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Tag: Rod Johnson Jr.

  • Rod Johnson Jr. Picks-Up Fourth Win of Season at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

    Rod Johnson Jr. Picks-Up Fourth Win of Season at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

    [media-credit name=”Position One Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]For those fans who have never visited your local short track for a night of excitement on a Saturday night. Let’s just say you don’t what you’re missing unless you take the time to support not only the track, but the drivers who race just as hard, and sometimes harder than your favorite Sprint Cup star.

    Once again it was a wild night of racing race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, with six different divisions taking to the half and third mile asphalt paved tracks before an estimated crowd of 1,800 fans. The main event of the evening was the Lucas Oil Slick Mist Super Late Model 75-lap feature race. It has been a little over a month since Rod Johnson Jr., driver of the #03 King Taco/Sunrise Ford has climbed behind the wheel of his Super Late Model at this progressively banked half-mile.

    Starting with the day’s first practice session, Johnson quickly found himself first on top of the leader board with a time of 18.219 seconds. Before the second session was about to begin, Johnson along with his team felt the car was set up to his liking, so they chose to skip the session and stay with what they had from the first time out.

    Qualifying was equally successful for Johnson, when he placed the car on the pole with a time of 18.101 seconds. Not satisfied with this, Johnson bested his first lap performance with a time of 18.099 seconds while securing his fourth pole of the season. Because of the invert, Johnson would end up starting the race from the 13th position, but quickly made his way to the front after two separate red flag incidents stopped the race on the first lap.

    Johnson restarted the race from the sixth position, and after 50 laps of green flag racing captured his fourth win of the season.

    “Once we were able to get in a long run, we were able to pick off some cars and finally get to the #11 car and get passed him to bring home the win.  I really have to thank the whole Position One Motorsports team.  They worked their butts off all week and I have the honor of working with these guys and driving the car.  A big thanks to my sponsors as well for supporting us and helping us make this a reality for us.”

  • Rod Johnson Jr. Picks Up Third Win of Season at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

    [media-credit name=”Position One Motorsports” align=”alignright” width=”175″][/media-credit]It’s been 4 weeks since Rod Johnson Jr stepped into his #03 King Taco/Sunrise Ford Super Late Model entry at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, but from tonight’s result there was absolutely no rust that this 21 year old had to shake off.  The driver from Canyon Country, CA put on a race tonight that displayed his incredible driving talent. Johnson and the Position One Motorsports team had much to do during the 4 week break, namely repairing the #03 entry, which was heavily damaged at the last event when a part failure sent Johnson into the turn #3 wall.   Arriving Saturday, the team was confident that the car was fixed and race ready.

    While taking the car around the 1/2-mile track during the first practice session of the day, the team and RJ were confident that there were no remnants from the wreck and the speed proved that.  Johnson finished the session in first with a fast time worthy of 1st on the timesheets (18.151).  The team opted not to go out for the 2nd practice session as there was nothing to be gained by it and RJ was comfortable with the car as is. Qualifying came and Johnson took the # 03 car around the track, immediately put it at the top of the charts with a time of 17.719.  The #17 of Jason Patison would end up snatching the pole away by the slimmest of margins, but the race would eventually even that out.

    “Everything came together for the race.  We had a really fast car and managed to get to the front in the beginning and we were able to set our own pace from there on after and everything worked out, said Johnson after the win.

    Starting in the 3rd spot, Johnson  took the green flag and charged forward in blazing fashion and by lap #2 he had managed to snag the lead.  He never looked back.  Johnson’s nearest competitor at the beginning, Kevin Thompson, was 3 car lengths away and RJ began putting himself in a commanding lead.

    Patison eventually got around Thompson for 2nd but would never really pose a threat to Johnson throughout the 75-lap race.  By lap # 20 Johnson’s lead had increased to 6- car lengths, where it would stay for most of the race.

    “Well today this team showed that it’s a championship caliber team.  We came back from a big wreck at the last event and dominated today, said John Schuetze Johnson’s crew chief. Schuetze also added that, “We missed qualifying a bit, but came back for the race and Johnson did an excellent job and showed what this team is capable of.

    “We were the fastest car and came home in one piece and I’m pretty sure we could have gone another 75 laps and been just as good.  The team did an excellent job as well, so my thanks to everyone”.

    Over the radio Johnson conveyed to the crew that the car was smooth and with every lap RJ smoothly hit his marks and would eventually take the checkered flag in first place, putting an exclamation point on his weekend’s performance.  This marks Johnson’s third race win of the season.  In addition to the win, RJ also had the distinction of running the race’s fastest lap of 18.022.

    Johnson also took time to thank those around him, “My thanks to the team and our sponsors King Taco, Sunrise Ford, Eibach Springs, DJ Safety, Bell Helmets, Jan’s Towing, Ron’s Rear Ends and Wilwood Brakes”.