(Bill W) November 12, 2014 – For the Wayne Johnson Racing #77x team, 2014 was definitely a roller coaster ride! After starting on a high note, winning the $10,000 Ronald Laney Memorial, some doldrums set in. Midseason, however, the team gained steam again, culminating in a $61,150 weekend at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska in September. Wayne is anxiously preparing for 2015 in his Knoxville, Iowa shop.
Things started with two wins at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Florida in February. That included the $10,000 Ronald Laney Memorial “King of the 360’s”. “We came out of the box really well,” says Wayne. “We really should have won all three nights down there. We hit the fence the first night, broke the Jacob’s ladder and ran second.”
It marked the second time that Wayne has won the race. “We’re usually good down there,” he says. “Everything just lined up right for us. Ronald and his family meant a lot to me, so that makes that win all the more special.”
A lack of results in the first half of the season had the team scratching their heads. “We started out good, but we sure did struggle once we got back home,” says Wayne. “It took us a while to win. We were really struggling with setup and we chased quite a few things on the car.”
In July, a trek to the Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario was the winning formula Wayne needed. “That win really turned things around for us,” he says. “From then on, we were competitive. Everything kind of flip-flopped and we started rolling. We should have won more races than we did.”
Wayne made the finale of the 360 Nationals at Knoxville before heading back to Ohsweken at the end of August. “We were able to get another weekly show at Ohsweken, and then we went to Brockville, Ontario and ran second,” he says. “We had run over the top of the track, and I had to drive back through the pack to finish there.”
He would rack up second place finishes in Moberly, Missouri and at the prestigious Canadian Nationals. “We had some seconds for sure,” says Wayne. “Things all came together at I-80 though.”
With a $50,000 bonus put up for sweeping the “Fall Brawl” at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska, Wayne did just that. He had to make a late race pass to do it in the finale, but he brought the weekend’s winnings to $61,150. “That was a tremendous boost for us as a team, especially with our struggles early in the year,” he says. “We went to Wheatland (Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial) the next week and ran second in the prelim and probably should have won that. The next night we got tangled up.”
The team brought a fast car to the Short Track Nationals in October as well. “We just seemed to be one spot out there at Little Rock,” says Wayne. “We slipped up on our prelim and ran fourth when the top three locked themselves in. When Saturday came, we were definitely coming. We ended up charging from 12th to fourth. It would have been interesting if we started in the first three rows!”
The team will build on their momentum heading into 2015. “I think the biggest thing we’re going to take out of this season is knowledge,” says Wayne. “You know you’re never too old to learn in this game. We changed some things midseason that definitely gave us some momentum. We’re really looking forward to Yuma in January.”
As always, Wayne is appreciative of those who make Wayne Johnson Racing possible. “I have to thank Slippy (Conner Nelson) and Daryl Turford, who was with us most of the year working on this thing. Of course, we couldn’t do it without Todd Carlile, Vern Rengen, Miles Hill with Townline Variety, Russell with Outlaw Wings, Ray Williams with City Vending, Scott with Stone Mountain Access Systems, and all our product supporters.”
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 had six wins in the 2014 season. He won twice in weekly competition at the Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario. His other four were big ones! He won the $10,000 Ronald Laney Memorial “King of the 360’s” at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Florida in February, as well as a prelim. In September, he swept the two-night “Fall Brawl” at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska to the tune of $61,150.
Partner of the Week – City Vending
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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 sprntcar@hotmail.com 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, Shawna and Kaleb with Triple X Race Components, 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, Charlie with Fisher Racing Engines, Team Achieve and Tim with Canyon Apparel.
Attached: Wayne races in Charlotte (Doug Johnson Photo)
Bill W Media
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- administrator on Nov 12, 2014
- Article Date: 11/12/2014 by Bill Wright