SLINGER – On a scorching night when tempers flared, Casey Johnson was in the right place at the right time in the chaotic 47th Slinger Nationals to earn the biggest victory of his career.
The veteran from Edgerton edged Austin Nason and Richard Childress Racing prospect Carson Brown, leading just the final three laps of 200 on July 14 at Slinger Speedway.
In the waning laps, four-time and defending champion Ty Majeski, top qualifier Gabe Sommers and Andrew Morrissey all fell out due to contact from a race they had led or battled to lead. Brown’s car, too, showed scars of a battle with Morrissey, but he was able to get to the finish.
Majeski seemed to have the race in control as he led 76 laps caution free after a midway break. But a restart bunched the field, he tangled with Sommers in their battle for the lead with four laps to go. Both spun, and Sommers made his anger known.
That put Brown and Morrissey together on the front row for the next restart. Brown ran Morrissey high on the front stretch, and Morrissey apparently paid him back on the back stretch, ending his own night.
Johnson took the lead when Brown chose the inside line on a restart with three laps to go and Johnson used the outside line to pull away to win by six-tenths of a second. The win paid $20,000, and he took home share of bonus money posted for leading laps that added upwards of $3,000 to his payday.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar dropped out after 69 laps with mechanical issues.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How Casey Johnson won the 47th Slinger Nationals, his biggest race victory
Reporting by Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
