CHASE JOHNSON GOES FROM LAST TO FIRST AT BAKERSFIELD
BAKERSFIELD CA – SEPTEMBER 18, 2021… After arriving from a flight in time for his heat race, Chase Johnson (Penngrove, CA) started fourteenth and won the main event at Bakersfield Speedway. Driving the potent May Motorsports’ #8M Fastenal / Coopers Propane Maxim, Johnson took command on lap sixteen and sailed to his second USAC West Coast Sprint Car triumph of the season. In doing so, the night’s Rod End Supply Hard Charger finished ahead of Trent Carter, A.J. Bender, point leader D.J. Johnson, and Travis Buckley.
Before scoring his third career victory with the series, Chase Johnson claimed a fifth place finish in his heat race. As the writing goes to press, the versatile driver has climbed to seventeenth in championship points with limited starts.
In Woodland Auto Display Qualifying, Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, CA) and Kyle Edwards (Fountain Valley, CA) topped Jace Vander Weerd’s 2014 track record of 12.597. Piloting Bob and Toni Van Meter’s #51 American Fabrication / Fred Cummings Motorsports Spike, Fuson set the new standard of 12.354 over the fourteen car roster. The rookie contender ran fourth in his heat race and briefly led the feature before scoring ninth. Brody left Bakersfield Speedway ranked thirteenth in points, while Edwards is sixth in the point chase.
Steve Hix (Ventura, CA) raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers First Heat Race. Piloting his #57 No Limit Motorsports / Raney Racing Engines Triple X, Hix led the first six laps before scoring fourteenth in the main event. The veteran driver heads to Kern County Raceway Park ranked forty-first in the point standings.
Travis Buckley (Auckland, NZ) returned to USAC West Coast action and won the 10-lap Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars Second Heat Race. Racing Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car and Midget Driving School / FK Rod Ends #21K entry, Buckley was tenth fast in qualifying and finished fifth in the feature after starting seventh. Travis has climbed to twenty-fourth in points.
By virtue of his thirteenth place finish, Christopher Muraoka (Waianae, HI) earned the night’s Wilwood Disc Brakes Luck 13 Award. Driving his #25 Sure Can LLC / O’Brien Race Cars Triple X, Muraoka qualified twelfth overall and was seventh in his heat race. In Limited starts, Christopher is thirtieth in the point standings.
The non-winged USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Cars are back in action tomorrow, September 19th, at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield, CA).
The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Hoosier Racing Tires, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support.
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USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: September 18, 2021 – Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Brody Fuson, 51, Van Meter-12.354 (New Track Record); 2. Kyle Edwards, 39, Edwards-12.532; 3. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-12.749; 4. Trent Carter, 13, Carter-12.754; 5. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-12.787; 6. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-12.804; 7. Jacob Tuttle, 87P, Tuttle-12.876; 8. Jarrett Soares, 12, Soares-12.919; 9. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-13.021; 10. Travis Buckley, 21K, Kruseman-13.152; 11. Hannah Mayhew, 43, Mayhew-13.416; 12. Christopher Muraoka, 25, Muraoka-13.440; 13. Matt Day, 97, Day-NT; 14. Chase Johnson, 8M, May-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Hix, 2. Mayhew, 3. Tuttle, 4. Fuson, 5. Bender, 6. Day, 7. D.Johnson. NT.
SWAY-A-WAY TORSION BARS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Buckley, 2. Rutherford, 3. Soares, 4. Edwards, 5. C.Johnson, 6. Carter, 7. Muraoka. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Chase Johnson (14), 2. Trent Carter (9), 3. A.J. Bender (10), 4. D.J. Johnson (8), 5. Travis Buckley (7), 6. Hannah Mayhew (11), 7. Kyle Edwards (5), 8. Matt Day (13), 9. Brody Fuson (6), 10. Troy Rutherford (4), 11. Jarrett Soares (2), 12. Jacob Tuttle (3), 13. Christopher Muraoka (12), 14. Steve Hix (1). NT.
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-6 Hix, Laps 7-13 Rutherford, Laps 14-15 Fuson, Laps 16-30 C.Johnson
ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER: Chase Johnson (14th to 1st)
WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD: Christopher Muraoka
NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-D.J. Johnson-584, 2-Ryan Timmons-453, 3-Austin Liggett-373, 4-Jarrett Soares-318, 5-Tanner Boul-310, 6-Kyle Edwards-279, 7-Kaleb Montgomery-257, 8-Jake Hodges-244, 9-Ryan Bernal-241, 10-Brody Roa-229.
NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE: September 19 – The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, California
