(Photo by Bryan Hulbert)
Inside Line Promotions – LAS CRUCES, N.M. (April 5, 2017) – Johnny Herrera swept the ASCS Southwest Sprint Car Shootout presented by Consolidated Solar Technology last weekend at Southern New Mexico Speedway.
Herrera won his heat race and the main event both nights during the ASCS Southwest Region doubleheader to give him three wins and five podium finishes in five races this season.
“It’s really huge,” he said. “Some days things just fall in place and that was one of those weekends for us.”
The action began on Friday, when Herrera won his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. That earned him a spot in the feature redraw, in which he pulled the No. 2 to start the main event on the outside of the front row.
“The track was real heavy,” he said. “It was really windy all day long. They really watered it afraid it was going to get really dry, but the wind died down so we ended up with a heavy track. We took off in the lead and got out there a ways and got into some traffic. I started slowing down too much and I got tighter. I was getting rolled up. At one point out of the corner of my eye I saw a nose from Skylar Gee and I decided I better get up above where I’d been running and run a little harder. I was still tight, but we got back away.”
Herrera led the distance to capture his 18th career ASCS Southwest Region victory.
The momentum continued on Saturday when Herrera again claimed a heat race triumph after starting third. That made him the high-points driver and he pulled the No. 3 during the feature redraw to start the main event on the inside of the second row.
“The track got really slick,” he said. “I figured it’d take rubber at some point, which it did. We got to second off the get-go. Skylar got to the lead on the second lap and I paced with him the first 10 or 12 laps. I started dropping down on the race track little by little and I started making up ground. We got to some lapped cars and he started moving around. He went around a lapped car and I went to the bottom and got by him. We had an exceptionally good car.”
Herrera took the lead on Lap 12 and never looked back en route to his second straight win.
“It’s great to run well in an area where a couple of our sponsors in Mesilla Valley Transportation and CSR Garage are located,” he said. “I want to thank them as well as all our partners, Morton Excavating, Champion Brands, CSI, ButlerBuilt, Ostrich Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Schoenfeld, Maxim, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Simpson Race Products, Outlaw Wings, Weld Wheels, Finish Line Coatings, Semi-Crazy Truck Wash, Smiley’s Racing Products, and Heidbreder Foundation Services, for supporting our team.”
Herrera will get back to Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour action this Friday and Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Tony Stewart presents the Texas Sprint Car Nationals. He posted results of third and second, respectively, with the ASCS National Tour and he won an ASCS Red River Region show at the track last season.
“Momentum is always a good thing to have on your side, especially going into a big weekend,” he said. “We’re looking forward to getting back there. It’s one of my better tracks on the schedule. I’d love to go in there and win both days.”
QUICK RESULTS –
March 31 – Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M. – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 1 (2).
April 1 – Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M. – Heat race: 1 (3); Feature: 1 (3).
SEASON STATS –
5 races, 3 wins, 5 top fives, 5 top 10s, 5 top 15s, 5 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Tony Stewart presents the Texas Sprint Car Nationals with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.JohnnyHerreraRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnnyHerrera2
APPAREL –
Herrera has t-shirts available for sale at his race trailer and at http://www.johnnyherreraracing.com/shopping.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Competition Suspension Inc.
Competition Suspension Inc., which is located in Brownsburg, Ind., has spent many years developing valving combinations to improve the overall performance of race cars. The company has knowledge in many different disciplines of racing. For more information, visit http://www.CSIShocks.com.
“I think I’ve been with CSI since Garrett Andrews started the company,” he said. “They are very knowledgeable and professional and do a great job.”
Herrera would also like to thank Morton Excavating, Champion Brands, Mesilla Valley Transportation, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Ostrich Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Schoenfeld Headers, Maxim Chassis, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Simpson Race Products, Outlaw Wings, Weld Wheels, Finish Line Coatings, Semi-Crazy Truck Wash, Smiley’s Racing Products, CSR Garage and Heidbreder Foundation Services for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.