By Bill W
January 12, 2011 – After a season cut short by injury in 2010, Wayne Johnson is ready to go full speed ahead in the New Year. The only problem with being ready is the lack of a sprint car ride! This week, he’ll put that search on the backburner, as he takes on 260 or so midgets in the Chili Bowl at the Tulsa Expo Center in his home state.
Wayne will pilot the (Jack) Yeley Racing Enterprises Spike Chassis with Fontana power. Dooling Machine, Schoenfeld Headers and Ron Davis Radiators will sponsor the mount. “Jack, along with Joe Dooling of Dooling Heating…they are making this possible,” says Wayne. “Joe has been with Jack for a long time. Jack normally rents these midgets out for the Chili Bowl; so for him to ask me to drive it for free means a lot.”
Hot laps on Monday afforded the Knoxville, Iowa resident some laps on the tricky oval in anticipation of his Thursday qualifier. “It’s a very good car,” says Wayne. “It’s the first time I’ve driven a Fontana motor, and I was impressed with it. We got two hot lap sessions in, and the first time out I was rusty. The second time out, I felt better, but the team thought I was better the first time, so I think we’re both ready for Thursday.”
Wayne has shown in the past that it takes him little time to adjust to different equipment on the racetrack. Chili Bowl fans who saw him for the first time in 2006 can attest to that. He made the main event the hard way…from the F feature. “I feel good about it,” he says of his chances. “Like I said, I was a bit rusty in the midget, but we’re going to get better every time we hit the track.”
Swindell, Coons, Hines, Buckwalter, McCreadie, Jones and Leffler are just a few of the names Wayne will have to deal with on Thursday. “We’ve got a pretty good night,” he says. “Sammy (Swindell), Jerry Coons Jr…there are several heavy hitters. We’ll give it a go. You always need a little luck too.”
Wayne could use a whole lot more luck on the sprint car front for 2011. “We’ve really got nothing going on,” he says. “I really don’t have a clue what we’re going to do. Even with my own stuff, if we don’t have any help, we’re going to sit idle.”
It’s hard to believe someone with the successful track record Wayne has in a sprint car in both a 360 and 410 could be sitting this season, but reality is setting in. He is flexible in that he is willing to drive for someone else, or partner up with someone wanting in on the sport. “I’m looking for a good ride, or a partner to hook up with us on our stuff,” he says. “As of right now though, we don’t have a thing.”
Wayne is still looking for a permanent home in a sprint car. If you would like to inquire about a partnership with Wayne, you can e-mail him at waynejohnsonracing@yahoo.com.
Big Sale on T-Shirts!
Wayne Johnson Racing has a variety of 2010 apparel and it is ALL on sale! $10 for t-shirts, hats, women and kids’ shirts and more! E-mail WayneJohnsonRacing@yahoo.com to place your order!
Buy Your Outlaw Wings from Wayne
Wayne is an Outlaw Wings dealer located in the Knoxville, Iowa area. Wayne credits the new Outlaw top wing for his 2009 wins at Little Rock and Cowtown. Contact Wayne for your Outlaw Wing, as he has some special Holiday deals going! Outlaw Wings – “When Downforce Matters”!
Wayne’s Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
Wayne’s World
Charlie Ellis asks: What is something during the Chili Bowl that a new fan shouldn’t miss?
Wayne answers: It’s such a good race; you just don’t want to miss any of it. You don’t want to miss a lap, because you never know what’s going to happen…and it happens in a hurry, lap to lap and race to race.
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!
Wayne’s Fast Facts
Wayne arrived at his first Chili Bowl back in 2006 with style. After struggling from C to B in his preliminary, he would start Wayne Simmons #F5 in Saturday’s F Feature where he finished third. He proceeded to run the alphabet from the E (4th), D (3rd), C (5th) and B (5th). Finally his luck ran out as he dropped out with a 23rd place finish in the championship race, and a good night’s sleep followed.
“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.
Wayne would like to thank the following for making this possible: E-Rate Complete, Iroquois Poker, Townline Variety, Ohsweken Speedway, Brett Smith Motorsports, FattFro Motorsports, The Oil Medics, Outlaw Wings, Stone Mountain, Butlerbuilt, Hoosier, Schoenfeld Headers and Cooper Racing Enterprises.