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(Photo by Justin Brester)

Inside Line Promotions – MESQUITE, Texas (Oct. 18, 2016) – Johnny Herrera enjoyed a strong performance last weekend during the Winter Nationals at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

Herrera opened the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour doubleheader on Friday by winning a heat race after starting on the outside of the front row.

“You have to capitalize on that,” he said. “Then in the qualifier we got a decent start and went from fifth to third. I got to fourth right away and I ended up getting up to third. Sammy Swindell got tight and I was free enough to roll around him.”

Herrera ranked third in overall points out of nearly 50 competitors so he started the main event on the inside of the second row.

“We took off the first couple of laps and we were all right together,” he said. “Martin Edwards and Josh Baughman were sliding back and forth. They ended up making contact in the first couple of laps and (Edwards) spun around off the race track and kept it going. The yellow came out and we restarted second.

“(Baughman) was a lot tighter than I was. He had to have clean race track. He had been running through the middle and getting to the cushion on the exit. I saw where I was making up time on him running the top. I passed him in turns three and four on the top. By the time he got back to the top I was coming by.”

Herrera took the lead on Lap 14.

“I dropped a cylinder about the time I passed Baughman,” he said. “We ran the rest of the race and I was a little nervous. It was ok until we had that red with about four laps to go. The engine was hot and it was smoking. I was worried about it taking off. Luckily the Ostrich engine held out for us.”

While down on horsepower, Herrera was able to finish the race and hold on for his seventh win of the season.

“I don’t think I changed one thing all night,” he said. “We didn’t change stagger, didn’t change a bolt. That’s a rarity. We just scrapped mud. We had a few of our sponsors there so it was great to have them be a part of another win. Plus, that locked us into Saturday’s feature redraw.”

Herrera capped the weekend by pulling the No. 3 to start Saturday’s main event on the inside of the second row.

“If the track could have been the same the first night it could have been different,” he said. “It was rubber down by the last B Main. Everyone went to the bottom on the first lap of the A Main and we just rode there.”

Herrera maintained third place throughout the feature before he ended with the podium finish, which was his 27th top five of the season.

He is slated to make his final 410ci sprint car start of the season this Saturday at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Twister Showdown with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 14 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 1 (2); Qualifier: 3 (5); Feature: 1 (3).

Oct. 15 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Feature: 3 (3).

SEASON STATS –

58 races, 7 wins, 27 top fives, 34 top 10s, 38 top 15s, 41 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Okla., for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Twister Showdown with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.JohnnyHerreraRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnnyHerrera2

APPAREL –

Herrera has t-shirts available for sale at his race trailer and at http://www.johnnyherreraracing.com/shopping.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Competition Suspension Inc.

Competition Suspension Inc., which is located in Brownsburg, Ind., has spent many years developing valving combinations to improve the overall performance of race cars. The company has knowledge in many different disciplines of racing. For more information, visit http://www.CSIShocks.com.

“I think I’ve been with CSI since Garrett Andrews started the company,” he said. “They are very knowledgeable and professional and do a great job.”

Herrera would also like to thank Morton Excavating, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Champion Brands, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Ostrich Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, Hoosier Racing Tire, Schoenfeld Headers, Maxim Chassis, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Simpson Race Products, Outlaw Wings, Weld Wheels, Finish Line Coatings, Semi-Crazy Truck Wash, Smiley’s Racing Products and Heidbreder Foundation Services for their continued support.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.

To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.