WITH ONLY 4 NIGHTS OF RACING LEFT AND A SOLID POINTS LEAD, JUSTIN JOHNSON SAYS “WE’RE POINTS RACING NOW!”   AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT…  KEEP THE CAR CLEAN, OUT FRONT, LEAD EVERY LAP AND WIN THE FEATURE!

Irwindale, CA., Jul. 10 – NASCAR Pepsi One Super Late Model points leader Justin Johnson started the 18-car race from row one and led all 50 laps Saturday night in the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale feature. The 24-year old Las Vegas resident drove one of two Vision Airlines Ford Fusions to his sixth main event victory this season in 12 races and fifth in the last six events. He increased his series point lead from 24 to 34 points over his Vision teammate. Johnson said, “We’re points racing now. I’ve won championships in every series I’ve run so far and the 2010 Irwindale Pepsi Super Late Model Championship is the goal.  We came here for points, but wins are always welcome.”

This weeks Pepsi Super Late Model feature started with a four-car inversion and based on qualifying times, fast qualifier Ryan Partridge started fourth. First-time Irwindale driver Zach Sawyers slotted in ninth but pulled in the infield prior to the green when something broke in the rear end of his car.  VAR’s Justin Johnson was the fourth quickest in qualifying which meant he would take the grid on the front row.  Johnson shot to the lead immediately and paced the field for the rest of the 50 lapper.  Travis Thirkettle and Randel King hung with Johnson for a while and the first three drivers ran nose-to-tail up to the mid race mark.  A mid race caution for a spin and contact mid pack bunched the field but Johnson held the lead throughout the race and stretched the margin from ten yards at lap 30, to 30 yards at the checkered flag. The best battles behind Johnson were between Thirkettle and King, who swapped second place four times.  Vision Airlines teammate Dusty Davis finished sixth in his 94 Vision Air – Fusion, but Dusty was fighting a push all night.

With a few weeks off, the Vision Airlines team will be able to regroup and prepare for the final four weeks of the season and come back fully stocked for an Irwindale Championship run.  But if I’m Justin’s crew, after taking 5 of the last six races and 6 of 12 for the season, I might be looking for the bottle of spray wax and that’s the only change I would make!

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