KEVIN THOMAS JR. TRIUMPHS AT CASA GRANDE’S “HOWL-O-WEEN BASH”
By Lance Jennings
OCTOBER 30, 2018... After flying from the Midwest, Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, AL) was victorious at last Saturday’s “Howl-O-Ween Bash” at Central Arizona Speedway. Driving the Imperial Motorsports’ #75X Mazatzal Dirt Works / Jeff’s Jam It In Storage entry, Thomas powered by Stevie Sussex on lap ten and held off all challengers to earn his first Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car win of the year. Top qualifier R.J. Johnson, Logan Seavey, Jason McDougal, and point leader “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. followed “KTJ” to the checkered flags.
Before earning his second career USAC SouthWest triumph, Kevin Thomas Jr. won the night’s second 8-lap heat race and ranked fourth in passing points out of the eighteen car field. The USAC National series driver left Casa Grande ranked 34th in the point standings.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, AZ) returned to USAC SouthWest action and finished second in the “Howl-O-Ween Bash.” Piloting Bobby Martin’s #51 Martin Family Auto Museum / Pecon Builders Sherman, Johnson won the program’s third heat race and claimed his third Beaver Stripes Passing Master Award of the season. To date, the five-time champion is seventh in the point chase with four feature wins, five heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 75 feature laps led.
Like Thomas, Logan Seavey (Sutter, CA) flew to Arizona before scoring third at the Pinal County Fairgrounds. Racing the Reinbold/Underwood #19 AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, Seavey won the night’s first 8-lap heat race and sat third in passing points. After his first start, the USAC National Midget Series point leader is thirty-fifth in the SouthWest point standings.
Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, OK) earned the night’s hard charger award with a fourth place run from tenth at Central Arizona Speedway. Driving the Reinbold/Underwood #19S AME Electrical / Ross Equipment Rentals Spike, McDougal scored fourth in his heat race and placed tenth in passing points. In limited appearances, Jason ranks thirtieth in the championship standings with two top-10 finishes.
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) claimed fifth in the “Howl-O-Ween Bash.” Piloting his #50 RSS Industries / MP Environmental Services RSS, Davis finished third in his heat race and ranked second in the nightly passing points. The point leader heads to the Western World Championships with nine feature wins, ten heat race victories, five Beaver Stripes Passing Master Awards, two hard charger awards, twenty top-10 finishes, and 252 feature laps led.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Cars are back in action for two nights starting Friday, November 2nd at Arizona Speedway in San Tan Valley, Arizona. The “51st Western World Championships” will also showcase the AMSOIL USAC National and USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. Located at the ET Motopark, more event and ticket information can be found at www.arizonaspeedway.net or calling 480.926.6688.
The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AMSOIL, Hoosier Tire, and Beaver Stripes for their support. For more information on the 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: October 27, 2018 – Casa Grande, Arizona – Central Arizona Speedway – “Howl-O-Ween Bash”
FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Logan Seavey (#19 Reinbold/Underwood), 2. Colton Hardy (#74 Williams), 3. Stevie Sussex (#12 Allen), 4. Joe Scheopner (#17 Scheopner), 5. Tyler Most (#3 Most), 6. Nick Aiuto (#27 Aiuto). NT
SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. (#75X Imperial), 2. Ronnie Clark (#6 Clark), 3. Dennis Gile (#13G Gile), 4. Isaac Chapple (#52 Chapple), 5. Matt Lundy (#98 Lundy), 6. Mike Martin (#16 Martin). NT
THIRD HEAT: (8 laps) 1. R.J. Johnson (#51 Martin), 2. Tye Mihocko (#5 Mihocko), 3. Charles Davis Jr. (#50 Davis), 4. Jason McDougal (#19S Reinbold/Underwood), 5. Sterling Cling (#34 Cling), 6. Daylin Perreira (#21 Perreira). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. (3rd), 2. R.J. Johnson (6th), 3. Logan Seavey (4th), 4. Jason McDougal (10th), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (5th), 6. Isaac Chapple (11th), 7. Stevie Sussex (1st), 8. Tye Mihocko (8th), 9. Colton Hardy (2nd), 10. Ronnie Clark (7th), 11. Matt Lundy (13th), 12. Dennis Gile (9th), 13. Mike Martin (16th), 14. Nick Aiuto (18th), 15. Joe Scheopner (12th), 16. Sterling Cling (15th), 17. Daylin Perriera (17th), 18. Tyler Most (14th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-9 Sussex, Laps 10-30 Thomas.
HARD CHARGER: Jason McDougal (10th to 4th)
BEAVER STRIPES PASSING MASTER: R.J. Johnson
SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1. Charles Davis Jr.-1237, 2. Tye Mihocko-1113, 3. Mike Martin-1054, 4. Michael Curtis-802, 5. Matt Lundy-736, 6. Chris Bonneau-666, 7. R.J. Johnson-639, 8. Tyler Most-589, 9. Dennis Gile-586, 10. Andy Reinbold-546, 11. Josh Pelkey-436, 12. Sterling Cling-381, 13. Zack Madrid-288, 14. Stevie Sussex-266, 15. Bruce St. James-249, 16. Colton Hardy-245, 17. Asa Kesterson-242, 18. Austin Kuehl-232, 19. Kyle Shipley-225, ... Ronnie Clark-225.
2018 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE
DATE – TRACK – LOCATION
November 2: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 3: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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This schedule is subject to change.
