[b Wednesdays with Wayne - Fall Nationals This Weekend!]
[i (Bill W) September 30, 2009]
Wayne Johnson continues to bounce around to find some racing action. Three weeks ago it was California, two weeks ago it was Canada, last weekend Eldora in Ohio, and this weekend he will be back on the West Coast at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California for the 18th Annual Fall Nationals. He will again drive the Harold Main #35A. He is seeking a ride for the 360 shows down South held through the month of October.
Last weekend, Wayne was behind the wheel of Miles Hill’s #07x with the World of Outlaws at the Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio. As a result of morning rains, the track was heavy, rough and fast. The Knoxville, Iowa driver qualified 29th quick in the strong 44-car field. “The car has more of a short track motor, and the track was as fast and rough as it gets at Eldora,” says Wayne. “It really would have played better to us if it was slick, like usual. We qualified about where we should have, I would guess.”
With the WoO, qualifying is paramount, and the time put him deep in the heat race field. Luck was on his side, and he grabbed the fifth and final transfer. “Really, we were lucky to be in position to get in the show,” says Wayne. “We were starting eighth in the heat, and it was a narrow track. (Randy) Hannagan pulled back in, and that put us up outside of row three.”
Wayne was forced to block to maintain his transfer to the main event. “On the start, I just chopped down in front of Butch Schroeder into fifth, because I knew what you got on the start was what you were going to get for the race,” he admits. “It was heavy and a wide open high-speed freight train from there.”
The qualifying effort put Wayne outside row twelve for the feature. In the end he would advance six spots to finish 18th. “We got a good start and got rolling around there pretty good,” he says. “The racetrack was tearing up big chunks, and I had my shield knocked off. It junked the wing on the car too. We were trying to ride around there as best as we could. I need to thank Miles for the opportunity to drive his car, and we’re looking to finish up front at Charlotte in November.”
The three-day Fall Nationals at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California gets underway on Thursday. The $65,000 purse will attract some of the best 360 drivers, not only in the West, but from other areas of the country as well. Rain plagued the event, but Wayne is looking to finish in front. “We’ve really figured some things out with Harold’s (Main) cars,” he says. “I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”
Fisher Motors for Sale!
Wayne has a pair of Fisher motors for sale…
- Charlie Fisher 410 – AllPro 286-4; 2/900 Engler; 16 nights from new; 6 nights from fresh; $30,000
- Charlie Fisher 410 – AllPro 286-2; 2 13/16 Engler; new block last rebuild; Knoxville Nationals A Main 5 consecutive years; 6 nights since fresh; $22,500
Call 405 306-5426…
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 WayneJohnsonRacing@yahoo.com 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
Doug Wedeking asks: Can the Cowboys win with Tony Romo?
Wayne answers: He has so I guess they can. The question is the playoffs. I’m still evaluating the situation. I thought they were going to be a little better than they were. As long as he keeps going to (Jason) Witten, he’ll be fine.
Wayne’s Tech Tips
What is involved in the engine freshening process, and why don’t more teams do it themselves?
Wayne: A lot of it is a time factor. The traveling teams just don’t have time. The engine guys have a half a million dollar engine shop to do it. It’s different than just rolling a pair of bearings and springs in them anymore. It’s a pretty sophisticated valve job, and decking the heads. There’s a lot to it.
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 sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, 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 sprntcar@iowatelecom.net 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 ButlerBuilt for all their help!
The Miles Hill #07x (Bob Buffenbarger Photo)
- Bill Wright on Sep 30, 2009
- Article Date: 9/30/2009