Wayne is on the gas at the Chili Bowl (sprintcarsis Photo)
(Bill W) January 18, 2017 – It had been four years since Wayne Johnson and Wayne Simmons had hooked up for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City veteran fared pretty well despite the layoff. He registered a top ten finish on Friday night, before being sidelined with mechanical gremlins in Saturday’s B main.
Things started well for Wayne in the heat Friday. “We started fifth and ran third,” he says. “We ran the bottom there. We were able to get up to second, but a caution came out and he had to go back into third. That’s where we finished.”
He would finish one spot out of the Qualifier invert, gridding him seventh in the field. “The Qualifier went really well,” says Wayne. “It was really stacked, but I was able to drive right by those guys on the bottom. It was a really good run and got us up there close to the front for the feature (starting fourth).”
Wayne had a rough start. “Up to that point in the night, I hadn’t made one lap on the top,” he says. “I didn’t know how to do it really. I tiptoed around a little bit and fell back. To be honest, an early caution saved me. I was in fourth at that point.”
He stuck to the bottom groove. “On the restart, everyone was on the bottom,” says Wayne. “I stayed down there, and stayed down there way too long. Finally, with about ten laps to go, I got the nuts to head back up top and let it rip. I actually ran some of those guys back down up there. I wish I’d just done it sooner.”
Wayne would checker tenth, putting him inside row seven for one of Saturday’s B mains. “Something was wrong in the ignition,” he says. “I went to the work area. They unplugged some things and plugged them back in. We went back out. It started, but after five or six laps, it quit again.”
The first 2017 action for Wayne and the Two-C Racing #2c sprint car team will be February’s Ronald Lane Memorial “King of the 360’s” at East Bay Raceway Park near Tampa, Florida. “We’re planning on getting down there and running East Bay,” he says. “That’s always been a good track for us. It’s great to run that race in honor of the Laney family, and we’ve been fortunate enough to win it a couple times.”
Follow Updates on Facebook!
Wayne will update as his race night commences at his Facebook page. Find it by searching for
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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 arrived at his first Chili Bowl back in 2006 with style. After struggling from C to B in his preliminary, he would start Wayne Simmons #F5 in Saturday’s F Feature where he finished third. He proceeded to run the alphabet from the E (4th), D (3rd), C (5th) and B (5th). Finally his luck ran out as he dropped out with a 23rd place finish in the championship race, and a good night’s sleep followed.
Partner of the Week – Weld Wheels
Weld ®. The word is virtually synonymous with racing wheels. Their heritage is unmatched; their product is the choice of champions in most forms of motorsports. Founded in 1968 by Greg Weld out of the pure love of racing, the company has undergone many changes over the last forty years, but one thing that hasn’t changed is that the product is still designed and manufactured in Kansas City, USA. In November 2008, the heritage and future became one, as Weld Racing, LLC was formed by current Weld management and Granite Creek Partners, LLC, to place ownership and leadership of the company back in the hands of racers. Visit them at www.WeldRacing.com!
"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, Outlaw Wings, City Vending 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 Supplies, Fisher Racing Engines, Speedway Graphics and Canyon Apparel.
Photo: Wayne is on the gas at the Chili Bowl (sprintcarsis Photo)
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
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