By chance two parties with similar agendas forged a deal.
“We had been doing 50 to 60 shows a year since 2008 and John wanted to slow down and just race once a week at Port Royal,” Carl explained. “I‘m not getting younger either so I was OK with it. I have been with John for quite a while now and he was always good about doing what I wanted to do. So I was fine doing what he wanted to do. That changed what we were looking for. We weren‘t looking to travel so we didn‘t need quite as an experienced driver…Instead, we started to look for someone who
would fit our plans.”
The question many asked openly and in private was what motivated this high-profile team to select Logan Wagner? With a laugh, Carl said, “Well, Logan was pretty persistent.”
Zemaitis and Carl had undoubtedly observed what Wagner had been able to do on his own, but this still was going to be a novel situation for the Zemco team.
“We had always hired experienced professional drivers, so we would be obligated to go to races whether we wanted to or not for them to make their paycheck,” Carl explained. “My owner is nearly 80 years old and is to the point that he doesn‘t want to do that anymore. I probably drug him home from Lernerville at four in the morning too many times.”
From the team‘s perspective this decision seemed risky, but it was precisely the opportunity Wagner had sought. To prepare for the upcoming season Logan spent the winter concentrating on his physical fitness and pondering what lie in store.
He knew he‘d have to battle the late Greg Hodnett for the Port Royal championship and he admits he often visualized, “Greg sliding me in turn three but then crossing him back in turn four and winning.”
In a mid-July tilt at Port Royal, events followed Wagner‘s imagined script to a tee. In a thrilling moment, Wagner passed Hodnett on the final lap to collect his first victory with the Zemco team.
“We work well together,” Carl said. “He has a good feel for the car and he knows the feel he is looking for. So we try to give him what he is looking for. Every driver is different. very driver wants a different feel.”
By the end of the season, Wagner had snatched the Port Royal 410 title, an outcome that was satisfying for all the key participants. Carl admits that he values wins more than anything else, but he also doesn‘t minimize landing on top of the points.
“It‘s pretty neat,” he said. “I don‘t know how many people understand just how hard it is to win a championship because a lot of variables go into it. It is more than just doing better than everyone every night. It‘s also about things like not breaking down, and if you have a bad streak or bad luck things can turn around real fast.”
Even better days lied ahead.
In 2019, Wagner went back to the head of the class at Port Royal and also claimed the lucrative National Open at Selinsgrove Speedway. In 2020, he used consistency to hit for the trifecta at his home track.
While the bulk of Wagner‘s work is done at Port Royal, it is a place where some of the very best come to race. The 2021 season may have been the moment when all understood that this team was a force to be reckoned with no matter who showed up to play.
An early thrill came when Wagner beat the All Stars to win the Keith Kauffman Classic.
“When we were kids Keith‘s daughter, Becky, used to babysit us when mom and dad and Keith and Kathy went to banquets,” he said. “I also spent a lot of time with his son, Chase, who was my brother‘s roommate in college. Chase gave me a big hug and it was nice to hear the things Keith said in victory lane.”
Then came the big one — the Tuscarora 50.
“We have always been good in the 50-lap races, but we were exceptional that night in terms of car set up,” Wagner recalled. “We went out for the heat race and we were searching for that little bit all year, and we finally hit it just right. After the heat race, I told Tommy that‘s it, don‘t touch the car. This is what we have been looking for. That little step may have helped us pick up two tenths a lap.”
Wagner knew he had a car that would be strong at the end of the race.
“We were just trying to bide our time early and it was so cool. Lance Dewease ran second and I can count on my hand the number of times I have passed Lance at Port Royal after he had passed me. Usually when he passes you, he‘s gone. I knew that night we had something for him late.”
The victory capped off another championship season, with his father finishing second in the standings.
“Our program is stronger than it has ever been,” Mike Wagner said. “Mike Magee Motorsports joined the team and we had a couple of businesses also come on board. Joe Nott has been a big supporter for years. He even comes and works on the car. We have a better motor program than we were used to and newer equipment. We needed a couple of years to build, but we‘re getting there.”
No one has ever won five consecutive Port Royal sprint car titles and the Zemco team is determined to make it happen.