/Underwood), 3. Stevie Sussex (#21AZ Burkhart), 4. Brian Hosford (#32 Hosford), 5. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 6. Matt Lundy #98 Lundy). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 2. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 3. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 4. Larry Kesterson (#F2 Kesterson), 5. Mike Woodruff (#83 Woodruff). 6. Joe Schoepner (#17 Schoepner). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Stevie Sussex (9th), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (2nd), 3. R.J. Johnson (3rd), 4. Landon Cling (7th), 5. Chris Bonneau (5th), 6. Shon Deskins (4th), 7. Mike Martin (13th), 8. Andy Reinbold (8th), 9. Brian Hosford (10th), 10. Jeff Lowery (16th), 11. Matt Lundy (17th), 12. Joe Schoepner (18th), 13. Cody Sickles (19th - #14 Sickles), 14. Brent Yarnal (15th), 15. Nick Aiuto (6th), 16. Larry Kesterson (12th), 17. Michael Curtis (1st), 18. Jonas Reynolds (11th), 19. Michael Woodruff (14th). NT
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**Lowery flipped on lap 1 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-23 Davis, Laps 24-30 Sussex.
HARD CHARGER: Stevie Sussex (9th to 1st)
BEAVER STRIPES PASSING MASTER: Nick Aiuto
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Stevie Sussex-278, 2. R.J. Johnson-249, 3. Charles Davis Jr.-237, 4. Shon Deskins-224, 5. Landon Cling-190, 6. Dave Darland-169, 7. Ryan Bernal-160, 8. Brady Bacon-148, 9. Mike Martin-142, 10. Nick Aiuto-134, 11. Andy Reinbold-131, 12. Tye Mihocko-124, 13. Brody Roa-123, 14. Jake Swanson-118, . Matt Lundy- 118, .Jeff Lowery-118, 17. Joe Stornetta Jr.-113, 18. Chris Bonneau-105, 19. Richard Vander Weerd-107, 20. Brian Hosford-101.
2017 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
April 1: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Showdown at Canyon)
April 15: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ
April 29: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
May 20: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
May 27: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Salute to Indy)
May 28: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Salute to Indy)
June 10: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
August 16: Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 17: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 18: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 19: Caney Valley Speedway – Caney, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
September 2: #Southern New Mexico Speedway – Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 3: #Southern New Mexico Speedway – Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 9: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
September 29: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Hall of Fame Classic)
September 30: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Hall of Fame Classic)
October 21: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Race For The Cure)
October 28: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ
November 3: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 4: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC West Coast Sprints.
# = Co-Sanctioned Event with NMMRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.