DAVIS EXTENDS USAC SOUTHWEST POINT LEAD WITH SAN TAN VALLEY WIN

By Lance Jennings

JUNE 13, 2018... Last Saturday night, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) led all 30-laps to claim his fourth Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car win of the year. Davis earned the $1,500 triumph at San Tan Valley’s Arizona Speedway ahead of top qualifier R.J. Johnson, hard charger Colton Hardy, “The Bull” Tye Mihocko, and Andy Reinbold.

Prior to scoring the twenty-fifth series win of his career, Charles Davis Jr. raced his #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental Services RSS to victory in the night’s third heat race. Ranked third out of twenty racers in passing points, the point leader started fourth in the main event. Heading to the upcoming “Freedom Tour,” the five-time Arizona champion has a 97-point advantage on the strength if four feature wins, four heat race wins, two Beaver Stripes Passing Master Awards, eleven top-10 finishes, and 155 feature laps led. 

R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) sliced his way from sixth to place second at Arizona Speedway. Driving the Andy Reinbold / Todd Underwood owned #19 AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, Johnson won the night’s first heat race and earned his first Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award of the campaign. Despite missing a few races, the five-time champion is fifth in the point chase with four feature wins, three heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 75 feature laps led on the year.

Colton Hardy (Phoenix, Arizona) took off the wing and earned his second hard charger / best passing job honors with a third place run from twelfth. Piloting Ted Williams’ #74 Bandit Racing / Diamond Mechanical Maxim, Hardy finished third in his heat race and sat twelfth in passing points. In limited starts, Colton is tied for thirty-first in points with three top-10 finishes.

“The Bull” Tye Mihocko (Peoria, Arizona) finished fourth in the 30-lap main event. Racing the family owned #5 Hunt Realty by Dave Wilson / Mears Mechanical Spike, Mihocko ran second to Andy Reinbold in his heat race and ranked fourth in passing points. At press time, “The Bull” is second in points with one feature win, two heat race victories, two Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award, one hard charger award, nine top-10 finishes, and 6 feature laps led in the campaign.

Andy Reinbold (Gilbert, Arizona) had a solid fifth place finish at the San Tan Valley oval. Driving the Reinbold / Underwood #19S AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, Andy opened the night by winning the second heat race and placed second in passing points. The former Hank Arnold Memorial winner is eleventh in the point chase with four top-10 finishes to his credit.

On Wednesday, August 15th, the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will open their annual “Freedom Tour” in Little Rock, Arkansas’ I-30 Speedway. The non-point, four-race mini-series will also stop at Sapulpa, Oklahoma’s Creek County Speedway and battle for two nights at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kansas. Each “Freedom Tour” race will pay $2,500-to-win.

The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Hoosier Tire, and Beaver Stripes for their support. For more information on the 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: June 9, 2018 – San Tan Valley, Arizona – Arizona Speedway 

FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson (#19 Reinbold/Underwood), 2. Austin Kuehl (#11T Team AZ), 3. Zack Madrid (#5M Madrid), 4. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 5. Asa Kesterson (#18 Kesterson), 6. Tyler Most (#3 Most), 7. Daylin Perreira (#21 Perreira). NT

SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Andy Reinbold (#19S Reinbold/Underwood), 2. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 3. Mike Martin (#16 Martin), 4. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 5. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 6. Sterling Cling (#34 Cling), 7. Rick Shuman (#25AZ Shuman). NT

THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Davis), 2. Josh Pelkey (#12 Allen), 3. Colton Hardy (#74 Williams), 4. Matt Rossi (#02 Rossi), 5. Chris Bonneau (#15 Bonneau), 6. Brent Yarnal (#29 Yarnal). NT

FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (4th), 2. R.J. Johnson (6th), 3. Colton Hardy (12th), 4. Tye Mihocko (3rd), 5. Andy Reinbold (5th), 6. Dennis Gile (8th), 7. Mike Martin (11th), 8. Matt Lundy (1st), 9. Zack Madrid (10th), 10. Michael Curtis (14th), 11. Chris Bonneau (15th), 12. Austin Kuehl (7th), 13. Asa Kesterson (13th), 14. Rick Shuman (17th), 15. Tyler Most (18th), 16. Sterling Cling (19th), 17. Matt Rossi (9th), 18. Brent Yarnal (16th), 19. Josh Pelkey (2nd), 20. Daylin Perreira (20th). NT

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**Cling flipped on lap 17 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Davis.

HARD CHARGER: Colton Hardy (12th to 3rd)

BEAVER STRIPES PASSING MASTER: R.J. Johnson

SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Charles Davis Jr.-709, 2. Tye Mihocko-612, 3. Mike Martin-577, 4. Michael Curtis-510, 5. R.J. Johnson-480, 6. Matt Lundy-476, 7. Dennis Gile-440, 8. Josh Pelkey-436, 9. Chris Bonneau-361, 10. Zack Madrid-288, 11. Andy Reinbold-283, 12. Tyler Most-274, 13. Tyler Adams-200, 14. Sterling Cling-196, 15. Austin Kuehl-174, 16. Jake Swanson-172, 17. Kyle Shipley-162, 18. Mason Keefer-156, 19. Matt Rossi-155, 20. Brent Yarnal-149.

2018 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

DATE – TRACK – LOCATION

August 15: I-30 Speedway – Little Rock, AR (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)

August 16: Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)

August 17: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)

August 18: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / $2,500-to-Win / Non-Points)

September 1: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Hank Arnold Memorial)

September 2: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Hank Arnold Memorial)

September 8: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Lealand McSpadden Tribute)

September 21: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Southwest Championships)

September 22: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Southwest Championships)

October 20: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Race For The Cure)

October 27: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Howl-O-Ween Bash)

November 2: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)

November 3: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)

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This schedule is subject to change.