• Matt Mead raced to third win in four weeks as points battle heats up with championship on the line
  • Racing continues on July 26 with an action-packed Media Mayhem school bus slobberknocker featuring area media personalities
  • Kids 13 and under get in FREE to the family-friendly Bojangles' Summer Shootout, while tickets cost just $8 for adults. Fans can purchase Bojangles’ Summer Shootout tickets by visiting charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267)

Fast, clean racing highlighted the In Light Wellness Pro division, giving fans just what they came to see during a wild Round 7 at the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout. In the end, Stevie Johns Jr. earned an exhilarating first win in one of grassroots racing’s toughest series.

Michael Torres led early, but Johns Jr. and Chase Purdy ran him down in the closing laps to take the first and second positions. Johns Jr. was the fastest car of the night and that gained him his first victory of the series.

"I’m so excited this is my first win," he said from Victory Lane. “Chase Purdy had a fast car and I appreciate him racing me clean. I have to thank Bojangles’ for sponsoring this whole (series) and the fans that came out and stayed through the lightening. I can’t thank my team enough for working on my car all summer.”

Qualifying on the pole, Matt Mead clearly had the fastest car in the AAA Carolinas Semi-Pro division, but had to race his way through a star-studded field to earn a victory Tuesday night after starting in fifth position following the redraw.

Mead passed Tyler Truex on Lap 21 and held off a hard-charging Gus Dean and Jacob Heafner in a wreckfest marred by seven cautions, including one on the final lap that secured the win. The win marked Mead’s third checkered flag in four weeks at the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout.

“I knew I had to be patient and earn it, and that’s what I did,” Mead said following the race. “I’m really proud to earn a win at a track like Charlotte Motor Speedway and I’m already looking forward to next week and the rest of the season.”

Nolan Pope, who was penalized for rough driving, finished fifth despite starting at the rear of the field after his involvement in back-to-back cautions on the race’s opening lap.

Giovanni Bromante and runner-up Brodie Pope were the class of the field in the K1 Speed Young Lions division race, combining to lead every lap of the 20-lap feature. After five lead changes, it was Bromante who paced the field for the final 11 circuits to take the checkered flag.

Zack Wells, Ashton Higgins and Braden Langille rounded out the top five, which was extended by two cautions, including a 15-minute red flag while track crews cleaned up oil on the track.

Round 7 proved that there is no such thing as too much Bojangles’ at the of the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout Series, as Bryson Ruff took home the victory in the Bandits division in his lightning-fast Bandolero.

Josh Kossek and William Robusto won their respective heat races early on and had fast cars the entire night, but couldn’t beat down the door of the Bojangles’ No. 24 car of Ruff.

“We had a good heat race, started in a good position, I just drove my way to the front and got a good start,” said Ruff.

Other Tuesday night feature winners include Zack Miracle (Beginner Bandits), Matt Emery (Outlaws) and Scott Whitaker (Masters). The Masters race results remained under review late Tuesday.

Fans can find a free live stream of the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com, USLegendCars.com and GoPRN.com as well as on the US Legend Cars YouTube channel starting at 7 p.m. each night.

Unofficial Results:

Beginner Bandolero Bandits (20 laps): 1. Zack Miracle; 2. Stanley Hayes; 3. Benjamin Johnson; 4. Tyler Bartoszewicz; 5. Adam Eades; 6. Grant Thompson; 7. David Sullivan; 8. Chaney Skylar; 9. Ethan Norfleet; 10. Santiago Hill; 11. Logan Clark; 12. Truett Mirada.

K1 Speed Legend Car Young Lions (20 laps): 1. Giovanni Bromante; 2. Brodie Pope; 3. Zack Wells; 4. Ashton Higgins; 5. Braden Langille; 6. Alex Verhagen; 7. Garrett Manes; 8. Sam Mayer; 9. Vincent Midas; 10. Gracie Trotter; 11. Daniel Wilk; 12. Hailie Deegan; 13. Sammy Smith; 14. Roy Hayes; 15. Austin Greer; 16. Ryan Heim; 17. Josh Stark; 18. Isabella Robusto; 19. Eddie Fatscher.

In Light Wellness Legend Car Pros (25 laps): 1. Stevie Johns Jr.; 2. Chase Purdy; 3. Michael Torres; 4. Jordan Black; 5. Austin Green; 6. Dillon Faggart; 7. Ricky Schick; 8. John Holleman; 9. Alex Pacheco; 10. Dawson Cram; 11. Dillon Spain.

Bandolero Outlaws (20 laps): 1. Matt Emery; 2. Isaak Love; 3. Matthew Davey; 4. Blaise Maddox; 5. Carson Ferguson; 6. Tommy Good; 7. Liz Montgomery; 8. Justin Gareis; 9. Dylan Notaro; 10. Garrett Lowe; 11. Jacob Gantz; 12. Triston Lesik; 13. Jordan Plummer; 14. DJ Canipe; 15. Trevor Wester; 16. Cameron Johnson; 17. Hayden Swank.

AAA Carolinas Legend Car Semi-Pro (25 laps): 1. Matt Mead; 2. Tyler Truex; 3. Gus Dean; 4. Jacob Heafner; 5. Nolan Pope; 6. Grant Winchester; 7. Craig Biryla; 8. Jordan Stillwell; 9. Scott Joy; 10. Jessica Dana; 11. Dustin Rumley; 12. Carson Poindexter; 13. Matt Moermond; 14. Nick Landi; 15. Josh Plummer; 16. Ryo Ogata; 17. Robert Norfleet; 18. Nolan Tretow; 19. Holden German; 20. Jack Fread.

Bandolero Bandits (20 laps): 1. Bryson Ruff; 2. Josh Kossek; 3. Cameron Bolin; 4. William Robusto; 5. Parker Eatmon; 6. Josh Speas; 7. Conner Jones; 8. Landon Rapp; 9. Jaiden Reyna.

Legend Car Masters (25 laps): 1. Scott Witaker; 2. Jeffery Lefcourt; 3. Robbie Faggart; 4. Todd Midas; 5. Mark Green; 6. Timothy Sipes; 7. Carl Cormier; 8. Todd Shockman; 9. Les Miranda; 10. Charles Parker; 11. Bruce Silver; 12. Tom Sherman; 13. Jamie Smith; 14. David Green; 15. Jan Ingram.

TICKETS:
Tickets, which cost only $8 for adults and FREE for kids 13 and under, can be purchased at the gate or in advance by calling 800-455-FANS or online at charlottemotorspeedway.com. Check local Bojangles' locations for a $2 off coupon. Fans can also watch half-hour weekly Bojangles’ Summer Shootout shows on MAVtv.

KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling Bojangles’ Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #LetsBoRacing. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or get all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

-30-