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Wednesdays with Wayne – Livin' on Tulsa Time!
(Bill W) January 14, 2009 – Wayne Johnson's 2009 racing season will get underway this Friday night at the Quiktrip Center in Tulsa for the 23rd running of the midget Chili Bowl. Almost 300 competitors have descended on the biggest event in midget racing, and all are after the "Golden Driller" trophy. Wayne is attempting to make the finale for the third time in four years of trying. After that, he will get prepared for Florida. He'll take the FattFro #14AJ, but there is still plenty of room for sponsors on the car to help him out!
Wayne got a chance to get the Scott Benic #2B on the small oval for practice Monday. "The car felt really good in practice," he says. "It was rolling around nice. I think we were pretty good. We went out twice. The first try, we were a little tight, but the second time out we were on."
Wayne qualifies on Friday. Friday competitors include talent in the form of defending champion Damion Gardner, non-wing legend Dave Darland, USAC sprint champ Levi Jones, two-time Chili Bowl champ Cory Kruseman, King's Royal winner Daryn Pittman, Sprint Cup star Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, NASCAR star who has made his last ten Bowl finales and many more! That information is unknown to Wayne. "I haven't even looked at who is going Friday," he says. "I don't have a clue. None of it really matters to me. You have to beat them all on Saturday anyway. You want to go out on your qualifying night and do well enough to put yourself in position to win."
Believe it or not, this is just Wayne's fourth try at the "Golden Driller". His rookie year was 2006, and he put on quite a show for the fans. After a struggle on his qualifying night, he was stationed in one of the F mains for Saturday. He made the most of that opportunity, climbing through the E, the D, the C, and the B! He ended up with a DNF in the A main, but finished with one of the biggest charges in Motorsports history! It was a lot easier in 2007, as he just had to win the B to qualify on Saturday, but he feels last year was a disappointment (ending in the H). "I feel like I have to redeem myself a little bit after last year," says Wayne. "It's all about getting in a rhythm and staying out of trouble. All the track time you can get helps a guy like me who doesn't get in these things very often."
Wayne is thankful for the opportunity with Benic. "I need to thank Scott Benic and all the sponsors that get this #2B running," he says. "Scott's been a great help to me, and I know our car will be solid and ready to go on Friday."
After the Chili Bowl, Wayne's focus will return to the sprint car and getting ready for Florida! His schedule is ambitious, and includes three nights of Ocala All Stars, six nights at Volusia with the All Stars and World of Outlaws, and two nights at East Bay Raceway near Tampa beginning at the end of January. "We're getting close to being ready, but we're still really looking for one more motor," says Wayne. "There are eleven shows down there back to back, and we need to be ready for the long run if we're going to do the whole thing. This is a great time to bring a partner on board!"
Wayne's Website
To learn more about Wayne and the team, log on to www.WayneJohnsonRacing.com!
Wayne's World
Jim Alotta asks: How has Scott Benic helped you out in racing?
Wayne answers: Scott jokes that he finally straightened me out, and there's some truth to that I guess. Besides giving me a ride now and then…we were off quite a bit early last year, especially on our shocks, and he got us dialed in with his AFCO shocks. We've used them ever since.
Wayne's Tech Tips
Birdcage – Wayne says it isn't just a place to keep Polly the Parrot…
"The birdcage is a bearing carrier that goes on the live axle on the rear-end. It's part of the suspension from the torsion bar to the torsion arm. It basically helps the rear-end of the car 'float'. More than anything it's a bearing carrier.
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 [email protected], 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 [email protected] with "Wayne" in the subject line.
Wayne would like to thank FattFro, Stone Mountain Access, Deberg Concrete, www.RacingThreads.com, CnB Mushroom Farms, Maxim Chassis, ARP Wings, Hoosier Tire, Simpson, Weld and ButlerBuiltfor all their help!
Wayne will drive Scott Benic's #2B in Tulsa starting Friday (Bob Jones Photo)
Bill W MediaMonroe, IAUSA[email protected]
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