Steve Hixson
08-14-2012, 11:44 AM
22nd Jean Johnson Memorial S.A.S Race at Cleveland Speedway Saturday…. 8/18
CLEVELAND, TN (8/14/12)—Cleveland Speedway’s First Lady Jean Johnson, mother of two-time Dirt Track World Champion Ronnie Johnson will be commemorated for the 22nd time this Saturday night as the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series rolls back into Ronnie Willkomm’s dirt track for the annual Budweiser sponsored event. Local distributer Ross Tarver has had a long and storied relationship with the Cleveland race track and for more than three decades has been apart of the racing family.
This weekend race will be the third of five scheduled appearances for the Southern All Stars tour to the 58-year-old Cleveland Speedway facility. Already in 2012 the S.A.S have produced two mega events at Cleveland Speedway, the SHAMROCK, won by Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN on April 7th and the TENNESSEE MEMORIAL race won by Skip Arp of nearby Georgetown, TN on May 12th. Race #3 of the series the STARS N’ STRIPES race was rained out July 14h and has been rescheduled for September
15th.
The defending race champion is Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC who’s recently won Cleveland’s Southern Nationals Thursday Night special event July 26th. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL won the 2010 event while Clint Smith of Senoia, GA pulled off a photo-finish in a nail-biter in 2009. The winners list of this event reads as a who’s who in Southern Dirt Super Late Model racing, which leads back to the beginning when in 1991 RJ won his mom’s race. Of the thirteen different winners, seven have repeated trips to victory lane of the event and only Dale McDowell of Chickamagua, GA has won “Mrs. Jean’s” race three-times.
The S.A.S Super Late Models will be competing for a $3,500 to win / $300 to start main event with a complete show of Practice, Qualifying and Last Chance Showdowns proceeding the 40-lap feature. Also competing will be Cleveland’s LLM/Crate’s racing for a $1,200 to win A-Main event as well as A&B Hobby, Pony’s, Cruisers and FWD’s. Competitor’s Pit Gates will open at 3PM EST, with Grandstand access to Fans opening at 4PM. A Pre-Race Driver’s Meeting is slated for 7PM and Hot Laps will begin the on-track action prior to 7:30PM.
Further information on the Cleveland Speedway can be obtained by calling the track on raceday at (423) 479-8574 or by visiting www.clevelandspeedway.com .Reserve Seats will be available for the Top Rows on raceday. Directions to Cleveland Speedway are from I-75 to the Cleveland Exit #12, go east (away from Fireworks Store) about a mile (first exit ramp) to Hwy. 11. Turn left (back under the overpass) on Hwy. 11, and go two blocks the speedway is on the left. For electronic mapping devices the tracks physical address is: 2420 South Lee Highway, Cleveland, TN 37311
Jean Johnson Memorial Race History
2011 Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC
2010 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL
2009 Clint Smith of Senoia, GA
2008 Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN
2007 Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC
2006 Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN
2005 Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN
2004 Jeff Cooke of Spartanburg, SC
2003 & 2002 – Duayne Hommel of Newport, TN
2001 – Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA
2000 & 1999 – John Jones of Rock Springs, GA
1998 – Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA
1997 – Jamie Perry of Ringgold, GA
1996 thru 1994 – Dale McDowell of Chickamagua, GA
1993 – Rained Out
1992 – Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA
1991 – Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN
CLEVELAND, TN (8/14/12)—Cleveland Speedway’s First Lady Jean Johnson, mother of two-time Dirt Track World Champion Ronnie Johnson will be commemorated for the 22nd time this Saturday night as the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series rolls back into Ronnie Willkomm’s dirt track for the annual Budweiser sponsored event. Local distributer Ross Tarver has had a long and storied relationship with the Cleveland race track and for more than three decades has been apart of the racing family.
This weekend race will be the third of five scheduled appearances for the Southern All Stars tour to the 58-year-old Cleveland Speedway facility. Already in 2012 the S.A.S have produced two mega events at Cleveland Speedway, the SHAMROCK, won by Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN on April 7th and the TENNESSEE MEMORIAL race won by Skip Arp of nearby Georgetown, TN on May 12th. Race #3 of the series the STARS N’ STRIPES race was rained out July 14h and has been rescheduled for September
15th.
The defending race champion is Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC who’s recently won Cleveland’s Southern Nationals Thursday Night special event July 26th. Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL won the 2010 event while Clint Smith of Senoia, GA pulled off a photo-finish in a nail-biter in 2009. The winners list of this event reads as a who’s who in Southern Dirt Super Late Model racing, which leads back to the beginning when in 1991 RJ won his mom’s race. Of the thirteen different winners, seven have repeated trips to victory lane of the event and only Dale McDowell of Chickamagua, GA has won “Mrs. Jean’s” race three-times.
The S.A.S Super Late Models will be competing for a $3,500 to win / $300 to start main event with a complete show of Practice, Qualifying and Last Chance Showdowns proceeding the 40-lap feature. Also competing will be Cleveland’s LLM/Crate’s racing for a $1,200 to win A-Main event as well as A&B Hobby, Pony’s, Cruisers and FWD’s. Competitor’s Pit Gates will open at 3PM EST, with Grandstand access to Fans opening at 4PM. A Pre-Race Driver’s Meeting is slated for 7PM and Hot Laps will begin the on-track action prior to 7:30PM.
Further information on the Cleveland Speedway can be obtained by calling the track on raceday at (423) 479-8574 or by visiting www.clevelandspeedway.com .Reserve Seats will be available for the Top Rows on raceday. Directions to Cleveland Speedway are from I-75 to the Cleveland Exit #12, go east (away from Fireworks Store) about a mile (first exit ramp) to Hwy. 11. Turn left (back under the overpass) on Hwy. 11, and go two blocks the speedway is on the left. For electronic mapping devices the tracks physical address is: 2420 South Lee Highway, Cleveland, TN 37311
Jean Johnson Memorial Race History
2011 Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC
2010 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, AL
2009 Clint Smith of Senoia, GA
2008 Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN
2007 Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC
2006 Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN
2005 Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN
2004 Jeff Cooke of Spartanburg, SC
2003 & 2002 – Duayne Hommel of Newport, TN
2001 – Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA
2000 & 1999 – John Jones of Rock Springs, GA
1998 – Mike Head of Ellenwood, GA
1997 – Jamie Perry of Ringgold, GA
1996 thru 1994 – Dale McDowell of Chickamagua, GA
1993 – Rained Out
1992 – Rex Richey of Ringgold, GA
1991 – Ronnie Johnson of Chattanooga, TN