By Bill Foley
Danny Johnson, otherwise known as “The Doctor,” had one of his best Super DIRTcar Series runs in a long time as he finished fourth in the opening night of the 2023 edition of SummerFAST at the Brewerton Speedway.
He started on the outside of the front row and paced the field for 20 laps before Matt Sheppard got past. He ran second for much of the next third of the event.
However, late in the event, there was contact between eventual winner Mat Williamson and the No. 27J as they battled for the runner-up position. The contact occurred as they entered the third turn. Williamson went low on Johnson, and they banged nerf bars causing Johnson to drift up the track. Williamson drove by for the position.
Under the next caution period, Johnson displayed his displeasure with Williamson as he ran into the rear bumper of Williamson’s Buzz Chew No. 88 several times before the race got back underway.
Williamson went on to take the victory. Williamson was asked about the contact between the pair at the conclusion of the feature.
“I looked up to Danny growing up, and really, I tried to be a lot like him, you know,” said Williamson. “He was aggressive when he needed to be and won a lot of races because of it. I got a good run out of two; I don’t know if he knew I was down there, but it was either hit him or the yuke tire, and I wasn’t gonna hit the tire and ruin my night. So it’s just one of the things.”
Afterwards, “The Doctor” wasn’t really in the mood to talk.
His mind was pretty well preoccupied as Dirt Track Digest attempted to talk to him.
However, pointing to the right front of his car, he said, “He (Mat) drove right through me Bill. The right front is towed right out. So we’ll get him back later.”
Then, as the conversation was about to continue, the Williamson crew (parked next to the 27J) returned from victory lane.
There would be no further interview as Danny verbally expressed his opinion, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mike Mallett contributed to this story.
