Rough Night For Godfather Motorsports At South Boston

Johnson spun early and never recovered

Jerick Johnson and the KOMA Unwind Chevrolet team suffered through their first “off night” of the 2013 season Saturday at the history South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va., battling handling issues, on-track contact and Mother Nature en route to a disappointing, 24^th-place finish.

“We tried something that just didn’t work,” admitted crew chief Jim Gallison, Jr. “And after qualifying in the second-half of the field, things went steadily downhill from there.”

In the opening laps of the main event, a multi-car, fourth-turn crash left the track essentially blocked, forcing Johnson and two other cars to take evasive action by steering down pit road. Despite not being a part of the crash, the KOMA Unwind car was placed at the rear of the field by series officials for the restart. Battling an ill-handling chassis, Johnson managed to pass a handful of cars in the ensuing laps, before being hit from behind by another car and spinning in the second turn. The caution flag never flew for that incident and Johnson was lapped by the leaders while attempting to re-fire the car.

“I don’t know why they didn’t throw the yellow,” said Johnson afterward. “Rain was on the way, and I guess they wanted to keep the race rolling, but it sure ruined our day.”

A trio of pit stops for handling adjustments left Johnson multiple laps down, and when light rain began to fall, causing a number of on-track incidents, the KOMA Unwind team decided to pull behind the wall, rather than risk wrecking the car.

“There wasn’t much reason to risk it,” said Johnson. “We might have gained three or four spots by finishing the race, but we also could have lost a race car. We’ll regroup and come back in two weeks at Caraway.”

Next up for the KOMA Unwind/Godfather Motorsports team is a special Friday night event at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, NC, on Friday night, May 24.

1. #25 - Ross Kenseth - 142 Laps 2. #31 - Kyle Grissom - 142 3. #4 - Jay Fogleman - 142 4. #26 - Preston Peltier - 142 5. #29 - Kyle Moon - 142 6. #05 - Alex Fleming - 142 7. #39 - Kenzie Ruston - 142 8. #129 -Spencer Davis - 142 9. #47 - Trey Mitchell - 142 10. #104 - Kevin Powell - 142 11. #8f - Tate Fogleman - 142 12. #2 - Trevor Noles - 140 13. #48 - John Batten - 140 14. #57 - Cole Timm - 135 15. #14 - Clete Caywood - 133

16. #98 - Jody Measamer - 133 17. #13 - Joe Ryan Osbourne - 131 18. #97 - Brandon Lynn - 118 19. #62 - Brandon Ward - 115 20. #33 - Roger Lee Newton - 111 21. #41 - David Quackenbush - 77 22. #5t - Tim George, Jr. - 76 23. #8 - Joseph Mursuli - 57 24. #30 - Jerick Johnson - 56 25. #45 - Mark Beard - 54 26. #5 - Bobby Gower - 54 27. #5w - Spencer Wauters - 49 28. #18 - Bill Catania - 48 29. #50 - Karl Weber - 36

About Godfather Motorsports – Godfather Motorsports is owned by Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio personality Dave Moody and enjoys major sponsorship from Bebida Beverage Company’s KOMA Unwind "Liquid Relaxation" drink. The team also boasts a comprehensive list of technological and marketing partners that includes Eibach Springs, ASM Graphics, Race 101, CV Products, ARBodies and Phantom Racing Gear. For additional information on the team and marketing opportunities with Godfather Motorsports, contact Dave Moody -- mrnturn1@hotmail.com. Visit the Godfather Motorsports website at www.GodfatherMotorsports.com.

About KOMA Unwind -- Developed by BeBevCo., KOMA Unwind relaxes those who drink it; improving the duration and quality of their sleep with both flair and favor. KOMA Unwind is formulated to relax the body, mind and soul. It is the perfect lifestyle beverage for those who want to reduce stress and anxiety, and get a great night's sleep. The relaxation or "anti-energy" drink category is fairly new to the beverage industry. KOMA Unwind is dedicated to helping consumers achieve a level of relaxation without the use of pills or alcohol, fueling a "relaxation revolution" of consumers determined to chill without a pill. Unite with KOMA Unwind for its "relaxation revolution" by joining us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/KOMAUnwind) and following us on Twitter @KOMAUnwindNews.

About POW*MIA Awareness – Godfather Motorsports is proud to support the POW*MIA Awareness Campaign. Driver Jerick Johnson has long been an advocate for veterans’ rights and the United States military. He is a five-time Distinguished Guest of the American Legion National Convention and has earned numerous awards from other veterans’ organizations. Promoting and increasing public awareness of the POW*MIA issue has become his main goal. `Prisoner Of War: Missing in Action’ refers to any soldier taken prisoner by the opposing side during an action of war. It is not always known whether that solider is alive or dead, only that they are missing. Our goal is to remind our fellow Americans that the greatest tragedy of all is to be forgotten, and honor those who have given so much. Jerick thanks Godfather Motorsports for the opportunity to help increase awareness of this issue by carrying the POW*MIA logo on the No. 30 KOMA Unwind Chevrolet.