A special weekend is ahead at Arrowhead Speedway, honoring one of Sprint Car racing’s most beloved drivers – Jason Johnson.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will make its second appearance at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, OK for the Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rods Ends, April 4-5.
Johnson’s cousin, Philip Dietz – who is also the co-owner of Jason Johnson Racing and crew chief of the team for Carson Macedo – shared his connection to the event and why you should go.
Why should someone go to the Jason Johnson Classic?
Dietz: I think the biggest thing is to honor Jason and his legacy. I think the race itself is going to be super exciting. The facility itself is just amazing. It’s a beautiful place. Now that we’ve been there once, they’re going to know what to expect with the track and I think they’re going to be a little bit more prepared to make it a little bit racier than last year.
Going back to Jason… Jason was very passionate about Sprint Cars. About Sprint Car racing in general. Everything he did throughout his career left an impact on the sport. To continue Jason Johnson Racing, his team that he founded in 2010, to continue on with that and have an event in his name is really special for me, really special for all of JJR’s sponsors. It’s really cool to watch the Outlaws really highlight some of the peak career moments in his life, everything he accomplished as a race car driver.
Is there a different feel when you come into this event because it is honoring Jason?
Dietz: Yeah… the race itself is no different because we’re there to do a job the very best we can. Hopefully at the end of the night our car is in Victory Lane. It is special. His name is mentioned a lot that weekend, so it does bring back a lot of memories. They’re good memories. We still miss Jason very much today and we’d love to go back and still have him here today, but unfortunately that’s not the case, but we can go there (Arrowhead Speedway) and celebrate his life and his career. Hopefully do our very best to win him a race that night.
How would you describe Arrowhead Speedway?
Dietz: It’s a little bullring track. Definitely one I feel Jason would like. He loved all kinds of tracks, but particularly ones where he could stand on the gas and get aggressive. That was his type for sure. I’m hoping the weather is better this year. Like I said, I think they’re going to be a little more prepared and know what to expect. I think you’ll see racing that is a little more exciting.
What’s it like racing in Oklahoma?
Dietz: It’s nice for us because it’s really not very far from our shop. It’s really nice for us. I think it is cool to venture out to a track that the Outlaws haven’t really been to in years past, other than last year for the first time. I know for myself, I was really impressed with the facility and the paved pit area, just how nice the grandstands were. Obviously, the track owner has put a lot of time and effort and money into that facility to make it as nice as it is. I think this year will be really good.
What are the Oklahoma fans like?
Dietz: Not too different from other areas, really passionate about racing. I grew up in the Texas area and spent a lot of time racing in Oklahoma. There are a lot of great racers that have come out of Oklahoma. A lot of fans that are very passionate about racing. About Sprint Car racing in particular. It’s pretty cool to get a track in Oklahoma like that. I think fans that haven’t been to an Outlaw race in a while will have the opportunity to come out, not only for one night but for two nights. I think it’ll be a great weekend.
Looking at the year in general, how do you feel the season is going for the JJR team and Carson?
Dietz: We’re really happy with where things are at now. Ideally, we’d love to just win every race. Realistically that’s a tough thing to do, but we’re happy. We had a few mechanical issues at the start that we worked through. I feel like we’ve had speed. There are a few nights that we’ve been off on our setup a little bit. All in all, we’re happy. We do want to work harder to get our car faster and get Carson even more comfortable. We have spent that time at Tim Engler’s shop chassis dynoing. I’ve also made some changes to our car to try and get it better.
We’re happy with how the season is going so far. We would love to continue getting better and I think that’s what we’ll do from this point forward.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about the Jason Johnson Classic?
Dietz: Basically, just thanking everyone for coming out. It means a lot to myself, everyone involved in JJR, I know all of Jason’s family. A lot of Jason’s family will be attending that event. It means the world to them, as well. Just a big thank you to everyone coming out that is not only there to see a good race, but also honor a man that has been a huge part of my life, a special part of my life and everything that I’ve done in my career. Thank you to everyone that supports this event.
Watch the Jason Johnson Racing team compete against the rest of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series field during the Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends at Arrowhead Speedway, April 4-5.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap live on DIRTVision.