360 Sprint Series

Martin Picks Up NCRA Sprint Victory at 81 Speedway

By  David Smith, Jr. 
Photos by InTheDirtPhotos
  

Park City, Kansas (June 20, 2010) - On a day’s worth of activities that benefited the Steve King Foundation night at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas and to put the wraps on a very special Fathers Day edition of racing, it was Jason Martin of Liberal, Kansas picking up his first O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car feature victory since 2005 here Sunday night.
By earning the most finishing and passing points from the heat races, it was Jon Freeman starting on the pole and setting the pace for the twenty-five lap feature but it was outside front row starter J.D. Johnson and defending series champion Garry Lee Maier the two drivers who waged a side by side battle for the lead as the green flag fell.
Maier, aboard the Ochs Brothers #1x, led the first lap before Johnson took the lead entering turns three and four to lead lap two.
Johnson appeared to be on cruise control as, by lap three, the Goddard, Kansas resident had opened a half stretch lead over Maier and Freeman. Five laps later the leader approached lapped traffic for the first time while behind him, fifth starting Martin overtook Freeman for the third position.
Johnsons fast pace would be slowed on lap ten when Maier got a bit sideways in turns three and four and spun the Midwest Ag Professionals/Millart Management/Mid-States Hay Inc./Ruff Bailey Cattle Co. sponsored Maxim chassis.
This would put Martin and Johnson’s rear bumper on the restart and as the green flag fell, Johnson would jump to a three car length advantage. But while he was working the top, Martin found the rubber down low and on lap fourteen, drove underneath the leader in turns three and four to take the lead.
Martin, aboard the Tim Engler Machine/Butler Built seats sponsored Maxim, quickly pulled away from the rest of the field and had opened an eight car length lead over Johnson when he entered lapped traffic on lap sixteen.
The final caution of the event would wave on lap eighteen when Gavin Punch spun in turns one and two.But while no lapped cars were between the leaders on the restart there was still no catching Martin as he led the final seven laps to claim his fourth career series victory and first since the 2005 race season with the series.

“I watched all those guys up high and I just kinda felt the bottom would rubber up and be the place to run,” said Martin in victory lane. “Once out front I never looked back as my dad always told me don’t worry who is behind you, just drive.”

Johnson held on to score his third top five finish of the season by finishing second with Freeman holding on for third. Seventh starting Tony Bruce, Jr. finished fourth, holding off thirteenth starting Jason Johnson by a car length at the finish.

The ten lap heat races for the twenty-five car field were won by J.D. Johnson, Maier and Josh Forshee.

The next event for the O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car division will take place on Friday and Saturday night, July 2-3, during the running of the 54st annual Hutchinson Grand Nationals, atop the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas. Both events will be two complete shows.
The series would like to thank the following for their partnership with the O’Reilly/NCRA sprint car series for the 2010 race season.
2010 NCRA sprint car sponsors: O’Reilly Auto Parts, Hoosier Race Tires, Sunoco Race Fuels.