CONCORD, N.C. – Jason Johnson did not set a single-season wins record in Friday’s World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, but he did claim his second crown jewel win of the season by topping the first race of the prestigious Bad Boy Buggies World Finals.
Johnson, who also won this year’s 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals in August, passed race-long leader Dale Blaney with seven laps to go in the 30-lap A-Main and steamrolled to victory in the final laps, opening up a 2.109-second margin over eventual runner-up Logan Schuchart by the time the twin checkers waved over the field.
The Louisiana native’s win was his first at Charlotte, fourth of the season and the fifth of his Outlaws career.
“All of my guys have been doing a hell of a job all year long, and to cap it off with a victory in front of this great crowd … man, it’s just incredible,” Johnson said. “I can’t say anything more about this facility. This is such an awesome event and to win it is an honor. It’s special to be able to win here and to be a part of the same night of racing as the late model and modified guys. You know, we read about their accolades all year long and to be able to see them perform on this last weekend of the year … it’s just a very special dynamic that we don’t get very often.”
Johnson, a five-time Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series national champion and the reigning Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, drives for a family-owned team guided by he and his wife Bobbi.
“We are a privateer team and we are definitely financially driven, so it is an honor to pull off another victory of this caliber and prestige. It is certainly a crown jewel race that you want to be able to win.”
Kasey Kahne Racing’s Brad Sweet started on the pole after winning the first of two Craftsman Club Dash races earlier in the night, but it was Blaney that rolled the high lane from the outside of the front row and took the lead on the initial start.
The Ohio native and six-time Arctic Cat All Stars champion quickly established a two second lead by lap three, but at the ninth round his CH Motorsports/GoMuddy.com No. 1 was in traffic and being hounded by Sweet and Johnson for the top spot.
A lap later, the trio went three wide for the lead, but Blaney hung on through the middle groove and started to pull away again. However, a new player was entering the picture in Schuchart, who powered around Sweet to take third a lap before halfway.
Schuchart continued his climb after the crossed flags were displayed, taking a shot at Johnson for second with 13 to go before falling back into line behind the No. 41 Mesilla Valley Transportation mount.
With 10 laps to go, the race’s lone caution flew for a slowing Greg Hodnett in turns one and two. Hodnett escaped to the work area, but did not return and finished 23rd.
On the only restart of the night, it was Blaney leading Johnson, Schuchart, Sweet, Gravel and 13th-starting Donny Schatz, with Schuchart stumbling through the mud on the bottom groove and stacking up the field on the green flag signal.
That allowed Schatz to shoot the gap to third, all the while while Johnson began to pressure Blaney for the top running position. The Rajin’ Cajun moved atop the scoreboard on lap 22, but could not hold the slide job off turn two and relinquished the position back to Blaney.
Two laps later, he tried the same move and this time it stuck, giving Johnson a lead he would not relinquish the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Schuchart worked his way back forward from sixth, ultimately capturing the runner-up position over Schatz in the end after passing the No. 15 Bad Boy Off Road/Chevrolet Performance J&J exiting turn four coming to three laps to go.
Schatz completed the podium ahead of Blaney, who faded to fourth. Sweet capped off the top five.
David Gravel, Shane Stewart, Chad Kemenah, Daryn Pittman and Joey Saldana were the remainder of the top 10 finishers.
Sweet, Stewart, Gravel, Blaney, Kemenah and Johnson kicked off the night’s racing action by winning their respective heat races.
Tanner Thorson won the 10-lap C-Main, while Ian Madsen claimed top honors in the 12-lap Last Chance Showdown.
The Bad Boy Off Road World Finals conclude Saturday night, with racing kicking off at 4:45 p.m.
Schatz will conclude his championship-winning season, while the rest of the 49-car field will search for one final feature victory to close the year.
