CHARLES DAVIS JR. WINS SALUTE TO INDY PRELIMINARY AT CSP

By Lance Jennings

MAY 31, 2017... Racing past Matt Rossi on the thirteenth circuit, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) won last Saturday’s “Salute to Indy” opener at Canyon Speedway Park. For Davis, the 30-lap Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car triumph was his second victory of the campaign. R.J. Johnson, Michael Curtis, Rossi, and Shon Deskins rounded out the top-five drivers.

Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. started sixth and earned his sixteenth career series win. Before taking the checkered flags, Davis ran second to “The Magic Man” Mike Martin in his heat race and claimed the Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award over the nineteen car roster.

R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) earned the night’s hard charger award / “best passing job” by racing to second from sixteenth. Piloting Bobby Martin’s #51 Martin Family Auto Museum / Pecon Builders Sherman, Johnson scored sixth in his heat race and ranked sixteenth overall in passing points.

Michael Curtis (Cottonwood, Arizona) had one of his best nights of the season with a third place run from eighth. Racing Kevin Turner & Greg Wheeler’s #11C DAR Racing / JT Engineering XXX, Curtis finished ran second to “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James in his heat race and placed eighth in passing points.

After leading the first twelve laps, Matt Rossi (Glendale, Arizona) took fourth at Saturday night feature. Driving the family owned #02 Apache Scapes / IWR Maxim, Rossi took third in his heat race and was fifth in the night’s passing points.

Shon Deskins (Waddell, Arizona) had another solid night with a fifth place finish after starting ninth. Piloting his #20 Spike Chassis / Mesilla Valley Transportation entry, Deskins claimed third in his heat race and ranked ninth overall in passing points.

Nick Aiuto (Maricopa, Arizona) raced to victory in the night’s first heat race. Racing his #27 Hughey & Phillips / Bob Bondurant Driving School Eagle, Aiuto was third in passing points and scored eighth in the main event.

“The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James (Phoenix, Arizona) won his first heat race of the season. Driving his #7K Woodland Auto Display / Priority Aviation Maxim, St. James placed second in passing points and finished seventeenth at Canyon Speedway Park.

“The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, Arizona) claimed victory in the night’s third 8-lap heat race. Racing Matt Lundy’s #98 Desert State Electric / Race Shack XXX, Martin ranked seventh in passing points and ran sixth at the checkered flags.

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: May 27, 2017 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Salute to Indy”

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 2. Matt Lundy (#2 Yeley), 3. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 4. Dillon Tanner (#92 Tanner), 5. Andy Reinbold (#19 Reinbold/Underwood), 6. Asa Kesterson (#18 Kesterson), 7. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James), 2. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 3. Dalton Gabbard (#77 Gabbard), 4. Cody Batten (#71B Holloway), 5. Brent Yarnal (#29B Yarnal), 6. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin). NT

THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Mike Martin (#98 Lundy), 2. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 3. Shon Deskins (#20 Deskins), 4. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 5. Dustin Cormany (#4 Price), 6. Cody Sickles (#14 Simington). NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (6th), 2. R.J. Johnson (16th), 3. Michael Curtis (8th), 4. Matt Rossi (2nd), 5. Shon Deskins (9th), 6. Mike Martin (7th), 7. Matt Lundy (3rd), 8. Nick Aiuto (4th), 9. Dalton Gabbard (1st), 10. Tye Mihocko (11th), 11. Dustin Cormany (14th), 12. Dillon Tanner (12th), 13. Brent Yarnal (15th), 14. Cody Sickles (18th), 15. Cody Batten (10th), 16. Andy Reinbold (13th), 17. Bruce St. James (5th), 18. Asa Kesterson (17th), 19. Chris Bonneau (19th). NT

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**Cormany flipped during the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-12 Rossi, Laps 13-30 Davis

HARD CHARGER: R.J. Johnson (16th to 2nd)

BEAVER STRIPES PASSING MASTER: Charles Davis Jr.