Hall of Famer Ronnie Johnson put on a late-race clinic Saturday to overtake David Breazeale with five laps remaining and win the Governor”s Cup at Magnolia Motor Speedway.
The victory helped Johnson become the first repeat winner of the Governor”s Cup.
“We got some lapped cars a little earlier and I had to experiment in some different lines,” Johnson said. “That is the advantage of not being the leader. You can move around and try some of that.”
The ninth-starting Johnson pocketed $5,000 for the 50-lap Professional Racing Organization Dirt Car Series win.
Johnson, of Chattanooga., Tenn., was up to second by a lap-34 caution, setting up a two-car breakaway in the race”s late stages between Johnson and Breazeale, who was running the extreme high line.
“The racetrack started — just started — to streak up a little bit down in the middle, right below the middle with about three laps to go,” Johnson said. “I found that and I was able to inch on by him. I found it at the right time and went on to get the win.”
Johnson finished three seconds ahead of Breazeale, of Four Corners, while early leader Jimmy Cliburn, of Star, was third. Klint Byars, of Carrollton, and third-starting Chase Washington, of Houlka, rounded out the top five.
Dane Dacus of Arlington, Tenn., inherited the pole when Jason Cliburn went to a borrowed car, and he led the first lap before Jimmy Cliburn went ahead a few laps later and built a two-second lead by the eighth lap. Breazeale took second from Dacus on the 15th lap and began tracking down the leader.
Near the halfway point, Breazeale caught Cliburn, but a lap-27 caution put his assault on hold. Johnson was up to third at the yellow, with Byars and Dacus holding top-five positions.
On the restart, Breazeale pulled away, while Johnson dropped Cliburn to third on lap 32.
But Wendell Wallace slowed on lap 34 to erase Breazeale”s lead, and the Breazeale-Johnson breakaway ensued.
Johnson closed in on lap 43. With the frontrunners running side-by-side the next lap, Breazeale nosed Johnson out at the line. Johnson dipped low and vaulted into the lead with five laps remaining, then stretched his margin the rest of the way.
Seven days earlier, Johnson finished sixth in the Southern All Stars event at Magnolia.
NOTES: The event drew 97 race cars in four divisions. … The tour will race Saturday in Eastaboga, Ala., at the Talladega Short Track in a $2,000-to-win event.
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