SLINGER – Andrew Morrissey was indignant with Carson Brown for operating him into the wall and wrecking him. Brown was upset with Morrissey for operating him over.
Ty Majeski was mad at Gabe Sommers for rooting him out of the groove and spinning him. Sommers had a unique viewpoint and was not less than as furious; he appeared able to ram Majeski’s automotive, and Majeski was apprehensive about getting jumped within the pits.
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However away from the chaos, out of the crosshairs of any opponents and never irritated with any of them both, was Casey Johnson, proving good guys typically do end first.
Within the forty seventh Slinger Nationals, he scored the largest win of his racing life and within the course of grew to become one of many storied occasions hottest winners.
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
4-time and defending race winner Ty Majeski listens to directions on the drivers assembly earlier than observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
4-time and defending race winner Ty Majeski listens to directions on the drivers assembly earlier than observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Caron Brown sits in his automotive on the scales earlier than observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Kendrick Kryer (66) is a blur as drives off Flip 4 forward of Ty Majeski (91) in observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Driver Derek Thorn talks with inspectors earlier than observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Carson Hocevar will get settled into his automotive for observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Eddie Vanmeter (23) drives off Flip 4 in observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Monitor proprietor Travis Dassow addresses the drivers assembly earlier than observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Derek Kraus (9) leads Luke Fenhaus (4) drives down the entrance stretch throughout observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Derek Thorn (7) enters the monitor for observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Race day at Slinger Speedway’s forty seventh Slinger Nationals
Carson Hocevar (77) drives off Flip 4 in observe on the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
(Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
“It means every part to me,” the sweat-soaked however beaming Johnson mentioned as July 14 crept towards the fifteenth. “I am not gonna lie. There was quite a lot of emotion for me after I crossed that line.
“I’ve completed second on this race earlier than in a automotive that I believed ought to have received this race, and that is a dagger in your again, ?
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“So to have the ability to win one … I am not doing this for that for much longer. Who is aware of how for much longer? However I did not wish to stop with out having this one in my hand.”
The veteran from Edgerton is the consummate, old-school Wisconsin competitor. He works as arduous as anybody and will get extra out of much less. He races the suitable approach. He is affected person and good.
Johnson has been a driver able to profitable races wherever for a decade, give or take. He has Midwest Tour titles, an Oktoberfest 200 win at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway and a Dixieland 250 at Wisconsin Worldwide Raceway.
He is simply straightforward to miss in a state that produces NASCAR champions. It did not assist that he misplaced a season-plus on account of vertigo ensuing from crashes and returned at lower than full power.
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Oh, and as deeply passionate as Johnson is about his sport, he is equally devoted to his household. Johnson’s ladies have fun his wins with vigor.
Casey Johnson celebrates with one among his daughters after profitable the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
There have been hugs throughout on the Slinger Speedway’s entrance stretch. The $20,000 prime prize will go an extended method to serving to him race in 2026, as will a couple of extra thousand in lap chief bonus cash.
The humorous factor about this Nationals characteristic is that for 195 laps of 200, Johnson was by no means within the dialog.
He was, nonetheless, persistent.
“I imply, we had a good automotive,” Johnson mentioned. “We might run top-10 all day, and I knew if I simply stored my nostril in there, stored the automotive clear, that we might do one thing on the finish.
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“I have been within the race so many occasions, and I’ve seen it received by the man that was not purported to win the race. … I wasn’t that man immediately. I shouldn’t have received this race.”
Perhaps Majeski ought to have received.
Already a four-time Nationals winner, Majeski gave the impression to be on his method to turning into the primary driver to repeat since all-time wins chief Matt Kenseth did in 2008 and ’09.
Appears to be like will be deceiving, although. Majeski’s automotive wasn’t as sturdy as his sizable lead made it appear. A warning with 25 laps to go introduced the leaders collectively. He obtained away however not far sufficient, and Sommers closed to his bumper with six laps left. That did not go effectively and a lap later they have been each nonfactors.
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Perhaps Sommers ought to have received.
He had the quickest automotive in time trials after which once more with the checkered flag virtually in sight. That does not matter when the automotive’s parked within the pits, although.
Perhaps Morrissey ought to have received.
Keep in mind, he completed first within the 2024 Nationals, solely to be stripped of the win in postrace inspection. With Majeski and Sommers gone, the door was open till Brown slammed it, and him.
Casey Johnson (5) passes Carson Brown for the lead after a restart with 4 laps to go within the forty seventh Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
Or perhaps Brown ought to have received.
The 18-year-old Richard Childress Racing growth driver beat Majeski when the ASA STARS Nationwide Tour visited in June. His automotive was fast in observe and it got here on within the second 100 laps after he treaded water by means of the primary 100. However Brown drove like a determined 18-year-old when matched up with Morrissey.
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“Warmth will do this to a man,” Johnson mentioned. “We’re combating for our life in there somewhat bit.
“Our vehicles are so shut that you simply’re simply attempting to get 5 inches on a man, each lap once you’re attempting to cross them. Finally you simply wish to loosen them up a bit. And I feel there was quite a lot of that happening.”
However there wasn’t when Johnson lined up apart Brown with 4 laps to go. Brown selected the within lane for the restart, which performed into Johnson’s arms. He obtained the leap, rapidly cleared Brown and pulled out by greater than half a second over Austin Nason on the checkered flag.
The ultimate twist of the night was that Johnson discovered himself thanking Brown. There wasn’t precisely an extended line for that.
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“Really I simply thanked him for racing me clear,” Johnson mentioned. “He might have ran me up. He might have drilled me within the door. He might have finished 1,000,000 various things, however we raced clear.
“We scrubbed somewhat bit coming to the flag, which I used to be completely prepared for, and it was a fantastic race. He is gonna be racing on TV on Sundays right here actual shortly, I am certain. So it is fairly cool to say not less than I beat him within the Nationals although.”
Johnson deserves that a lot.
