Oklahoma Scene
Oklahoma Scene

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Published: August 4, 2008

Johnson wins championship

Wayne Johnson is a Knoxville Nationals champion again.

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Sprint car driver Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City won the Knoxville Nationals on Saturday. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

The Oklahoma City native collected $10,000 late Saturday night by winning the 18th annual American Sprint Car Series Knoxville Nationals championship race at Knoxville Raceway (Iowa).

Johnson passed Jason Johnson on the seventh of 25 scheduled laps and led the rest of the way on the historic half-mile dirt track. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is located in Knoxville. Wayne Johnson beat Brian Brown of Grain Valley, Mo., by a wide 3.772-second margin at the checkered flag. The win was Johnson's second Knoxville Nationals crown and first since 2000.

The younger brother of former State Fair Speedway sprint car champ Mike Johnson, Wayne Johnson now lives in Knoxville, Iowa. Wayne Johnson started racing fulltime in 1987 at State Fair.

"I kept watching the board to see who was behind me and if anyone was close,” Wayne Johnson said. "There didn't seem to be anybody right on me, so I just kept trying to run my race.”

Johnson swept through the three-day card, winning his heat race and preliminary feature. He started Saturday's finale on the second row, behind current national points leader Jason Johnson of Eunice, La., and defending national champ Gary Wright of Hooks, Texas.

"It means the world to me to win this race,” Johnson said.

Evans wins another state left-hander tournament: Josh Evans of Oklahoma City won the Oklahoma Left-Handed Golf Association state championship on Sunday. The Oklahoma City Blazers' assistant general manager beat Adam Miller of Stillwater by seven shots, 204-211, at the John Conrad Course in Midwest City.

Evans, a four-time lefty state champ, only got better as the tournament progressed, shooting 69, 68 and 67.

From Staff Reports