FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASHVILLE, TN (April 21, 2008) – Richard Johns knew he’d have plenty of support from his Sadler-Hamilton Racing team in the NASCAR Camping World East Division season-opening event at Greenville-Pickens Speedway this weekend. What he didn’t know is he’d have a little spiritual help from above in his quest to win the 150-lap event.

“I think I was channeling some of Bobby Sr’s. energy early in the race,” said Johns (above), who wheeled a car once piloted by the late Bobby Hamilton, Sr. to a 14th-place finish in the event.  “I’d been here a couple of times with Bobby, Sr. when he tested and he could get around here fast with a blindfold on. I think I had some of his spirit here with me in the race car tonight. It was a huge honor to drive a car here that was built for and raced by him.”

Johns, along with co-team owner Bobby Hamilton, Jr., debuted the 2008 Sadler-Hamilton Camping World effort with a strong showing in qualifying as Hamilton, Jr. timed in third with a lap of 20.887. Johns, meanwhile, started the event on the venerable Greenville-Pickens half-mile oval from the 15th position after posting a 21.091 clocking in time trials.

“We had a really good car,” said Johns, who went out sixth to qualify in the field of 39 entries attempting to make the 30-car starting field. “I wish we would have had a little later qualifying draw because those who went later in the session definitely had an advantage. Still, the goal was to get in the race on time because we didn’t have any points to fall back on from last year. We did that and I knew from the get go that the car was great because it would turn right around the bottom and get off the corner just about better than anybody.”

With Hamilton, Jr. (right) comfortably running in the Top-5 in the early stages of the race, Johns set sail toward the front quickly marching into the Top-10 by Lap 20. A handful of circuits later, Johns was sitting backwards on the track after being collected in a multi-car spin not of his making.

“I got turned around early and had to go to the back of the pack on the restart,” Johns stated. “That hurt us because we really had to use our stuff up racing through the field back to the front. It was fun passing everybody, but I knew that early spin would probably bite us at the end of the race.”

Now 28th in the running order, Johns again pointed his No. 59 Dodge Charger toward the front. Passing car after car, the 26-year-old Lawrenceville, GA native worked his way up to fifth over the next 60 laps and became the lone Sadler-Hamilton threat to win when Hamilton, Jr. retired from the race with mechanical issues.

“We were really good on the longer runs,” said Johns. “We could drive up to and by the other guys pretty easily. The car was just amazing, Then the bottom kind of fell out on us.”

Johns saw his chances of winning go up in a cloud of tire smoke when contact from behind sent him into a wild 360-degree Turn 4 spin with just over 30 laps remaining. Somehow, Johns was able to gain control of the car and not lose the fifth spot, but the spin, along with the earlier incident and hard charge through the pack, left him with damaged tires for the final chase to the checkered flag.

Despite the handicap, Johns was able to stay in contention for a Top-10 finish and was 10th in a final green-, white-, checkered-flag restart only to get spun again on the final lap resulting in the 14th-place finish, the final car on the lead lap.

“We got spun a couple of times at the end of the race and didn’t get the finish we deserved,” said Johns. “That was unfortunate, but we’ll take this car home, work on it a little, and take it to the next race in Iowa. I’m stoked and ready to go. I wish it was next week instead of a month from now.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton, Jr. was officially credited with 29th in the event won by Peyton Sellers.

“I can’t say enough about our team,” said Sadler-Hamilton crew chief Danny Gill. “We’re a very small team, just five guys including myself, and to bring two cars to the racetrack and have them run as well as they did was a real accomplishment. If Richard (with Hamilton, Jr. below) hadn’t gotten in an early accident, I feel like he would have easily had a Top-5 finish. He definitely had one of the best cars on the track all night long. I was very, very impressed with Richard and how he drove through the field tonight and not even put a scratch on the car. Nobody had anything for him tonight.

“Meanwhile, Bobby. Jr. qualified in the Top-5 and ran well until he had a problem late in the race. I’m disappointed about how some of the guys drove here tonight, but that’s something you put up with when you come to a new series. We just need to learn who we are racing with. We’re going to do that and a lot of testing before we go to Iowa so we can learn more about the Goodyear tires we run in this series. Iowa is a bigger track and there is some aero associated with racing there and that’s an area I am pretty strong in, so I am really looking forward to going there and running well again.”

Johns will next carry the Sadler-Hamilton banner into action at Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA on Sunday, May 18. The event will take the green flag at 7:30 p.m. Central Time.

For more information about Bobby Hamilton, Jr. please log on to www.bobbyhamiltonjr.com. Information about Richard Johns, can be accessed  at www.richardjohns.com.

Sadler-Hamilton Racing is actively seeking marketing partners for its 2008 NASCAR Camping World racing initiatives. For more information as to how to partner with either team, please contact David Johns at 678-758-8885 or at djohns.mms@gmail.com.