Lonnie Wheatley, OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (March 24, 2006) – Louisiana’s Jason Johnson provided the spice in Friday night’s O’Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour Spring Nationals at Oklahoma City’s State Fair Speedway, besting a field of 55 entries by capturing his first series victory of the season in the 25-lap preliminary feature event.

Johnson charged past early pacesetter Zach Chappell following a lap six restart, then held off a fast-closing Danny Lasoski, who fell little more than a car length short at the checkered flag after charging from the 19th starting position.

Chappell settled for the show position, with two-time and defending series champion Gary Wright taking the fourth and final lock-in position to Saturday night’s Spring Nationals finale. Wright also moved atop the series 2006 point charts by a narrow margin over Nick Smith and Travis Rilat. Aaron Berryhill rounded out the top five in Friday night’s feature.

“These ASCoT races are so tough, they seem to keep drawing 50 or so cars so just getting locked into tomorrow night’s feature is pretty awesome,” an enthused Johnson exclaimed from victory lane after taking the win aboard Lanny Row’s Wesmar-powered The Shop Diesel Service No. 41 Eagle. “Those last few laps got pretty tough, having to guess which way the lapped cars might go and getting through the rough stuff without any problems.”

Johnson earned the front row outside starting position through heat race and qualifying race action, but it was 2001 ASCS National champion Zach Chappell gunning into the early lead from the pole position.

Meanwhile, Missouri’s Lasoski was on the march through the field after making a last lap pass of Jan Howard to win the night’s third “B” Main event just to make the show. By the time the caution flew after five laps for 13-year-old Trey Robb, who came to a stop on the front stretch with front end damage, Lasoski had already climbed eleven positions to eighth.

Lasoski picked up another spot on the ensuing restart when fifth-runner Scott Winters dumped his mount in turn three. Winters was uninjured but done for the night.

Back under way, Johnson battled his past Chappell to take command for good. At the same time, Wright made quick work of Berryhill for third with Lasoski dashing past Jesse Hockett, Jerrod Hull and Berryhill to snare fourth by the eighth circuit.

While Johnson encountered lapped traffic by the eleventh round, Lasoski continued to move forward. Lasoski got by Wright for third on the 18th lap, then took second away from Chappell two rounds later.

Lasoski closed the gap and was on Johnson’s rear nerf bar entering turn three on the final round. Johnson withstood the challenge to secure his eleventh career ASCS National Tour feature victory.

Lasoski settled for a close second in Paul Silva’s No. 57 entry, with Chappell taking the show position aboard David Chappell’s Carbone-powered No. 50z Maxim. Wright was fourth in the Wesmar-powered Southwest Express/The Shop/Richwood Construction No. 9 Maxim, with Berryhill rounding out the top five in the Wesmar-powered Americash Advance No. 97 Eagle.

After starting 16th, leading Rookie of the Year contender Nick Smith made a last corner pass of Brian Brown to snare sixth, with Brown settling for seventh. Jerrod Hull claimed eighth, with Jason Sides and 22nd-starter Travis Rilat completing the top ten.

Johnson, Berryhill, Cody Branchcomb, Darren Stewart, Chuck Swenson and Tony Bruce, Jr., each scored heat race wins, with Hull, Robb, Sam Hafertepe, Jr., Brown, Tim Montgomery and Sean McClelland victorious in qualifying race action.

Montgomery aced the first “B” Main, with Lasoski besting Jan Howard on the final lap of the second “B” Main. Travis Rilat tangled with a lapped car and looped his mount while leading the third “B” Main, but fought back to claim the second and final transfer behind Danny Jennings.

Tracy Nichols went for a wild turn two ride in the second qualifying race, with Mike Trent getting upside down in the fifth qualifier. Doc Sloan flipped on the opening lap of the second “B” Main. Jimmy Taylor’s night ended before it got started with a flip in hot laps. There were no injuries.

Saturday’s State Fair Speedway Spring Nationals finale in Oklahoma City gets under way at 7:15 p.m.