Pittsburgh's Pa. Motor Speedway
Johnson races from 13th to win 4th Pittsburgher
Davey Johnson heads for victory at PPMS. (Frank Wilson)
IMPERIAL, Pa. (Sept. 18) — Former race winner Davey Johnson of Latrobe, Pa., nosed ahead of Matt Lux on the 41st lap and led the rest of the Pittsburgher for a $7,000 victory at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The 13th-starting Johnson's 66-lap victory, his fourth in the Pittsburgher, was co-sanctioned by the UFO Race Championship Series and Northern Tier United Late Model Series. | Video
Lux, the Franklin, Pa., driver who started fifth and led laps 18-40, settled for second while Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., rallied from his 21st starting spot to finish third in the 31-car field. Eighth-starting Keith Barbara of South Park, Pa., was fourth and outside front-row starter John Flinner of Zelienople, Pa., came from the rear twice to round out the top five at the half-mile oval.
Dylan Yoder of Selinsgrove, Pa., and Flinner drew front-row starting spot with Flinner going into the lead and the fifth-starting Lux working toward the front, taking second from Brandon Burgoon on the 10th lap.
Lux took command on a lap-17 restart while Flinner and Steve Baker tangled in turn four shortly thereafter, sending Baker spinning and drawing another yellow flag. Flinner and Baker restarted on the tail.
Johnson was up to third on the restart and took second from Jared Miley after a lap-28 caution. When action was slowed again on lap 40 — again for Flinner, who was worked back into the top fix — Johnson lined up with Lux out front for the restart and took command.
Johnson survived a series of four cautions over the final 12 laps for the victory while Lux crossed the finish line second.
Notes: Johnson also won Pittsburghers in 1992, '94 and 2000. ... Competitors performed a six-wide parade lap before the race. ... Boom Briggs (sixth) leads ULMS points and Chad McClellan (14th) leads UFO points. ... Jared Hawkins won the Pass-Maximum award from Bernheisel Race Components and Lazer Chassis for his 21st-to-third charge. ... Keith Barbara won Sept. 17's unsanctioned Late Model tuneup at PPMS. ... ULMS competitors wrap up the season Sept. 23-25 at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa., a weekend capped by the $12,000-to-win RaceFan 50. ... UFO Series competitors head to Allegany County Speedway in Cumberland, Md., on Oct. 2 for the $5,000-to-win Big Kahuna.
Pittsburgher: (1) Davey Johnson, (2) Matt Lux, (3) Jared Hawkins, (4) Keith Barbara, (5) John Flinner, (6) Boom Briggs, (7) Jared Miley, (8) Jim Stephans, (9) Lynn Geisler, (10) Ben Miley, (11) Mike Johnson, (12) John Garvin, (13) Mike Norris, (14) Chad McClellan, (15) Jim Lepro, (16) Bump Hedman, (17) Chuck Medved, (18) Dave Johnson, (19) Brandon Burgoon, (20) Dereck Frank, (21) John Mollick, (22) Dylan Yoder, (23) Jason Rider, (24) Brandon Wearing, (25) Jon Hodgkiss, (26) Steve Baker, (27) Dave Hess Jr., (28) Doug Crawford, (29) Danny Mitchell, (30) Dennis Lunger, (31) Tommy Beck. Heat race winners (among 31 cars): Barbara, Rider, Burgoon.
