Jason Johnson Wins O'Reilly ASCoT Daniel McMillin Memorial at Double X
by: Lonnie Wheatley

CALIFORNIA, Mo. (July 4, 2007) – On a night that featured a major shakeup in the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series $50,000 championship points chase, it was Louisiana's Jason Johnson recording his seventh series triumph of the season by winning the First Annual Daniel McMillin Memorial before Wednesday's standing room only crowd at Double X Speedway.

After racing through traffic most of the way and lapping half the field at least once, Johnson flashed underneath the checkered flag in the 30-lapper a mere two car-lengths ahead of Wayne Johnson, who charged through the field from 15th to claim his seventh runner-up finish of the season.

"This was our first time here at Double X, I'd heard Daniel (McMillin) and Jesse (Hockett) talk a lot about this place and how much fun they had racing here," Jason Johnson commented in victory lane. "Jesse, Daniel and I were all lucky enough to get to do something we love, have a lot of fun at it and make a living doing it. Everyone out here misses Daniel and to win this first Daniel McMillin Memorial is a real honor."

And while the unrelated duo of Johnson and Johnson took the top two spots, Gary Wright's Missouri curse reared its ugly head once again just one night after it appeared that "The Texan" had shaken off the effects of last year's Missouri events that netted two trashed race cars.

Following a win on Tuesday night at Sedalia, Wright was involved in a pair of incidents in the Double X feature event, forced pitside after 21 laps and credited with a 20th place finish. As a result, Wayne Johnson moved atop the series point charts, with Jason Johnson edging ahead of Wright as well.

Jason Johnson earned the front row outside starting slot for the night's feature event while Ricky Logan led the way to the green flag after winning his heat race and then the Pole Dash.

After the initial start was waved off for Steve Mahannah's turn one spin, Johnson outdueled Logan through the opening pair of corners and gained command as the pack charged down the backstretch.

With 23 cars taking the green flag in the main event atop the tight ¼-mile clay oval, Jason Johnson reached lapped traffic by the fifth lap. And with the yellow flag not appearing until 17 laps had been completed, heavy lapped traffic seemed eternal.

Johnson was chased early by Logan, Randy Martin and Jon Corbin, with Wayne Johnson needing just five laps to advance ten positions to fifth. As lapped traffic became a factor, Randy Martin disposed of Logan by the eighth circuit with Wayne Johnson climbing to third.

Johnson's early advantage was soon erased in lapped traffic, as Double X veteran and Winged Outlaw Warriors kingpin Martin closed the gap with Wayne Johnson in tow. But "The Ragin' Cajun" found open track when the caution lights flickered for Wright, who spun in turn four after checking up for another car with 17 laps in the books.

Martin and Wayne Johnson disposed of the lapped cars separating themselves from Jason Johnson by the time the caution flew again after 21 laps when Wright was eliminated from action following a turn one tangle.

Jason Johnson took off on the restart, as Martin and Wayne Johnson were preoccupied with a battle for second. The pair traded the runner-up slot several times over the next handful of laps before Wayne Johnson finally took command of second.

Back in traffic over the final pair of laps, Wayne Johnson closed the gap but fell two car-lengths short as the checkered flag flew upon Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports/Custom Equipment Design No. 41 Eagle.

Wayne Johnson settled for second in the Wesmar-powered H&H Enterprises No. 94 Eagle, with Martin taking the show position in the Diamond Pet Foods No. 14 Maxim.

Promoting the event in honor of his crew chief and cousin who lost his life a car crash just over a year ago, Jesse Hockett provided his own share of feature fireworks by charging from 13th to finish fourth in the VKCC Motorsports No. 75 DRC.

Hockett had the lead trio in sight in the closing laps, but was unable to mount a challenge. "The car just got so tight at the end, there wasn't anything I could do with those guys."

Battling among the top five throughout, Jon Corbin rounded out the top five aboard the Arctic Cat Motorsports No. 33 Maxim.

Travis Rilat advanced a half dozen positions to claim sixth, while Logan crossed the stripe in seventh. Gabe Maycock posted his second top ten finish in as many nights by finishing eighth, with leading Brodix Rookie of the Year contender Foster Landon in ninth.

Taking advantage of an off night from crewing for Danny Lasoski, Steven Tiner raced from 17th to complete the top ten under the watchful eye of crew chief Rob Hart.

Logan, Corbin, Jason Johnson, Martin and Landon topped heat race action for the 35-car field, with Tiner and Tyler Blank winning the twin "B" Mains.

