(Bill W) January 7, 2015 – Each night out is going better for the Wayne Johnson Racing #77x team at the “Winter Heat” event at Cocopah Speedway near Yuma, Arizona. After battling illness during the weekend, Wayne rebounded with a thirteenth place finish Tuesday night as the team adjusts to its new KPC chassis. The Knoxville, Iowa driver will finish up in Yuma this Friday and Saturday night.
Things got going on Friday night and Wayne drew the fifth and final row in his heat. “We got together with another car coming off of two and knocked the Jacob’s ladder off,” he says. “We were able to get up to fourth, and we thought we had a pretty good car.”
Things didn’t go as well in the Qualifier or the main event. “We came in and put the ladder back on and went backward in the Qualifier (fifth to seventh),” says Wayne. “Maybe we should have left it off! We were able to get through the B, and in the feature, we were just rolling around there. I didn’t feel well either, but we just pulled in.”
The team was utilizing a KPC chassis for the first time. “The throttle linkage is different on this car,” says Wayne. “It was sticking a little bit in that feature, but I just ended up pulling it in.”
Illness set in on Saturday. “I felt really bad all day really,” says Wayne. “I went out to hot lap and came in. I wasn’t breathing very well, so we went to the emergency room. After six hours, they told me I had a stomach ulcer. They gave me some meds and I’m feeling better now.”
Things improved Friday in preliminary action when Wayne finished fourth in his heat. “We were pretty good in the heat, but the car was tight,” he says. “We ran third from fourth in the Qualifier, but we were still too tight.”
Starting eleventh in the main event, he would come home thirteenth. “In the feature, the track really slowed down,” says Wayne. “We didn’t have much wing speed and that just really made things tight.”
The team feels good about things heading into this weekend’s two-night finale in Yuma. “We’re getting used to these cars,” said Wayne. “We talked to (Tyler) Swank (with Keneric Racing) a little bit, because they run these cars, and I think we’ll be better on Friday. We’ll see.”
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 earned a pair of top five finishes in March of 2012 at Cocopah Speedway.
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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, 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.
Attached: Wayne races at Cocopah Speedway (Patrick Grant Photography)