Wayne in action at Knoxville (Danny Howk Photo)
(Bill W) April 20, 2016 – Wayne Johnson and the Two-C Racing team are pumped about this weekend’s doubleheader with the World of Outlaws at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas. The Oklahoma City driver led much of one of the WoO shows at the famous half-mile in 2014 before a mechanical failure. Last Saturday night, he ran a strong sixth in the 410 main event at Knoxville Raceway despite a tire low on air.
Wayne timed in seventh quick in the 31-car field at Knoxville and started fourth in his heat. “It was little slow going in the heat,” he says. “It had been awhile since we’d been to Knoxville and run a 410. It was about halfway through the heat that I figured out what I was doing wrong. We ended up third.”
An invert of six for the main event put Wayne on the pole. “Backing up is never good,” he says. “We got a good start the first time they threw the green, but they brought that one back. I spun the tires the second time and fell back to fourth right away. We were able to race back to third.”
He would hold his own for a while, but a situation arose with a tire and he would checker sixth. “On the restarts, we just got worse,” says Wayne. “The left rear tire was slowly going flat. I just kept getting tighter and tighter. We’ll take sixth place finish though in our first 410 race with our new Eagle cars. I felt pretty happy about the night overall.”
The team hustled to the Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia Sunday for a day race with the ASCS-Warrior region. Wayne would start fourth in his heat. “We were running second, and really that’s all I needed to make the redraw,” he says. “They had a caution, and I made a dumb decision. I had been running the bottom of one and two and I’d missed it a couple laps. The leader had gotten away from me. I thought I needed to be a half a tire width lower. I ran in there and hit one of the grader mounds of dirt on the infield. It ripped the front end out from under me. I was going so fast, it backed me into the fence.”
The team went to work to get ready for the feature, and would salvage a seventh place finish. “We practically had to rebuild the car to start 20th in the feature,” says Wayne. “We really weren’t that good. It was rubber down, and starting back there, we didn’t put new tires on. Going from 20th to seventh looks a lot better on paper than what it was. But on a rubber-down racetrack, what would you expect?”
Wayne will race his next four events with the Outlaws before returning to Knoxville on April 30. “We go good at the Bowl, so we’re excited to get back there,” he says of this weekend. “A couple of years ago, we led the Outlaw show about ¾ of the race before our nozzle line got knocked off. Then we’ll run with them in Little Rock (Tuesday) and the Salina Highbanks (April 29).”
Follow Updates on Facebook!
Wayne will update as his race night commences 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 Fast Facts
Wayne found Victory Lane at the 34 Raceway in 2010, driving Dale Oaks #41 against the Sprint Invaders. After starting in row six, he battled with Jerrod Hull and Matt Sutton for the lead. In the end he would finish first ahead of Sutton, Bobby Mincer, Hull and Donnie Steward.
Partner of the Week – Speedway Graphics
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"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!
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Wayne Johnson Racing would like to thank partners, Todd Carlile, Outlaw Wings, City Vending and product sponsors The Oil Medics, Sebastian Sandblasting & Powdercoating, Rod End Supply, Astro Titanium, Schoenfeld Headers, Simpson, Butlerbuilt, Xtreme Accu-Tach, Weld Wheels, Slade Shocks, Kustom Sprint Car Supplies, Fisher Racing Engines, Speedway Graphics and Canyon Apparel.
Photo: Wayne in action at Knoxville (Danny Howk Photo)
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