(Image Credit: Malcolm White)
(Bill W) June 3, 2015 – A big charge at the Belleville High Banks in Kansas highlighted the weekend for Wayne Johnson and his #77x team. After dropping back to 15th, he climbed to fourth by the checkers as the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series made their first trip ever to the high banks. This Saturday night, the high speeds will be back for ASCS as they visit the Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma.
The weekend started with the Eagle Nationals Saturday at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska. After running second in his heat, Wayne was slated to start tenth in the feature. “Unfortunately, the front axle and tie rod were bent before the race even started,” he says. “I was starting tenth and I was real close to the pace car. I was trying to lay back to let everyone go around me. In three and four I was trying to get up out of the way. Seth Brahmer came around me on the outside. We came together. I wasn’t his fault, it was just a bad deal. He didn’t even get to start. It broke a stop or something.”
The banked 1/3-mile oval was a challenge to get around with a lame car. “We had a disabled racecar the whole race,” says Wayne. “It was a handful. We were no good at all, but we were able to run (Matt) Covington, Billy Alley, (Jack) Dover and Ryan Roberts down. My car wouldn’t steer though, so I couldn’t maneuver. I was scared I would run them over.”
Wayne manhandle the car to a ninth place finish. “It was rough going into one,” he says. “I was trying to go above that stuff. I was charging in there. The right wheel was going one way and the left front was going the other. At one point, I had to make the decision on whether to go out the gate, or try to miss the guardrail and keep going. I decided to hit it on the track. Luckily, I missed it all, but that’s how little control I had. It went 35 laps straight. My hands were cramped after that. It was brutal.”
At Belleville on Sunday, Wayne would draw the third row inside for his heat. “All the guys on the outside were running across the bottom, so you’re hemmed up on the bottom,” he says. “(Aaron) Reutzel was beside me and he was able to get up to second right away. Once I got to third, he and I and Jeff Swindell were running wide open the same distance apart.”
The same thing happened at the start of the feature after starting 11th. “Our tune-up wasn’t quite right in the heat,” says Wayne. “We played around with it and got better for the feature. Unfortunately, I got a horrible start. I got blocked on the inside again. I was so tight. This car drives so much tighter than I’m used to, so you need to keep yourself from tightening it up. We fell back to fifteenth.”
From there, he charged forward, but there was one scary moment. “We were steadily running our way up through there,” says Wayne. “I ran Jeff Swindell down, and I was right on his rear bumper. He blew a left rear tire. Fortunately, I didn’t run over his right rear, or it would have shot me plumb out of the place! When it blew, it did knock our nose wing brackets loose.”
Wayne gained several spots in the late stages and finished fourth. “Towards the end, everyone started moving around,” he says. “I don’t know if they got tired or what. I just stayed up on the curb and we drove up to fourth. I figured 15th to fourth at that place was pretty good…especially starting on the inside like we did.”
Wayne is ready for Salina on Saturday, and it begins a long trip that will last the months of June and July. “I love that place,” he says. “We grew up racing there. We’re excited to get there. We’re getting everything ready to go on the road here. We leave home until the end of July.”
Closer to home, Wayne’s suite tickets at Knoxville Raceway have not brought good luck. “I’d like to send a shout out to Chirpy’s (Jeremy Rankin) grandparents,” he says. “I’ve given them my suite tickets at Knoxville for every rainout this year.”
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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 won the ASCS National Series event at the Salina Highbanks Speedway on April 27, 2012. Brian Brown was second, ahead of Jack Dover, Danny Lasoski and Brad Loyet.
Partner of the Week – Rod End Supply
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"Wednesday's with Wayne"
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Wayne Johnson Racing would like to thank partners, Todd Carlile, Townline Variety, Outlaw Wings, City Vending, Stone Mountain Access Systems 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, Fisher Racing Engines, Team Achieve and Canyon Apparel.
- Bryan Hulbert on Jun 03, 2015
- Article Date: 6/3/2015