5/29/2008
Sprint Source
Wayne Johnson charges to O'Reilly USCS Speedweek Round Five win at Camden Speedway
SPEEDWEEK ROUND #5: - 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 three 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, Tennessee then, 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 2006 O’Reilly USCS Rookie of the Year, Derek 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 2m of Bryce Vowan from Forrest City, Arkansas in turn three of lap 25 to take eighth place. Vowan wound up ninth. Rounding out the Top Ten was the the J&J Auto Racing #40 of Ernie Ainsworth from Memphis, Tennessee. Skinner garnered the Huggins Cams Hard Charger Award for his charge the rear.
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
Submitted By: Adam Ulrey