The final leg of the O'Reilly ASCoT "Show-Me Showdown" takes place Saturday night at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, KS, with the series squaring off with both the O'Reilly Winged Outlaw Warriors and the ASCS Midwest Region.

O’Reilly ASCoT "Show-Me Showdown" Daniel McMillin Memorial Results from Double X Speedway:

Heat Races (Top 16 in Passing Points to "A" Main; Balance to Twin "B" Mains):

Brodix Heat One (8 Laps): 1. 7-Ricky Logan, 2. 21h-Terry Hinck, 3. 3p-Rusty Potter, 4. 5ma-Mallory Armfield, 5. 94x-Steven Tiner, 6. 2m-Travis Marsch. DNS: 87-Brian McClelland.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Two (8 Laps): 1. 33-Jon Corbin, 2. 98-Gabe Maycock, 3. 9-Gary Wright, 4. 75x-Tyler Blank, 5. 8-Jeff Wingate, 6. 77-Rob Hockett, 7. 7h-Rob Hartman.

Brodix Heat Three (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 93-Steve Mahannah, 3. 86-Jesse Giannetto, 4. 04-Brad Graham, 5. 72-Curtis Boyer, 6. 89-Todd McVay, 7. 2-Ryan Marsch.

Wesmar-Shaver Heat Four (8 Laps): 1. 14-Randy Martin, 2. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 3. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 4. 24L-Lanny Carpenter, 5. 22-Dustin Barks, 6. 86x-Josh Fisher, 7. 91-Nick Smith.

Heat Five (8 Laps): 1. 11F-Foster Landon, 2. 29-Travis Rilat, 3. 75-Jesse Hockett, 4. 94-Wayne Johnson, 5. 9c-Tony Crank, 6. 86s-Eric Schrock, 7. 13m-Kathryne Minter.

Pole Dash (Finishing Order Determines Front Three Rows of “A” Main):

Pole Dash (5 Laps): 1. 7-Ricky Logan, 2. 41-Jason Johnson, 3. 33-Jon Corbin, 4. 14-Randy Martin, 5. 98-Gabe Maycock, 6. 3p-Rusty Potter.

"B" Mains (Top 3 From Each Transfer to "A" Main):

First "B" Feature (10 Laps): 1. 94x-Steven Tiner, 2. 5ma-Mallory Armfield, 3. 72-Curtis Boyer, 4. 86x-Josh Fisher, 5. 89-Todd McVay, 6. 04-Brad Graham, 7. 9c-Tony Crank, 8. 87-Brian McClelland. DNS: 7h-Rob Hartman, 91-Nick Smith.

Second "B" Feature (10 Laps): 1. 75x-Tyler Blank, 2. 8-Jeff Wingate, 3. 86s-Eric Schrock, 4. 22-Dustin Barks, 5. 77-Rob Hockett, 6. 2-Ryan Marsch, 7. 13m-Kathryne Minter, 8. 2m-Travis Marsch, 9. 24L-Lanny Carpenter.

O’Reilly ASCoT "A" Main Results from Double X Speedway's Daniel McMillin Memorial:

“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson, 2. 94-Wayne Johnson, 3. 14-Randy Martin, 4. 75-Jesse Hockett, 5. 33-Jon Corbin, 6. 29-Travis Rilat, 7. 7-Ricky Logan, 8. 98-Gabe Maycock, 9. 11F-Foster Landon, 10. 94x-Steven Tiner, 11. 14k-Kyle Bellm, 12. 75x-Tyler Blank, 13. 86-Jesse Giannetto, 14. 21h-Terry Hinck, 15. 72-Curtis Boyer, 16. 8-Jeff Wingate, 17. 86x-Josh Fisher, 18. 5ma-Mallory Armfield, 19. 93-Steve Mahannah, 20. 9-Gary Wright, 21. 3p-Rusty Potter, 22. b4-Eric Baldaccini, 23. 86s-Eric Schrock.

Lap Leaders: Jason Johnson 1-25.

Note: Josh Fisher used a Winged Outlaw Warriors provisional to start the main event.

O’Reilly ASCoT Points (Top Ten): 1. Wayne Johnson 2,814, 2. Jason Johnson 2,795, 3. Gary Wright 2,794, 4. Travis Rilat 2,699, 5. Foster Landon 2,386, 6. Darren Stewart 1,781, 7. Andy Shouse 1,559, 8. Chris Schmelzle 1,318, 9. Chuck Swenson 1,152, 10. Johnny Miller 1,047.