Bill W,Tim Aylwin photo
October 26, 2011 – Wayne Johnson picked up season win #8, and his 31st career ASCS National win last Friday night at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. The Knoxville, Iowa driver is no stranger to Victory Lane at the famous ½-mile banked oval. This weekend he seeks a second Short Track Nationals title at the ¼-mile I-30 Speedway near Little Rock, Arkansas.
A wet track greeted Wayne and the other 54 competitors on Friday night. “It was real slimy,” he says of a heat run that saw him start fourth and finish second. “We were lucky to get second to be honest. Dustin Morgan kind of jumped the start in front of us, and I went with him. It worked out in our favor.”
The track only got heavier as feature time approached and it didn’t stop there. Wayne would have to start outside of row four. “It was really locked-down heavy for the feature,” he says. “We loosened the car up…I mean a bunch. Our car was good in the feature. We were waiting for the other guys to get tight, and that’s what happened.”
It was a slow but steady progression, and he took the lead from Sam Hafertepe Jr. when he pushed up the track on lap 21. “I was fifth by the first lap, and then I kind of worked my way up,” he says. “I think it took us until about the 20th lap to get out front. Our car was just that good. We definitely had the horsepower we needed.”
Track conditions went the other way for Saturday’s finale, when Wayne drew a starting spot inside of row two. “The second night was so rubber-down…it was ridiculous,” he admits. “Our tire was going flat from the get-go. The bleeder was hung open. I was tight right from the get-go.”
Wayne rode inside the top five, until the very last lap, when the tire finally gave way. “We would have made it, but we had the caution there with four to go,” he says. “The tire went way down…not all the way but enough. We were fifth at that point, and we were going to finish there. Coming into turn three on the last lap…that’s when it blew out.”
The 1997 Short Track Nationals Champion is looking forward to this weekend’s event. “We’ve always been pretty good there,” he says. “I’ve got more equipment than I’ve had in a couple of years. We’ve got a couple of motors, and a new Maxim car coming. I think we have a good shot at it.”
The eighth win of the year came at a good time. It marked the third ASCS National win of the year, and also included have been several podium finishes. “We’ve had a pretty successful year with all the jumping around we’ve done,” says Wayne. Even when we weren’t winning, we were running well. I don’t know how many seconds we have to add to our eight wins, but it’s quite a few. It’s been alright.”
Check Out Wayne’s New Outlaw Wing in Little Rock!
Check out the new “recessed rivet” design put out by Outlaw Wings this weekend in Little Rock. The #77x will be sporting the new air foils. Talk to Wayne about purchasing Outlaw Wings for your car! Outlaw Wings – “When Downforce Matters”!
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Wayne’s Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
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 World
Bill W asks: What do you think of your chances at winning a second Short Track Nationals this year?
Wayne answers: I think we’ve got a good shot. We’re practicing tonight to test a few things. Outlaw Wings has some brand new wings that have recessed rivets. We’re putting those on, and we’re going back to what we ran a few years ago. This will be a dish wing, and we’ll test some things with that.
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 has made twelve finales at the Short Track Nationals for six different owners. He’ll try to put his own car in the show this year for the first time. He has eight top ten finishes. He won in 1997 with Bobby Sparks (91), was second in 2009 for Al Christoffer (14AJ), finished third in 1994 in the Grabel #24, was sixth in 2003 for Donnie Cooper (01) and was seventh in 2002 and eighth in 1999 for Fred & Jo Threatt (29). He also qualified the Hammers #94 for the finale in 2008 before dropping out. He also scored preliminary wins in 1997 and 2009.
“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.