McFadden Tops Jason Johnson Classic at the Lake

Eldon, MO (Saturday, October 17, 2020) - With very little racing action to choose from in my area, I decided to meet up with long time photographer Dennis Krieger to make the 4 hour drive south to the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri. On the card was the 2nd Annual Jason Johnson Classic, featuring the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. Awaiting the winner in victory lane was a check worth $15,000, while $1,000 was guaranteed to just start the 41 lap A-Main.

Shane Stewart piloted the Jason Johnson Racing #41 Sprinter on Saturday at the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO. The annual Jason Johnson Classic honors the late Jason Johnson. (Photo provided by Dennis Krieger)

Thirty-five NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and 21 Street Stocks, the only support class on the card, signed in for competition. And Brad Sweet started the night off by setting fast time, with a lap of 11.402 seconds around the 1/3 mile oval. Following time trial qualifying was the 4 10 lap heat races, in which the top 5 in each were locked into the 41 lap Jason Johnson Classic A-Main.

Brad Sweet jumped out into the lead on lap 1 of heat race one and then led all 10 laps to pick up the win. Jacob Allen was 2nd, Daryn Pittman came from 5th to finish 3rd, Parker Price-Miller was 4th, with Tyler Courtney finishing in the final transfer spot after starting in 7th. Kerry Madsen, Skylar Prochaska, Kory Bales, and Carson Macedo, who had mechanical issues, finished out heat one....James McFadden edged out Donny Schatz on lap 1 of heat race two and then held on to claim the win. Schatz finished 2nd, Ayrton Gennetten was 3rd, Logan Schuchart was 4th, with Hunter Schuerenberg holding on for the final transfer spot. Dominic Scelzi, Mason Daniel, Tucker Klaasmeyer, and Adam Parmeley finished out heat two....Aaron Reutzel took command of heat race three and then went on to score the win. Kraig Kinser crossed the line in 2nd, Tim Kaeding was 3rd, Sheldon Haudenschild was 4th, with Brian Brown holding on for the final transfer spot. Skylar Gee, Wayne Johnson, Kyle Bellm, and Frank Rogers completed the finish in heat three....Cory Eliason grabbed the lead in heat four and then held it until the checkered flag. Gio Scelzi finished in 2nd, Shane Stewart was 3rd, Ian Madsen was 4th, with Jason Sides holding on for 5th. Terry McCarl, Tyler Blank, and Bill Rose finished out heat four.

Three Street Stock heat races were ran next, and was then followed up by the 8 car 8 lap Fast Pass Dash. The dash was made up of the top two finishers in the four heat races, in which all driver's drew for their starting position. James McFadden and Gio Scelzi lead the field to green. But just as the green was waved the yellow light would come on, as eighth place starter Brad Sweet spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart McFadden grabbed the early lead over Scelzi and Aaron Reutzel. Going into turn 1 on the completion of lap 1 Cory Eliason tried to get under Reutzel and made contact with his left rear, which sent Reutzel spinning in turn 2. Donny Schatz tried to take evasive action and he would climb over Eliason's left front. And then Jacob Allen got on the binders and bumped into Reutzel's front nose, as both came to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Schatz headed to the work area to see if he received any damage from the contact, and he quickly returned for the restart. McFadden jumped back out front on the restart, with Scelzi and Sweet, who came from the rear, following. Sweet would get by Scelzi for the runner up spot on lap 3 and then tried to challenge Kasey Kahne Racing teammate for the win. But McFadden would hold on to pick up the dash. Sweet settled for 2nd, Scelzi was 3rd, Schatz came from the rear to finish 4th, Eliason was 5th, Reutzel was 6th, Allen was 7th, with Kraig Kinser rounding out the finish.

The final event for the fifteen remaining driver's not qualified out of the heat races was the 12 lap Last Chance Showdown, where the top 4 would make up the final two rows of the A-Main. Carson Macedo and Dominic Scelzi led the field to green, but just as the green was waved the yellow light would come on. As fifth place starter Terry McCarl spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart, Marcedo jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Scelzi and Kerry Madsen. The action was slowed on lap 6, when Adam Parmeley spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Marcedo grabbed the lead on the restart, with Madsen over taking Scelzi for the runner up spot. The caution appeared on lap 9, as Tyler Blank slowed in turn 4 when his hood came loose and blocked his view to bring out the yellow. On the restart Skylar Prochaska got into the cushion in turn 3 and got up on his left side briefly, before the car settled back down on all 4 wheels to bring the yellow light back on. Macedo once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Madsen and Scelzi following. Just after the lap was scored complete the red would appear, as Skylar Gee, who was battling for the final transfer spot, got into the cushion in turn 3 and rolled several times. He would climb from the car okay. On the final restart Macedo jumped back out front and held on to pick up the win. Madsen was 2nd, Scelzi was 3rd, with Wayne Johnson, who started 8th, holding off McCarl, who charged from the rear after spinning on the start, to claim the final transfer spot.

About 30 minutes was then taken to knock the cushion down on the top of turns 1 & 2 and 3 & 4, before the 41 lap Jason Johnson Classic A-Main was brought to the track.

