March 8, 2017 – Wayne Johnson and the Two-C Racing #2c sprint car team were poised for a strong top ten run with the World of Outlaws Friday night at Lonestar Speedway near Kilgore, Texas. That, of course, was before something punctured the radiator and sidelined the Oklahoma City driver. The team is now focused on the Lucas Oil ASCS National opener at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, March 17 and 18.
Wayne had an opportunity to practice at Lonestar last Wednesday. “Practice really helped us a lot,” he says. “We were able to unload and we were able to know what to expect.”
The speed was there, but an early draw was tough on a track that lent more speed as time trials went on. “The car was really good,” says Wayne. “We were as good as we’ve been in a long time. The racetrack sped up during qualifying and we were in the first half. I think we were fourth quick at the time we went out, but we ended up 12th.”
Wayne would start fourth in his heat. “We were running third and we had a yellow,” he says. “Brady (Bacon) slid us and that held us up for a couple of laps. I was able to run Brad Sweet down at the end, but we couldn’t quite get second, or else we’d have had a Dash spot.”
Wayne started ninth in the feature, and ran well early on. “We were riding around there eighth or ninth,” he says. “About halfway through the race, something went through the radiator. It knocked a big hole in the radiator, so instead of burning it up, we pulled it in.”
He was encouraged by how well the 410 ran the first time out in 2017. “This is the same motor we won at Burlington at a couple years back with the NSL,” says Wayne. “It doesn’t make a ton of power, but it was good for us at the Nationals last year too. We won the B main there.”
Wayne and the team are now focused on the Devil’s Bowl. “Of course, we usually run well there,” he says. “It’s been like my home track almost since I began racing. We’re looking forward to getting the ASCS season started there.”