FAYETTEVILLE, GA - The top United Sprint Car Series Rookie
of the Year candidate, 16-year-old R.J. Johnson is moving. He will leave Wesley Chapel, FL and give up his spot as a member of the Florida "Fountain of Youth Gang" and move to Decatur, TN to become "The Decatur Raider."

Johnson will take his fourth place in the USCS National
point standings and compete at his new "home track" this Friday night when the USCS Outlaw Thunder Dirt Tour visits Crossville's Raceway USA in Crossville, TN.

"In traveling with USCS with my Mom and Dad, we've got to
see a lot of the Southeast, and we really like East Tennessee," Johnson said. "It's a beautiful part of the country, the people are really nice, and it gets us more centrally located to travel the USCS Tour. We unloaded the race car at a car wash in Decatur, and I think half the town came out to see it. They were really interested in it."

Decatur is located between Chattanooga and Knoxville in East
Tennessee, right in the heart of dirt late model country. A winged outlaw sprint is a completely different type of race car. It doesn't resemble anything that drives around on the street. It's a pure race car; single seat, and open-wheels with no fenders.

Pound-for-pound, a winged outlaw sprint car is the most
powerful short track racing car in the world. They weight 1,300 pounds, and are powered by 700 horsepower, fuel-injected, methanol burning V-8 engines. The wings on the top and at the top of the race car give it maximum traction to the point a driver can negotiate the turns on a dirt track without lifting off the throttle.

The breathtaking speed and quick handling of a sprint car
also make them one of the most dangerous race cars in the world. A sprint car can be intimidating to even the most experienced race car driver. So, what makes a youngster Johnson's age want to drive a sprint car? He comes by it naturally.

Johnson's father, Roland Johnson, was one of the top winged
outlaw sprint car drivers for many years in Florida. R.J. grew up going to sprint car races, and began working on them when most kids were still playing with Hot Wheels.

"I was always along side my Dad working in the shop on his
sprint car as far back as I can remember, but he always had enough help when he got to the track," R.J. said. "You had to be 16 to get in the pits, but when I was 10 or 11, I knew the guy that worked at the local track, and he always let me in. Since my Dad had enough help, I would always help other guys with their sprint cars."

At an age when most kids can only dream about becoming a
winged outlaw sprint car driver by pretending to be one on their bicycle or go-kart, 12-year-old R.J. was strapping into his Dad's sprint car to give it a try.

"They had a practice day at East Bay Raceway in Tampa, FL,
and my Dad decided to let me try driving," R.J. said. "I was anxious at first, but about 10 minutes before I did it, a really got nervous. I had seen them race all of my life and I thought it would be easy. It was nothing like what I expected.

"I thought I was flying, but then a couple of cars would go flying by me, and then a couple of laps later, they would come around and fly by me again," R.J. said. "I gained a whole new respect for sprint cars and sprint car drivers. I swore I would never complain to my Dad again about his driving!"

It was almost four years later before R.J. would return to
the seat of a Sprint Car. Just before his 16th birthday, Johnson made his USCS debut on July 4 in Hartwell, GA. He ran nine races during the second half of the USCS season, with a pair of 15th place finishes his best showings. For 2004, Roland retired as a driver to help his son R.J. reach his racing goals.

As he gets ready to begin his Senior year at Meigs County
High School in Decatur, TN in August, Johnson is reaching his short term goals in a big way.

"Our goal for 2004 was to win the USCS Rookie of the Year
title, and I think we're going to accomplish that," Johnson said. "I
learning a lot racing against guys like Terry Gray and Kenny Adams. We're getting better, and I started racing the asphalt tracks too this season. I'm really getting a handle on how to set up a car, but I still have a lot to learn about engines. Right now, though, I'm a pretty good air filter cleaner!"

In 16 USCS starts in 2004, Johnson is fourth in the National
point standings with four top ten finishes, and a highest finish of eighth on the asphalt last Saturday night in Montgomery, AL. USCS is the only winged outlaw sprint car series in the country that runs both dirt and asphalt tracks. This should help Johnson reach the long term goals of his career.

"I'd like to challenge for the USCS championship next
season, and eventually move up to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Tour," Johnson said. "I'd like to eventually go on to the Indy Racing League and race in the Indianapolis 500. I know a lot sprint car driver are looking to move up to NASCAR, and a lot of NASCAR owners are looking at sprint car drivers for new talent, but I don't want to race anything with fenders on it."

Johnson is a part of a "youth movement" in USCS. Danny "The
Hammer" Martin Jr. of Sarasota, FL is second in USCS National points, and the 18-year-old driver has one USCS victory this season. Tom Winegardner Jr. of Pierson, FL is a 19-year-old culinary arts student during the week, and the sixth-place driver in USCS National points on the weekends.


Terry Gray of Bartlett, TN is the USCS National point leader
with four wins this season looking for his fourth-straight championship. Kenny Adams of Malabar, FL is third in USCS National points with seven wins. The "Malabar Missile" is the winningest winged outlaw sprint car driver in the nation since 2000 with 104 victories.

These two veterans are the "Top Guns" of USCS, but they are
aware that the kids are gaining experience.

At Crossville's Raceway USA on Friday night, the USCS Outlaw
Thunder Dirt Tour will compete in the Air Flow Research Power Dash, heat races, a consolation race, and a 30-lap main event. The race will carry National, Outlaw Thunder Dirt Tour, and Sunbelt Tour points for USCS competitors. Winged outlaw sprint car drivers from eight states are expected.

The pit gate will open at 2 p.m., the grandstand gate opens
at 5 p.m., hot laps are set for 6:30 p.m. and racing is scheduled for 7 p.m. The UMP Modified, Sportsman, Street Stock, Mini Stock, Front-Wheel Drive, and Cruiser Divisions will also be in action on the 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval.



For more information call Crossville's Raceway USA at (931) 456-5000, or visit the track web site at www.crossvilleracewayusa.com. Crossville's Raceway USA is located five miles west of Crossville, TN on U.S. Highway 70N.







PHOTO CUTLINES: R.J. Johnson of Decatur, TN wheels his Race Wear/Pin Rings
J&J/ZRE. The 16-year-old United Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year point
leader will compete at his new home track, Crossville's Raceway USA in
Crossville, TN this Friday night. (Johnson Motorsports Photo) R.J. Johnson
head shot (Larry Sams Photo)






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