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Wednesdays with Wayne – Commonwealth Cruiser!
(Bill W) April 22, 2009 – Wayne Johnson stopped in his hometown of Oklahoma City after the World of Outlaws Texas swing. He raced with the series in Paducah, Kentucky on Friday, registering a solid finish. This weekend, he'll stay close to his Knoxville, Iowa home, about two miles up the road at the Knoxville Raceway.
Wayne was assembling ARP wings in Oklahoma. "I came back to Oklahoma City from the race in Houston to build some wings, because we did a number on ours when we wrecked down there at Kilgore," he says. "I left for Paducah by myself."
The veteran was set to go it alone, but got an unlikely call in Arkansas. "I have to thank the folks at Little Rock for cancelling the ASCS race down there, because (Washington sprint car driver) Seth Bergman called me while I was heading across Arkansas asking me what he should do with his weekend," he says. "He's planning on racing some out of our shop in Knoxville, so I asked him to come with me for the weekend and then head home. He and Mike (his crew) were my help at Paducah."
It was Wayne's first visit to the high-banked 3/8 mile facility, but he took to it right away. "We were second quick in hot laps, so we felt good, but we got out there late to qualify and ended up 18th," he says.
Starting fifth in his heat race, Wayne got off to a rough start on the dry-slick surface. "(Jason) Meyers got a good start outside of us, and we were out of a transfer there for awhile," he says. "We were right with them all, but to be honest, it was so dusty, you couldn't see anything on entry into the corner."
Wayne got into a transfer spot late, and caught a break. "We got by (Tommy) Worley (Jr.) for the transfer there, and then with a lap to go, Brian Ellenberger blew his right rear, so we ended up fourth," he remembers. "I think we were a little better than that though. I got beside (Randy) Hannagan a couple times and got squeezed a bit, but we were good."
Wayne struggled with the handling of the FattFro #14AJ in the main event. On paper, it looked like a charge from 18th to 11th, but that didn't tell the true story. "Our finish was really better than the car was, to be honest," he admits. "We didn't hit it very well. It was a fun track. I like tracks with the high banks like that, and we always seem to do well at them."
Overall, the trip was a success. "All in all, it was a decent run," says Wayne. "I hadn't worked with Seth and Mike, and that went pretty well."
Wayne will help out Bergman with his setup on practice night Friday, and then he'll be in action at Knoxville on Saturday. "Hopefully, it goes well here," says Wayne. "A lot of these guys haven't been running, and we have, so that may work in our favor. I'm hoping we can come out of there with a win on Saturday."
Wayne Johnson Apparel in Stock!
2009 Wayne Johnson apparel for both men and women is now in stock! T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops and hats are all in! To order, e-mail Wayne at [email protected] or stop by the trailer at the track.
Wayne's Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
Wayne's World
Joe Franklin asks: Do you feel your skills stay sharper running with the World of Outlaws than running with other series?
Wayne answers: Absolutely. They're the best of the best. You can get beat up every week with them, and then go run somewhere else, and you're faster than ever. It keeps you a notch ahead.
Wayne's Tech Tips
How far can the wing move forward and back, and how does that affect the handling on the racecar?
Wayne: There's a slot for the front top wing post that is around 14 inches long. So you can move it up a foot, and back about a foot. When you move it ahead, it definitely helps keep the front end down, with a heavy track. When it's slick you move it back, so you get more drive from the back.
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 [email protected], 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!
"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 would like to thank FattFro, Stone Mountain Access, Bral Restoration, Deberg Concrete, TNT Custom Golf Carts, www.RacingThreads.com, CnB Mushroom Farms, Maxim Chassis, ARP Wings, Hoosier Tire, Simpson, Weld and ButlerBuiltfor all their help!
Wayne at Paducah (Funderburk Racing Photos)
Bill W MediaMonroe, IA USA[email protected]
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