La Center Native, Eric Jr Scores Career Best AMSW Finish in THRILLING 3-Wide Finish at Tucson Speedway!
- Eric Jr Racing
- Apr 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 9
This weekend marked an exciting chapter for 22 Year-Old Eric Johnson Jr from La Center, Washington and The Jerry Pitts Racing Team out of Pahrump, Nevada as they competed in the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West race at Tucson Speedway with their No.5 Pacific Office Automation Toyota. After a commendable fifth-place finish in the season opener at Kern Raceway and an 11th place at the combined event in Phoenix, taking 2nd place out of the West Series Entries, Johnson was eager to build on his performance as he took the wheel for the team’s third race of the season.
The weekend kicked off with practice sessions that presented immediate challenges. The team quickly discovered that their car was lacking the speed they had hoped for. “We spent the rest of the first practice session and the majority of the second session on jack stands just game planning for what direction we should go in" Johnson noted. The crew strategized and made significant adjustments, ultimately sending Johnson out in the closing minutes of practice. This effort paid off as he clocked in a lap fast enough to secure the second spot on the time charts to close out practice.
However, further obstacles arose on race day. To the team's surprise, a failure in the ignition/fuel system during qualifying meant Johnson would have to start from the back of the pack. With the assistance of the Jan's Towing Race Team, the crew worked diligently to rectify the issue, allowing Johnson to hit the track with a clear game plan focused on tire conservation—crucial on Tucson Speedway’s notoriously abrasive surface.
The race began as a strategic battle for Johnson. Keeping tire wear in mind, he conserved diligently during the first half, even nearly going a lap down at the instruction of his Crew Chief Dustin Ash, and Spotter, Logan Jewell. “Keep doing what you’re doing, bud. I know it doesn’t feel like it but this is what will win us the race if we play our cards right here. You’re doing exactly what we need you to”, the team said over the radio. As the leaders approached, the team cut Eric loose, stretching the gap until a caution flag relined up the entire field prior to the restart that followed. The team urged him, “Go get me some track position here,” instilling renewed determination in the young driver as he had patiently been waiting for the green light by the team. Johnson responded impressively, working his way to second place and, for the first time in his career, surged into the lead after racing door to door with series Veteran, Trevor Huddleston. Eric went onto lead the race for the next 30 laps.
With only 20 laps remaining, the wear on his tires began to show as expected. The car showed handling issues as it would no longer carry the speed needed in the ideal racing line around the bottom of the track and was sliding up. Eric reduced his pace to conserve any percentage of tire he had left, letting 2nd and 3rd by in the process. With 5 laps to go, Eric's pace suddenly increased just as it looked like he was out of contention for the win. “It was clear it was now or never. I had to find something. I just didn't want to finish and look back knowing I left anything on the table. Especially after making that rookie mistake at Kern that costs us a better finish.” Johnson commented. He strategically sought speed in the only place available—the top groove, where others hadn’t tried for the majority of the event due to its abrasive characteristics. While higher in degrees of banking, most teams new the top groove wasn't an option as it quickly ate up tires. In an electrifying moment, the crowd watched as Eric Jr found himself three-wide with Tanner Reif and Jake Bollman following a full sail dive into turn 3 as they approached the finish line heading into the final lap. "I didn't know what other options I had other than sit back and watch the two battle it out and hope a window opened. The top was covered in marbles so I knew it wasn't going to be comfortable but what other choice did I have?"
Eric shockingly carried the momentum across the line, going three wide into turn one with both leaders. Jr surged forward taking the lead on the top down the backstretch. As Johnson Jr entered the last corner, he pushed his car to the limit. Despite a noticeable effort, the car couldn’t quite handle the load, resulting in a heart-stopping finish where Johnson crossed the line sideways in second, just shy of his first career victory. “You can sit there and think about it a million different ways, but I wasn’t going to leave anything on the table,” he stated. “I’m going to try my hardest for the rest of this year to get [the team] there because they deserve nothing less.”
The win went to Tanner Reif, who, starting from third, surged to the front in the closing laps to secure his third career victory in the West Series. “Eric Johnson wheeled that thing, man. He gave us one great fight," Reif remarked, commending Johnson's performance.
With this race, Johnson has shown not only growth as a driver but also potential for future success in the series. The team may have fell one spot short of the win but that serves only as motivation to improve the next time around. As the ARCA Menards Series West prepares for its next event on May 24 at Colorado National Speedway, the Jerry Pitts Racing Team and Eric Johnson Jr. will undoubtedly aim to build upon their strong showing at Tucson, striving for that elusive win.
“It wasn’t meant to be but our time is coming”, said Eric in his race recap following the event. "I just owe all the credit to our crew, Jerry Pitts, my family, and most importantly our Sponsors; KPS, Pacific Office Automation, Sherwin Williams, Paul Davis, Valleyscapes, and Product41. Without them, I'd never have the opportunity to be here racing for wins in NASCAR", Eric added.
Follow along here or on Eric's social media pages for additional updates.
SERIES STATS IN 2025:
Races: 3
Finishes: 3
Top 5's: 2
Top 10's: 2
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 30
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