View From the Stands: Johnsons win big for ASCoT drivers at 360

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The 18th annual Arnold Motor Supply 360 Knoxville Nationals on Saturday provided a big crowd one of the best nights of racing Knoxville Raceway has seen all year. Kudos to the Dunkin Family track maintenance crew for their track prep. As expected the preliminary nights saw the Big Three ASCoT drivers Jason Johnson, Wayne Johnson and Gary Wright put on commanding performances with Jason winning Thursday night’s preliminary and Wayne winning Friday. Jason earned enough qualifying points to start on the pole for Saturday’s championship feature with Wright alongside him. Wayne Johnson qualified his car for the second row. The Championship A-Main Saturday was 25 laps and Jason Johnson, Gary Wright and Wayne Johnson came off Turn 2 on the first lap three-wide, setting the stage for a classic battle. With a caution on lap 6 for a stopped car on the track, Wright had to pull in the car for the night with a broken wing mount. Although Wright has won the 360 Nationals once in 1998, he has had terrible luck at Knoxville throughout his career. It appeared it would be down to Jason and Wayne to duel the rest of the way. Billy Alley who started eighth was up to third. On the restart Wayne and Alley both went around Jason who began to falter with an apparent mechanical problem, and ended up having to nurse the car in for a 12th-place finish. Brian Brown, who started 19th, had moved into the top 10 by lap 8. Wayne appeared to have the race in hand. Alley and Brooke Tatnell, who had won the 410 feature earlier, dueled for second for several laps until Brown made his way by Tatnell on lap 22 and squeaked by Alley for second on the last lap. It was the second 360 Nationals win for Wayne Johnson, who is from Oklahoma but now lives in Knoxville. The win paid out $10,000. Danny Lasoski finished the 410 A-Main in third, but with two weekly points races left in the season, he has clinched his record eighth Knoxville track championship. 360 Knoxville Nationals 1. Wayne Johnson, Knoxville; 2. Brian Brown, Grain Valley, Mo.; 3. Billy Alley, Lincoln, Neb.; 4. Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust.; 5. Tyler Walker, Encino, Calif.; 6. Travis Rilat, Forney, Texas; 7. Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, Mo.; 8. Bronson Maeschen, Knoxville; 9. Jesse Giannetto, Cedar Rapids; 10. Jonathan Allard, Chico, Calif.; 11. Skip Jackson, Knoxville; 12. Jason Johnson, Eunice, La.; 13. Zach Chappell, Talala, Okla.; 14. Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 15. Garry Lee Maier, Cimarron, Kan.; 16. Roger Crockett, Medford, Ore.; 17. Matt Moro, Ankeny; 18. Scott Winters, Butterfield, Minn.; 19. Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia, Mo.; 20. Gary Taylor, Sapulpa, Okla.; 21. Gregg Bakker, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 22. Jack Dover, Springfield, Neb.; 23. Kenny Adams, Malabar, Fla.; 24. Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas. Lap Leaders: Wright 1-4; J. Johnson 5-6; W. Johnson 7-25