Eric Johnson Jr., a 20-year-old from Woodland, battled for a 10th place finish at the ARCA Menards Series at the Portland International Raceway on Friday, June 2.
Johnson said he didn’t have anything to lose before entering the series, which is considered a feeder program into NASCAR’s three national series.
“From the drop of the green flag, we carried our strategy, which was to take care of the car and let the others use their equipment up,” he said in a post-race statement to The Reflector. “This weekend was about logging laps and getting experience in before heading to Sonoma next weekend.”
Johnson plans to keep his momentum going during that race, which he said is special to him.
Johnson lost his grandmother a couple of years ago, but she left him with one request before she died. She encouraged him to race at Sonoma, which was her favorite place. Johnson, who wears a necklace with her ashes in it, will realize that goal on Friday, June 9.
In Portland, Johnson was in seventh place with three laps to go before he ultimately finished in the top 10.
“Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a greater, more humbling experience,” Johnson said in his statement. “This series has some incredible talent and I’m grateful I got the chance to run with them.”
The race at the Portland International Raceway wasn’t a normal left turn race since the track is built more for an IndyCar style of racing, which requires more physical effort.
Johnson said road course racing includes right turns, as well as uphill and downhill portions of the track, and corners that can be taken from a speed of 30 to 160 miles per hour.
The race in Sonoma will also be a road course race, which will then be followed by his final two races with his team this season.
Johnson was given the opportunity to race in the NASCAR-style circuit under Bill McAnally Racing, of California. This year, he is driving the number 19 car in the ARCA Menards Series.
Driving on a road course is a physically demanding sport, Johnson said.
“People obviously see the driving portion, the drivers and they’re moving the wheel, moving the pedals, grabbing gears and going over bumps,” Johnson said. “There’s no soft suspension in these cars. They’re built for speed, so everything rattles your teeth out of your face.”
On a warm, 80-degree day, the temperature inside the driver’s cabin can reach 130 degrees, since the transmission is under the driver and the motor heats up.
“So not only are you baking in an oven, you’re trying to do it while focusing on racing 160 miles an hour inches from other drivers,” Johnson said. “It’s the physical demand and the mental demand. … It’s pretty insane how much work goes into being capable of running.”
Johnson’s next three races in the ARCA Menards Series include Sonoma on Friday, June 9, an RC Late Model race in Portland on July 8 and July 9, and a Super Late race at Mission Valley on July 15.
Johnson can be found on Instagram by searching @ericjr.rac ing and on Facebook under Eric Jr Racing.
