OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Jason Johnson became this year’s first repeat winner in O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour National series action by earning a hard-fought victory in Saturday night’s 30-lap Spring Nationals championship feature at State Fair Speedway.
In the series’ seventh feature of 2008, Johnson outdueled Daryn Pittman over the middle portion of the race and withstood late pressure from Friday-night winner Danny Lasoski and four-time series champion Gary Wright to snare his second triumph of the year aboard Lanny Row’s Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports/Custom Equipment Design No. 41 Eagle.
“I knew someone was back there, but I wasn’t sure who it was,” Johnson explained after his 30th career ASCS National Tour feature win.
After trading the point with Pittman several times between the eighth and 12th laps, the feature event’s only caution after a dozen rounds may have proven to be a saving grace for The Ragin’ Cajun.
“I got a little too excited there and about overheated my left-rear tire because we got to racing so hard,” Johnson explained. “I settled down under that caution and the tire cooled down, too. They were still on me at the end, I was just trying to hold on to the win.”
Lasoski finished second, while Wright extended his point lead by taking third — his 20th-consecutive top-five finish in ASCS National Tour feature action.
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. and Jason Sides rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Jason Johnson, Danny Lasoski, Gary Wright, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Jason Sides, Garry Lee Maier, Eric Baldaccini, Brian Brown, Daryn Pittman, Wayne Johnson, Jack Dover, Travis Rilat, Aaron Berryhill, Zach Chappell, Kenneth Walker, Gary Taylor, Foster Landon, Koby Barksdale, Don Droud, Jr., Billy Alley, Nick Smith, Andy Shouse, Josh Higday, Dustin Morgan.