By Bill W
August 15, 2012 – There’s no rest after the Knoxville Nationals for driver, Wayne Johnson and the Wayne Johnson Racing #77x team. After being rained out last night in Humboldt, Kansas with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series, it’s on to Salina, Kansas tomorrow night and then a pair of stops in Oklahoma this weekend. His Nationals ended with a 15th place run in the B main Saturday.
The draw bit Wayne on his qualifying night Thursday. He would time in 25th of the 50 cars to take time. “It wasn’t bad for coming out close to last,” he says. “The car just wasn’t great all week with the 410. We were just off. It got a little better, but we were way off, and I don’t know why.”
After finishing third in his heat and locking into the prelim feature, he would run 19th. “We just haven’t had a lot of time on these Goodyears,” says Wayne. “The handling was off. The new tires we were using weren’t the same as the ones we won on earlier this year. That had us scrambling a little bit.”
Typically, that would have landed Wayne in Saturday’s B main, but a new Friday format threw him back into Friday’s program with 66 other cars, and a fresh start. “We had a right rear tire on Friday night in qualifying that shook so much, we just took it off (he timed in 23rd),” he says. “Both nights we were able to get to clean air. At least on Friday night (he won from the pole).”
With the top four in the feature heading to Saturday’s A, the Knoxville, Iowa driver would checker 13th and start 19th in Saturday’s b. “I kind of like the new format, but at the end of the day, it put us back in the same spot,” says Wayne. “We were going to be in the middle of the B after points, and we ended up in the same exact spot. So the format didn’t affect us that much.”
Wayne would advance to 15th in Saturday’s B main. “We were a little better, but it wasn’t great,” he says. “At least we passed a few cars on Saturday. We just struggled with it all week. We got a little better, but we still weren’t good.”
Tomorrow night the ASCS National series hits the Salina Speedway in Salina, Kansas. On Friday, they move on to the Creek County Speedway near Sapulpa, Oklahoma and on Saturday, they are at Lawton Speedway near Lawton, Oklahoma.
Follow Updates on Facebook!
Wayne will update as his race night goes on at his Facebook page. Find it by searching for Wayne Johnson Racing or clicking the following link…
http://www.facebook.com/#!/WayneJohnsonRacing
Outlaw Wings – “The Wing with an Attitude”!
Check out the new “recessed rivet” design put out by Outlaw Wings. Talk to Wayne about purchasing Outlaw Wings for your car! Outlaw Wings – “The Wing with an Attitude”!
Wayne’s World
John Oswald Asks: What’s it going to take to win the ASCS National title?
Wayne Answers: We just have to keep doing what we’re doing and hope for a little luck. Things have to go our way. The main thing is just winning races. The other key is just being consistent, like we have been all year long. It will all shake out in the end. Someone said we are David against Goliath. That’s alright. It will make it all better if we can do it.
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 made six straight A main appearances from 2003-2008. Donny Schatz, Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Terry McCarl and Shane Stewart were the only other drivers to qualify for that honor in those years.
Partner of the Week – Speedway Motors
Speedway Motors is America’s Oldest Speed Shop® and has been a trusted source for specialty rodding and racing products and friendly expert advice for 60 years. Founded in 1952 by “Speedy” Bill Smith – a racer and street rodder himself – Speedway Motors has grown from a one-man operation to become the world’s largest manufacturer, distributor and retailer of street rod and racing products. Our industry-leading fast delivery is the result of same-day shipping from our state-of-the-art, centrally located 500,000 sq. ft. headquarters. Speedway Motors size offers customers unmatched product selection and low pricing, while our excellent technical support and customer service have made us a recognized leader in the rodding and racing industries. Visit them on the web at www.SpeedwayMotors.com!
“Wednesday’s with Wayne”
“Wednesday’s With Wayne” is an up close look at the past, present and future of colorful andtalented 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 Johnson Racing would like to thank Vern Rengen and Missile Motorsports, Sebastian Sandblasting & Powdercoating, City Vending, Outlaw Wings, Team Achieve, The Oil Medics, Century Signs, Smiley’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tire Southwest, Simpson, Butlerbuilt, Super Shox, Maxim, Speedway Motors, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers and RCM Design.