Track Schedules

Wednesdays with Wayne – McCool Runnings!

(Bill W) July 6, 2011 – The strong runs continued for Wayne Johnson and the BDS Motorsports #38 team.  A second place run at the I-80 Speedway, and a run from 12^th to 6^th at McCool Junction last weekend have the team on top of the ASCS-Midwest standings as they embark on a trip to Minnesota, South Dakota, and on to Oregon in the next week. 

The Knoxville, Iowa driver started last weekend’s racing at the Junction Motor Speedway near McCool Junction, Nebraska with the ASCS-Midwest series.  He would finish third in his heat.  “It wasn’t enough to get in the redraw, but I felt good about the car,” says Wayne.  “We had (Jack) Dover and (Brian) Brown on the front row, so that made it tough.” 

A rubber-down surface welcomed the teams the last time at the beautiful 3/8-mile facility, but on Thursday, it was racy.  Wayne would drive from his starting spot outside of row six to a sixth place finish.  “The track was a lot better than our last trip there, but it was almost too much better,” he admits.  “There was a big curb and that’s where everyone was running.  It wasn’t a tire grinder like our last race there, and going from twelfth to sixth…it was a good run.” 

A second place run in his heat netted him a spot in Friday’s redraw at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska.  This time, Wayne drew the front row and led the feature early on.  “Brown and I started up front,” he says.  “I knew the best part of the racetrack was going to be the bottom.  We were able to get out into the lead.  I came up on some lapped cars, and I knew if I got up off the bottom, it wouldn’t be good.” 

Wayne stuck to his guns on the bottom, and Brown, who won for the third time this year at the track, was able to sneak by.  Wayne would finish a solid second.  “I could hear Brown on the outside, but I wasn’t going to give up the bottom,” he says.  “I had to check up a little in traffic and he got a good run on the top on me.  He went to the bottom, and it was kind of over then.  It was one of those deals where it is better to be in second in traffic.  We just got beat.  If you’re going to get beat there, then it should be Brown.  He’s pretty damn good there.” 

Wayne had a new 410 between the frame rails for Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway.  It was a night to get things tuned with the new power plant, and it resulted in a fourteenth place finish.  “We got our new Parker 410,” he says.  “It has a ton of power in it, and we struggled a bit to get it grounded.  We were spinning the tires a bit.  It was way different from most of the racing we’ve been doing, which has been with the 360.  We’re doing a little bit of tuning on it and we’ll be ready.” 

Wayne and owner/mechanic Bryan Sumby will hit the Lucas Oil ASCS National tour again this weekend at the Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minnesota on Friday, and the I-90 Speedway in Hartford, South Dakota on Saturday.  Monday, he plans to begin the ASCS Northwest Speedweek for six nights of racing.

Monday night, the week starts at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, then moves to Coos Bay Speedway on Tuesday, Cottage Grove Speedway on Wednesday, Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, Oregon on Thursday and Friday and Saturday will be at the Grays Harbor Speedway in Elma, Washington.  “I’m looking forward to the trip,” says Wayne.  “We’re going to have to haul butt to make Oregon, but we’re looking forward to it.”