By Bill W
May 29, 2013 – What had been a struggle at finding balance with the racecar for Wayne Johnson and the Wayne Johnson Racing #77x team seemed remedied with a solid run at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska last Thursday. The team heads out with the World of Outlaws this week. Friday the series hits Attica Raceway Park in Ohio before heading up to I-96 Speedway near Lake Odessa, Michigan on Saturday.
Wayne headed down to the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri last Wednesday for action with the ASCS National Series. He would finish second in his heat. “We’ve been struggling with our balance, which is no secret,” he says. “We went to Valley to kind of experiment with some things. It was a car we ran last year that we haven’t even taken apart.”
The Knoxville, Iowa driver would suffer a DNF in the main event. “We struggled a bit there,” says Wayne. “I ended up hitting a tire and bending a tie rod, so I pulled in during the feature.”
Wayne would start fifth in his heat race at I-80 Speedway on Thursday and work his way to the front before finishing second. “We made a few changes at I-80, and the car was really good,” he says. “The other heat races were run on the bottom, so that’s where I ran. We were able to get to the front, and then (Brian) Brown just found the right place on the racetrack to get by us. I screwed up a little bit there on the last lap and checked up a bit.”
He would run in the top five for most of the main event. “The balance of the racecar was a lot better as far as drivability,” says Wayne. “We changed a few things on the car. We made some adjustments and we were just a little off…mainly because we changed so many things and a few things didn’t jive together. The key is I think we found out what we need going forward.”
Wayne was best with clean air ahead of him, and feels he has a handle on the racecar. “Running by myself, it was best,” he says. “I was able to drive back by some guys that had passed me. I was free on the restarts. Once I got up to speed and got the wing back, I was going well.”
It will be time to hit the road for Ohio tomorrow. “We leave tomorrow morning for Attica,” says Wayne. “We’ll be with the Outlaws pretty much through the King’s Royal. We’ll be picking up two motors this week and we’re excited to get a bunch of races in here the next few months.”
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/#!/
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
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 won the Bud Shootout at US36 Raceway near Cameron, Missouri on June 6, 2003. He registered second quick behind Terry McCarl, who turned the first sub-ten second lap in the history of the high-banked 3/8 mile (9.99). Wayne held off the rest of the field in the feature, driving the Vielhauer #12x. Jesse Hockett was second, followed by Colin Northway, Jesse Giannetto, Skip Jackson and Brian Brown.
Partner of the Week – Canyon Apparel
With over sixteen years of experience in the screen printing industry, Canyon Apparel’s work is of the highest quality you will find anywhere in the country. Although their primary focus is custom racing shirts (sprint cars, midgets, late models and modifieds), they are more than capable of handling other jobs for businesses, events or race track designs. If you would like a quote or just need more information, call them at 866-799-6966 or visit them on the web at www.CanyonApparelPrinting.com!
“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 Johnson Racing would like to thank Vern Rengen and Missile Motorsports, Sebastian Sandblasting & Powdercoating, Williams Motorsports, Outlaw Wings, Team Achieve, The Oil Medics, Smiley’s Racing Products, Hoosier Tire Southwest, Simpson, Butlerbuilt, Super Shox, Maxim, Speedway Motors, Rod End Supply, Schoenfeld Headers, 517 Design and Canyon Apparel.