By Bill W
March 24, 2010 – Sixty-three of the best in the 360 business may intimidate some, but not Wayne Johnson. Despite a mediocre draw and a run through the B main, he charged from 18th to finish second in the opener for the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas on Friday. It looks like he will have this weekend off of racing and return to the wheel of the Channing Zierolf Motorsports #c41 for some ASCS-Gulf South action on April 2 and 3.
Wayne would start outside row three in a heat that featured some heavy hitters up front. He ended up fourth. “We drew dead middle in the draw,” says the Knoxville, Iowa driver. “It was pretty heavy and hard to pass there in the heat. We gained as much ground as we could and did what we could do.”
The effort wasn’t enough to make the feature, so he posted outside of row one in a B main. He would win it. “We were good there in the B,” he says. “We didn’t change a tire or anything else the whole night long. We just put fuel in it.”
Wayne has always run good at the famous ½ mile oval, and jetted forward from his starting spot outside of row nine. “It was really good in the feature,” he understates. “We had a great start, and I really like that place. I get around there pretty good.”
At one time, he was waging a battle with Danny Wood, who drives the H&H #94, Wayne’s one-time ride. “I went through slidejob after slidejob with Wood,” he says. “That was really about the best race I had.”
The race wouldn’t have been complete without a near-disaster or two. “(Ricky) Logan almost had me in the fence at one point,” says Wayne of his fellow Knoxville resident. “I was on the high side of him coming out of four, and he came my way. I tried to get away from him, but I banged the wall pretty good.”
Battling Brady Bacon for second, Wayne nearly was caught up in lapped traffic. “I was trying to get by Brady Bacon later on there, and there was a lapped car (Michael Lang) on the backstretch,” he says. “I think Brady spooked him, and he got squirrelly in front of me. I didn’t get checked up in time, and I hit him in the tail end and spun him.”
Leader Sammy Swindell had a good lead, but Wayne closed the gap a bit in the last laps. “I could see I was running him down at the end,” he says. “I got within a half a straightaway through traffic.
All in all, it was a great night for Wayne. “Anytime you can run second starting where we started, and lap Gary Wright at the Devil’s Bowl…you’ve got something good going,” he says.
The friendship with the Channing Zierolf #c41 team has been a good one, but Wayne is still looking for something full-time for 2010. “As long as the races are down here in Texas, I can partner with (Zierolf), but once things start getting going North, I’m just out of luck right now,” he admits. “So I’m definitely still looking.”
If you would like to inquire about a partnership with Wayne, you can e-mail him at waynejohnsonracing@yahoo.com.
It looks like the next action for Wayne and the Zierolf team will be April 2 at Golden Triangle Raceway Park near Beaumont, Texas, and at Houston Raceway Park in Baylands, Texas. Both events will pay $3,000 to the winner.
Buy Your ARP Wings from Wayne
Wayne is an ARP Wings dealer located in the Knoxville, Iowa area. Wayne credits the new ARP top wing for his wins at Little Rock and Cowtown. Contact Wayne for your ARP Wing, as he has some special Holiday deals going! ARP Wings – “When Downforce Matters”!
Wayne’s Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
Wayne’s World
Nick Kinkaid asks: I see you have had fellow 360 driver RJ Johnson spinning wrenches for you over the past several months. Does it help to have another driver’s opinion around the car and on the road, as opposed to someone who has never sat in the seat?
Wayne answers: It’s always good to have a second opinion. But I know a lot of guys who have never sat in the seat who have been pretty good.
Wayne’s Fast Facts
When Wayne says “I get around there pretty good”, in reference to the Devil’s Bowl, he’s right. In his last 14 features there, he has missed the top five only four times, and the top ten only twice. His last win came on March 16, 2007 in ASCS action, when he topped DB legend Gary Wright, Jake Peters, Chuck Swenson and Larry Neighbors.
Got a question for Wayne? Each week, Wayne will answer your questions about “Tech Tips”, or anything that’s on your mind. If you ever wondered what a part on a sprint car is all about, send an e-mail to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put “? for Wayne” in your subject line. He’ll try to keep it clean if you do!
“Wednesday’s with Wayne”
“Wednesday’s With Wayne” is an up close look at the past, present and future of colorful and talented sprint car driver Wayne Johnson. You’ll never know what to expect next with Wayne, so don’t miss us on Wednesdays!
To receive “Wednesday’s with Wayne”, send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with “Wayne” in the subject line.
The 2000 ASCS National champion talks it over with defending Lucas Oil ASCS National champion Shane Stewart (Jimmy Jones/Jones Motorsports Media 2010 Photo)