Johnny Scott’s Seesaw Season Had More Ups Than Downs
Johnny Scott’s Seesaw Season Had More Ups Than Downs
Johnny Scott made limited starts in 2017 and he was not infallible, but he had more ups than downs to qualify for the Flo 50.
As one of the more affordable disciplines of racing, Dirt Modifieds have flourished in the Southeast. Tracks like the former USA Raceway Park in Tucson, AZ and Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, NM spawned some of the top drivers in this field. In the past few year, Johnny Scott, along with his twin brother Stormy, RC Whitwell, and Jake Neal grabbed ahold of the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) and began showing the Midwestern drivers just how competitive they could be.
Scott did not run for the USMTS points championship last year, but he was a factor more often than not in 2017. He made only 29 races at the top level of this series last year, but earned enough percentage points to be included Flo 50 with more strong than weak runs. Nearly two-thirds of his 29 attempts landed in the top-10; 12 of those 19 single digit results were top-fives and two were victories against some of the toughest competition the series has to offer.
Scott’s first win came early in the season when he beat Ryan Gustin, Jason Hughes, and Cade Dillard across the line in night one of the Cajun Clash at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian. LA. A little more than a week later, he was back in Victory Lane in night two of the Sooner Showdown at Southern Oklahoma Speedway in Ardmore.
Scott’s Achilles Heel was that when he missed the top 10, it was often by a fairly wide margin. His win in the Cajun Clash was followed by two results at the very back of the A-Main. After winning the Sooner Showdown’s second night, he finished 15th in the finale, but he rebounded at the end of the season with five top-10s in the final seven races.
Notably, his season ended with a three-day show at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS. He finished with two top-10s and a 24th in the Park City Classic. If he can put together a complete event, he might be even higher on the 2018 list.
Flo 50
| Rank | Driver | % Points | Wins | Top-5s | Top-10s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Johnny Scott | 75.00 | 2 | 12 | 19 |
| 41 | Don O'Neal | 76.47 | 5 | 27 | 37 |
| 42 | Stewart Friesen | 76.41 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
| 43 | Jimmy Owens | 76.95 | 3 | 25 | 34 |
| 44 | Shane Stewart | 76.65 | 8 | 28 | 55 |
| 45 | Brian Brown | 75.30 | 3 | 22 | 28 |
| 46 | Rick Eckert | 75.25 | 3 | 17 | 30 |
| 47 | Freddie Rahmer, Jr. | 75.11 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| 48 | Ryan Smith | 75.01 | 3 | 13 | 32 |
| 49 | Bobby Pierce | 74.99 | 1 | 7 | 17 |
| 50 | Lucas Wolfe | 74.20 | | 11 | 22 |
*Percentage points utilize the baseline belief that a win is a win in the major series covered. One hundred points is awarded to first and the points decrement below that as a percentage of the field. For example, in a 25-car field, each position behind the winner is worth four fewer points. In races with incredibly large fields, the points decrement to a less extreme degree. A 50-car field decrements two points per position, and drivers earn points even if they fail to make the A-main.