(Bill W) May 12, 2010 – For the second week in a row, sprint car ace Wayne Johnson teamed up with “Cactus” Jack Yeley and his #2 in competition with the Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless series last weekend. The result was a fifth at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway near Mesquite, Texas on Friday, and an eighth place finish after charging through the field at the I-30 Speedway near Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday. Immediate plans for racing are up in the air again. Yeley’s machine marked the fifth different sprinter that the Knoxville, Iowa resident has driven in 2010.
The Devil’s Bowl yielded a heavy and fast surface that kept getting faster as the night went on. Wayne was fourth in his heat and won the qualifier after a good race with Jesse Hockett. “We had the backup motor after we lost the one in Houston the week before,” he says. “It was fun racing to a photo finish with Hockett in the qualifier. That’s when I knew we were pretty good. We were off a little bit, but when you can outrun Hockett and (Brady) Bacon in a heat race, that makes you feel like you’re on the right track.”
The feature had drivers hanging on as the front of the cars had a tendency to head skyward. In the end, Wayne would checker fifth. “We had it really really tight in the feature, and we almost turned it over on the first lap (see photo),” says the Oklahoma native. “We burned the brakes off trying to keep it “whoaed” up. We were just a fifth place car really.”
Things didn’t start well at Little Rock, but Wayne bounced back to charge from eighth to third in a qualifier and advance to the main event. “We were wrecked in the heat,” he explains. “We were able to come back from eighth to run third in the qualifier though. That gave us enough points to be in the show. I thought we may have to run the B, but it was enough.”
A series of other classes with plenty of cautions robbed the top of the red clay ¼ mile of its cushion that had provided great racing in the preliminary events. “It was slick up top and everyone was puttering around the bottom,” says Wayne of his run starting inside row eight. “I got a run on some guys and rooted them out a little, or just waited for mistakes to move up a spot at a time and crawl up through there.”
He would pick his way up to a respectable eighth place finish. “A car or two was really holding me up late in the race, but at that point, you really don’t want to take any chances,” says Wayne. “You just want a decent finish, and to bring it home in one piece.”
The adjustment to a non-wing car has been steady for Wayne. “I’m still learning every time I get in the car,” he says. “Jack and I are trying to get to a point that I feel best in the car. So far, I haven’t felt totally comfortable. The next one will be in June, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Wayne is still seeking a permanent ride. If you would like to inquire about a partnership with Wayne, you can e-mail him at waynejohnsonracing@yahoo.com.
Buy Your ARP Wings from Wayne
Wayne is an ARP Wings dealer located in the Knoxville, Iowa area. Wayne credits the new ARP top wing for his 2009 wins at Little Rock and Cowtown. Contact Wayne for your ARP Wing, as he has some special Holiday deals going! ARP Wings – “When Downforce Matters”!
Wayne’s Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
Wayne’s World
Brian Parker asks: Do you prepare differently for bigger tracks as opposed to bullrings and how do you prepare differently?
Wayne answers: Parker, you know my phone number. You can just call me! Basically, I have two setups that I start with, one for the short track and one for the big track. Mentally, you have to tell yourself not to move your hands as much on the big track. That’s about it.
Wayne’s Fast Facts
In the thirteen feature events Wayne has run this season (in five different rides) he has two wins, eight top fives (62%) and ten top tens (77%). He has piloted the Brett Smith #39 (410w) in Australia, the Glenn Styres #0x (360w), the Channing Zierolf Motorsports #c41 & #3x (360w), the Brian Parker #9x (360w) and the Jack Yeley #2 (410nw). He has recorded at least one top five finish in each car.
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.
- Bill Wright on May 12, 2010
- Article Date: 5/11/2010