Just part of the standing room only crowd in attendance on Saturday night at the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO. (Photo provided by Dennis Krieger)

Here is the famous 4 wide salute to the huge crowd before the start of the 41 lap Jason Johnson Classic NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car feature. (Photo by Dennis Krieger)

James McFadden and Brad Sweet made up the front row for the 41 lap Jason Johnson Classic WoO Sprint Car feature, with McFadden jumping out front to lead lap 1 over Sweet and Gio Scelzi. The action was slowed for the first time of the race on lap 2, as Carson Macedo slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart McFadden jumped back out front, with Sweet and Donny Schatz close behind. The fast pace that McFadden was setting would put him into lapped traffic on lap 7, which allowed Sweet to close within his back bumper. On lap 10 Sweet tried to slid up in front of McFadden in turn 4, but McFadden used the momentum off the top to keep the lead. Sweet had to regroup and tried once again to slid McFadden in turn 4 for the top spot on lap 14, only for McFadden to use the momentum off the top of the turn to retain the lead. Once again Sweet had to regroup and he once again tried to slid McFadden in turn 4 on lap 18, to only have McFadden use the momentum off the top to keep the lead. On lap 28 McFadden struggled to put Jacob Allen a lap down, and this allowed Sweet to slid up in front of him off turn 4 for the top spot. But before they crossed the line to score the lap, the caution appeared. Ian Madsen drifted high in turn 3 and got into the wall before spinning in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Daryn Pittman, who was running 8th, got into a car in front of him and would roll softly onto the left side of the car to bring out the red. He was flipped over and pushed to the work area to look over the car. He would return for the restart.

McFadden moved back out front on the restart, with Sweet and Schatz close behind. The fast pace McFadden was setting helped him to built up a 1.89 second lead, which also put him into lapped traffic on lap 33. And just as he started to lap cars again, the yellow light would come on. As Shane Stewart, who was running 8th behind the wheel of the Jason Johnson Racing #41 sprinter, got into the wall down the backstretch and slowed to bring out the caution. On the restart eighth place runner Gio Scelzi lost power and stopped in turn 3, and Pittman  had no where to go and drove over Scelzi's left side. The contact sent Pittman rolling several time to bring out the red. Both driver's climbed from their cars okay. The following restart saw McFadden jump back out front, with Sweet and Schatz still following. In three laps McFadden had built himself a 2.08 second lead, but almost lost the handle in turn 2 on lap 37. This allowed Sweet to quickly close to within .479 seconds. But Sweet couldn't mount a challenge on McFadden coming off turn 4, as McFadden held on to claim his first WoO win in three years. The win was also worth $15,000. Schatz was 3rd, Kerry Madsen charged from 22nd to finished 4th, with Sheldon Haudenschild rounding out the top 5 after starting in 15th.

James McFadden scored the $15,000 victory in the 2nd Annual Jason Johnson Classic at the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO on Saturday, October 17, 2020. (Photo by Dennis Krieger)

Finishing out the night was the 20 lap Street Stock feature, with Collin Parmer and Ted Welschmeyer making up the front row. Parmer took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Toby Ott and Welschmeyer. The lead for Parmer only lasted for 1 lap, as Ott got under him coming out of turn 4 to take over the top spot. Justin McDowell spun in turn 4 on lap 3 to slow the action. On the restart Chris Brockert spun in turn 3 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Ott move back out front, with Welschmeyer and Derek Henson racing side-by-side for the runner up spot. One more lap scored complete produced another caution, as Mike Lucas spun down the front stretch from contact from Cliff Champney to bring out the yellow. Ott once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Welschmeyer, Parmer and Henson battling for the runner up spot. Just as Ott started to enter lapped traffic the final caution of the race appeared on lap 14, as Lucas spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Ott moved back out front, with the battle for second still going on between Welschmeyer, Henson and Parmer. Over the final laps Ott would pull away to pick up the easy win. Welschmeyer won the battle for 2nd, Henson was 3rd, Parmer was 4th, with Kenny Carroll coming from 11th to take home 5th.

Wheatland, Missouri's Toby Ott scored the 20 lap Street Stock feature win on Saturday, October 17th at the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri.

For me Saturday night was two firsts, as it was my first visit to the Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri despite driving by the place a few times in the past several years. It was also the first time I was able to shoot the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Upon arrival to the hidden gem, which really isn't hidden as it is located just off Highway 54, I found the grounds and the facility very well maintained. A very nice grandstands stretched from turn 1 to turn 4 on the front stretch, with an equally nice grandstand located down the backstretch in the pits. MUSCO Lighting lite the place up very well.

One thing I was very impressed with was not only the safety crew on the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, but also the safety crew the Lake Ozark Speedway had. Both crews were quickly on scene to every yellow and red flag. Which resulted in quick clean up and back to green flag conditions.

I would like to give a BIG THANK YOU to the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series PR Coordinator Nick Graziano for allowing me to come down and cover the action!!! I also want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Kevin Greven, who is the General Manger of Lake Ozark Speedway, and the entire staff for the friendly hospitality!!! I look forward to hopefully getting back to the Lake Ozark Speedway in 2021, and also getting to cover the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.