DAVIS CHARGES TO VICTORY AT ARIZONA SPEEDWAY
By Lance Jennings
JUNE 15, 2017... Starting sixth, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, Arizona) claimed last Saturday’s Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car feature at Arizona Speedway. Battling with “The Bull” Tye Mihocko and R.J. Johnson, Davis managed to earn his third victory of the campaign. Johnson, Mihocko, Stevie Sussex, and Nick Aiuto rounded out the top-five drivers.
Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply entry, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. also won the night’s second 8-lap heat race. By doing so, the five-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion scored his fourth consecutive Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award over the sixteen car roster. “Chargin” Charles left the San Tan Valley oval ranked second in points with three feature wins, four heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 74 feature laps led to his credit.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) started fifth and took the lead from Davis on lap twenty. Piloting Bobby Martin’s #51 Martin Family Auto Museum / Pecon Builders Sherman, Johnson held the top spot for three laps before finishing second. Earlier in the program, the four-time champion ran third in his heat race and placed second overall in passing points. The point leader heads to the “Freedom Tour” with two feature wins, four heat race victories, two Beaver Stripes Passing Master Awards, one semi-main win, two hard charger awards, ten top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led.
After leading the first sixteen laps, “The Bull” Tye Mihocko (Peoria, Arizona) took third at the checkered flags. Racing the family owned #5 Property Solutions by Dave Wilson / Futuristic Designs Spike, Mihocko ran third in his heat race and placed sixth in passing points. At press time, the young driver is fifth in the point standings with one Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award, six top-10 finishes and 19 feature laps led on the year.
Stevie Sussex (Tempe, Arizona) raced to fourth at San Tan Valley after starting seventh. Driving Mike Burkhart’s #21AZ Pacific Supply / Team AZ RSS, Sussex finished fourth in his heat race and ranked seventh in passing points. The two-time Hank Arnold Memorial winner is currently sixth in points with two feature wins, two heat race victories, one hard charger award, seven top-10 finishes, and 40 feature laps led on the season.
Nick Aiuto (Maricopa, Arizona) claimed fifth in the Arizona Speedway main event after starting eighth. Piloting his #27 Hughey & Phillips / Bob Bondurant Driving School Eagle, Aiuto ran fourth in his heat race and placed fourth in passing points. At press time, Nick is fourth in championship points with three heat race victories, one Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award, and six top-10 finishes to his credit.
“The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James (Phoenix, Arizona) earned the night’s hard charger award / “best passing job” by taking seventh from fifteenth. Racing his #7K Woodland Auto Display / Priority Aviation Maxim, St. James scored eighth in his heat race and sat fifteenth in passing points. To date, the veteran driver is eleventh in points with one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and one feature lap led.
In his first start of the year, Colton Hardy (Phoenix, Arizona) raced to victory in the night’s first 8-lap heat race. Driving Ted Williams’ #74 Bandit Racing / Marks Bolts Maxim, Hardy was third in passing points and scored sixteenth in the main event.
On Wednesday, August 16th, the Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars will open their annual Midwest “Freedom Tour” in Sapulpa, Oklahoma’s Creek County Speedway. The non-point, four-race mini-series will also stop at 81 Speedway (Wichita, Kansas), and Caney Valley Speedway (Caney, Kansas).
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: June 10, 2017 – San Tan Valley, Arizona – Arizona Speedway
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Colton Hardy (#74 Williams), 2. Dennis Gile (#13 Gile), 3. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 4. Stevie Sussex (#21AZ Burkhart), 5. Jeff Lowery (#45 Lowery), 6. Michael Curtis (#11C Turner/Wheeler), 7. Cody Sickles (#14 Simington), 8. Bruce St. James (#7K St. James). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Massey), 2. Chris Bonneau (#78 Bonneau), 3. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin), 4. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto), 5. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 6. Rick Shuman (#25AZ Shuman), 7. Brent Yarnal (#29B Yarnal), 8. Joe Schoepner (#17 Schoepner). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Charles Davis Jr. (6th), 2. R.J. Johnson (5th), 3. Tye Mihocko (1st), 4. Stevie Sussex (7th), 5. Nick Aiuto (8th), 6. Chris Bonneau (2nd), 7. Bruce St. James (15th), 8. Michael Curtis (11th), 9. Jeff Lowery (10th), 10. Matt Lundy (12th), 11. Brent Yarnal (14th), 12. Joe Schoepner (16th), 13. Cody Sickles (13th), 14. Rick Shuman (9th), 15. Dennis Gile (3rd), 16. Colton Hardy (4th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Mihocko, Laps 17-19 Davis, Laps 20-22 Johnson, Laps 23-30 Davis.
HARD CHARGER: Bruce St. James (15th to 7th)
BEAVER STRIPES PASSING MASTER: Charles Davis Jr.
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. R.J. Johnson-783, 2. Charles Davis Jr.-759, 3. Shon Deskins-592, 4. Nick Aiuto-515, 5. Tye Mihocko-513, 6. Stevie Sussex-496, 7. Matt Lundy-473, 8. Chris Bonneau-460, 9. Mike Martin-440, 10. Michael Curtis-436, 11. Bruce St. James-396, 12. Andy Reinbold-380, 13. Landon Cling-374, 14. Matt Rossi-364, 15. Brent Yarnal-342, 16. Cody Sickles-333, 17. Jeff Lowery-296, 18. Jake Swanson-191, ... Brian Hosford-191, 20. Dave Darland-169.
2017 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
August 16: Creek County Speedway – Sapulpa, OK (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 17: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 18: 81 Speedway – Wichita, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
August 19: Caney Valley Speedway – Caney, KS (Freedom Tour / Non-Points)
September 2: #Southern New Mexico Speedway – Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 3: #Southern New Mexico Speedway – Las Cruces, NM (Border Tour / $2,000-to-Win)
September 9: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ
September 29: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Hall of Fame Classic)
September 30: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Sands Chevrolet Hall of Fame Classic)
October 21: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Race For The Cure)
October 28: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ
November 3: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 4: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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# = Co-Sanctioned Event with NMMRA Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.