Wednesdays with Wayne – “King of the 360’s” Again! (Bill W) February 26, 2014 – After a tough 2013 season, Wayne Johnson and the #77x team got what they needed to build some early momentum for 2014. The Knoxville, Iowa driver knocked off a pair of wins including the $10,000 finale at the Ronald Laney Memorial “King of the 360’s” at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Florida. The team has traveled across the country for this weekend’s two-night ASCS event at the Cocopah Speedway near Yuma, Arizona. Things started Thursday night at East Bay. Wayne drew a heat starting spot in the fifth row, but surged through the field, ending up third. “It was slick in the heats, and we were able to get up through there,” he says. “That was a real key for us on Thursday.” The redraw saw Wayne start outside row two of the preliminary main event. “I knew that the track would be taking rubber, so I knew that I needed to get to the lead,” he says. “I tried to hard, and bounced right off the fence. That knocked the jacob’s ladder off. We fell back to fourth behind Russ Hall and Danny Smith. I was able to get back by them and finish second. Russ said he was waiting for the yellow to come out after I hit the fence and here I came back by him!” Starting sixth in Friday’s preliminary heat, it looked like Wayne would have his work cut out for him. “We were up to fourth and we really weren’t going anywhere,” he says. “Then (Greg) Hodnett broke, which gave me third and got me into the redraw (where he drew outside row one for the feature). That was kind of lucky, because otherwise we would have been towards the back of the feature.” Track officials were expecting rain and kept the track sealed until early evening. Starting up front became an advantage for Wayne in the main event. “It really looked like it was going to rain, and they didn’t touch the track until 5:00,” he says. “For what they dealt with, they did a good job. There wasn’t rubber until the feature, and we were where we needed to be to capitalize. Danny Wood and I started on the front row, and he slid in front of me at the end of the front straightaway. The car was so good that I was able to turn and drive right back under him. From there, we led every lap!” The win put Wayne up front for Saturday’s $10,000 to win main event. The track was in good shape. “It really was almost too good…maybe too sticky,” he says. “There wasn’t a whole lot of room to pass, which was o.k. with me starting on the front row!” Wayne led every lap, but had some company in Rico Abreu. “I knew Rico was fast,” he says. “He and I were the only ones in hot laps in the twelve-second range. I knew he was the guy I had to beat and he started right behind me. It was a good race. He pretty much pressured me the whole time.” Late in the race, tire issues surfaced, but Wayne held on. “They had a restart with fourteen to go,” he says. “I could tell something was wrong with the car. We had another one with seven to go, and my left rear was going flat. With a couple of laps to go, it started vibrating. I’m not sure we would have made it much further. I don’t know how it stayed up.” The victory meant more than money, the crown and the trophy. “Winning that race is special,” says Wayne. “We were the first to be a repeat winner since it was named after Ronald. Gary Wright has won it a couple of times, but he won his first before we lost Ronald. Ronald and I were good friends. We did a lot together. We were out on the road. It’s cool to win this one.” The momentum it gives the #77x team heading into this weekend is also important. “We already doubled our win total from last year!” jokes Wayne. “Everything is going so much better. The car is better, and we’ve learned a lot. We’re looking forward to the rest of the year. We’re looking forward to Yuma with ASCS and Vegas with the Outlaws and then we’ll head home.” 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’s last Arizona win came in the 2012 Western World held at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona. The win paid him $10,000 ahead of Brian Brown, Tony Bruce Jr., Kyle Hirst and Johnny Herrera.
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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! To receive "Wednesday's with Wayne", send an e-mail to [email protected] with"Wayne" in the subject line. Wayne Johnson Racing would like to thank partners, Todd Carlile, Vern Rengen, Miles with Townline Variety, Russell with Outlaw Wings, Ray with City Vending, Scott with Stone Mountain Access Systems and product sponsors Bill with The Oil Medics, Byron with Sebastian Sandblasting & Powdercoating, Jeff with 517 Design, Shawna and Kaleb with XXX Chassis, Bob with Rod End Supply, Dave with Astro Titanium, Mark and Doug with Schoenfeld Headers, Desiree at Simpson, Jeannie at Butlerbuilt, Tom at Xtreme Accu-Tach, Carl with Kustom Sprint Car, Brad with Momentum, Charlie with Fisher Racing Engines, Team Achieve and Tim with Canyon Apparel.
Wayne Johnson and the crew in Victory Lane after picking up the Ronald Laney Memorial “King of the 360’s” (Hoseheads Photo)
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