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WAYNE BRINGS PAIN TO CAMDEN COMPETITION
by Kevin Eckert for USCS
May 29, 2008 Camden, Tennessee: Mustang, Oklahoma's Wayne Johnson enjoyed his first
win on O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2008 on Thursday on the round banks of Camden
Speedway. Starting inside the front row by virtue of the K&N Pole Draw,
Johnson beat two-time Speedweek winner Tim Crawley of Benton, Arkansas
on the start and was never challenged despite four yellows and one red flag.
"This track is awesome!" said Johnson into Jonathan Gowan's
microphone after winning $2000 on the speedy saucer. "Everyone told me that I
would like this place; they were right. I hear it's not normally this wet, but
I believe it could slick off and you could go just as fast."
Johnson, winner of four USCS events in 2007, kept on the
cushion to let his Charlie Fisher 360 engine eat traffic. Crawley sought his
third straight Speedweek score but could not keep Wayne in sight on this night. On lap 12, Southaven, Mississippi's
Ronny Howard stopped to change a flat right rear tire and on the restart,
Johnson jerked out to another straightaway lead. On lap 17, Crawley surrendered
second to six-time and defending O'Reilly USCS National champion Terry Gray of Bartlett.
Southaven,
Mississippi's Wade Oliver slowed
on the backstretch to produce a caution light on lap 18. Two laps later, Howard
parked his Scooby Doo Special a second time and yellow turned red to refuel.
When racing resumed after 20 of 30 laps, the restart read: Johnson, Gray,
Crawley, Nesbit, Mississippi's Lee Sowell, Marion, Arkansas driver Derek Hagar,
Don Young, Justin Carver of Atoka, Sarasota, Florida's Danny Martin Jr,
Marshall Skinner and 20th starting Wayne Reutimann Jr.
The champion's Rislone J&J was no more of a match for
the yellow Hammer 94 than was Crawley, who
stopped with power steering issues in turn four of lap 24. The green lamp
stayed lit for the last six circuits, enabling Johnson to leave the field one
more time and put three more lapped cars between himself and second-place
finisher Terry Gray.
Lee Sowell, winning Saturday's opening USCS Speedweek leg in
West Memphis, scored third on Thursday assisted
by Iowa's
Tyler Swank, former Mechanic of the Year with the World of Outlaws. Sowell's
third-place also earned him Hoosier Tire Young Gun for the best finish by a
driver under 25 years old.
Bartlett, Tennessee's Don Young, son of ex-Sammy Swindell
TMC crewman Clifford Young, had his best 2008 USCS effort in fourth-place
pursued by Hagar, Rookie of the Race Justin Carver and Marshall Skinner, the
1999 O'Reilly USCS champion from West Memphis, Arkansas who started from row
nine. Malabar, Florida's Bryn Gohn slid his Shaw under the
XXX of Memphis racer Chris Williams to take eighth in turn three of lap 25. Rounding
out the Top Ten in its first appearance on Speedweek 2008 was the Maxim driven
by Zephyrhills, Florida's Wayne Reutimann Jr.
Thursday's Round Five was the last USCS Speedweek 2008 would
see of the victorious H&H Maxim as Wayne Johnson and Iowa
crew chief Jeremy Rankin returned 580 miles to Wayne's new hometown Knoxville Raceway to
resume regular 410 duties.
The third annual O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2008 concludes with
Round Six at North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia (May 30) and the finale at
Columbus (MS) Speedway on Saturday, May 31. For more information, please call
(404) 886.5913 or visit www.uscsracing.com
Lucas Oil Power Dash (6 laps) Marshall Skinner, Tim Crawley,
Kenny Adams, Terry Gray, Joe Young
Engler Machine and Tool Heat 1) Terry Gray, Derek Hagar, Don
Young, Dewayne Prince, Wade Oliver, Chris Williams, Raymond Stull, Michael
Craddock
Butlerbuilt Heat 2) Danny Martin Jr, Tim Crawley, Bryce
Vowan, Ronny Howard, Ernie Ainsworth, Joe Young. DNS Kenny Adams
Bars Leaks Heat 3) Lee Sowell, Wayne Johnson, Justin Carver,
Bryn Gohn, Anthony Nicholson, Marshall Skinner, Wayne Reutimann Jr.
A-main (start) 1 Wayne Johnson 94 (1), 2 Terry Gray 10 (6),
3 Lee Sowell 51 (4), 4 Don Young 75 (7), 5 Derek Hagar 9jr (3), 6 Justin Carver
24 (9), 7 Marshall Skinner 26 (18), 8 Bryn Gohn 4b (12), 9 Chris Williams 8x
(16), 10 Wayne Reutimann Jr 00 (20), 11 Raymond Stull 21 (19), 12 Bryce Vowan
2m (8), 13 Joe Young 12t (17), 14 Dewayne Prince 16 (10), 15 Danny Martin Jr 00
(5) DNF Ernie Ainsworth 40 (14), Anthony Nicholson 16 (15), Tim Crawley 88 (2),
Ronny Howard 44 (11), Michael Craddock 31 (21), Wade Oliver 58 (13), Kenny
Adams 4a (22) USCS 360w
UNOFFICIAL
Lap Leader: 1-30 Johnson
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