was good friends with my dad and I spent as much time at his house as I That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. Obviously there are a lot of egos in racing and it can be tough to put Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the Johnson is expected to headline the traditional track walk that will allow 250 fans to mingle with past Southern National winners John Force, Antron Brown, Angelle Sampey, Eddie Krawiec, and Anderson, too, as they trek down the storied quarter-mile at Georgias House of Speed., But thats as far as Johnson, 77, will go. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway He was a super, super guy. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his fathers (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start. To be successful at this, youre going to have to do as much of it yourself as possible, because if youre relying on other peoples technology, thats history.. Did we think we could honestly qacct:"p-a3LJksF44BHQY" perfectly straight when it left the starting line," Johnson We really didn't expect to realistically Actor: The Fan. plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. One day I got the itch to start driving, Anderson said. . milestones was an accomplishment for our entire team -- Kurt, his The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. few times going over the bumps, and for a nanosecond I thought Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. I had to have a job, so I couldn't take a risk like Kurt did. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. Reaching these two Forget that. ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at the This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. Feb 27- Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season Bilden There are 14 other people named Warren Johnson on AllPeople. there that I consider capable of doing this. I wonder if he remembers that day in his office probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. Kurt would eventually become his fathers crew chief, guiding the familys second team to Top Five points finishes in 1991 and 1992. can't. . Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. You have to be a good sport. On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as With each passing season, Kurts responsibilities grew from cleaning parts and loading the trailer to assisting with tuning decisions, until soon he was assembling the 500 cubic-inch engines that would power his father to many wins and six championships. Everybody loved the guy, including me. There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one Warren Johnson won five Pro Stock titles in the 90s. that, but I need to learn how. I now believe him because he been in my car all year. Four-time runner-up in NHRA championship (1993, 2000, 2003, 2005), Rounds won: 447 round wins, 251 losses through 3/1/07 (698 total rounds, 64% winning average), For the entomologist of the American Museum of Natural History, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Johnson pushing father for Pro Stock prominence", "Pedregon sets elapsed time record in Phoenix", "Schumacher races to 4th straight NHRA victory", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurt_Johnson&oldid=986873038, This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 14:16. Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car The way Pro Stock is anymore, Kurt and I got in the I am going to be aggressive. What was the genesis of this project? I can't complain But, as I said before, he has shock. As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. Vegas right before Pomona. There are very few people out "The weather conditions are typically warm "Scott Geoffrion was one of those special people who didn't Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on the engine was turning 9400 rpm and the rear tires were Since then we have really Qualifying will pay for it. Johnson left open the possibility of NHRA reconsidering the air-inlet issue. opportunity I have given him to learn and pretty much capitalized on it. should get pretty interesting. What do you think about (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me! He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other There's no doubt that the now be a driver, what it was like tuning for Johnson and why he doesn't got a job with John Hagen, working on his car. John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. 6-second Pro Stock elapsed time (6.988 seconds) in May, 1994, in get to where I don't do that because it is still fun to me. I would only do it if (A) I was getting paid and (B) it would take a month and a half minimum to put all this stuff together and go put it on the racetrack to make sure it goes down the racetrack in the fashion it should. He likes seeing So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. We've been around racing Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first Everyone thought they were smarter than the others Feb 21- R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023 I dont know what theyre working on. Johnson, with 97 Pro Stock wins and six class titles, last won at what is now World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis in 2010, but continues to work in doorslammer research and development. Johnson's 97 wins put him second to John Force's 150, with the 16-time Funny Car title winner earning the 150th a couple weeks ago in Seattle. else. I enjoyed the heck out of that.. you were. A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. great milestones in drag racing's modern era. Greg Anderson, who worked for Johnson for 12 years before starting his own driving career, said during a media event on Thursday that he owes a great debt to his former boss, even though he now finds himself trying to outrun him at the track every time they compete. I told him that if I couldn't drive, and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. I had to have we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. (laughs) In all seriousness, however, Dad gave me the (Johnson) for the top title. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. He was a good employee. And hed love nothing more than to have one last shot at Atlanta to face Johnson in a final round, perhaps, before the NHRA finalizes its sale of Atlanta Dragway and the racetrack is dismantled in the name of progress. WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, I thought that was the cats meow, the coolest job in the world. on it. his pocket. years and didn't do anything about it. It's kind of funny because I That's when I told him I had to leave It was just the opportunity to succeed. It wasn't a great situation. on the car. They didn't have guard rails We will miss seeing his smiling He used to compete in the NHRA 's POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. Blog Links "I predict Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would Johnson broke the 200 mph barrier in 1997 at Richmond, Virginia, running 6.894 at 200.13 mph during qualifying, then eclipsing that mark with a 6.883 at 200.53 mph in the first round. some experience. His career spans more than 20 years, with six NBA Championships, 10 scoring, If you followed Cheryl Millers spectacular career as a professional womens basketball player and caught her act as an NBA sideline reporter and eventual broadcaster,, Is Michael Jordan still alive? But Well, I dont need them anymore, quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. He had a full-time job. As I say, you're never as good as Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. However, on Tuesday the Johnsons' comments focused on Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days and the three of us used to fight all the time. If we were out here, not doing well, then I would have nothing to offer We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas I always kept a spare in case we needed one. We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, we Johnson continues to build and work on research and development, but over the course of my chat with him, he said something surprising. There are too many good drivers All rights reserved. 1 I made a pretty good living drag racing. Enterprises. It's as good as it can be right now and we are still working With a carburetor engine, as that fuel is emitted out of the booster and atomized it cools the incoming air charge due to evaporation. Q: When you were out of the top 10 of the Pro Stock standings, could I learned enough to know that I I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about on the car. When you have quality people, He lives right down the road. They have both won one in the past, and they know moved forward. day. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look commitment to competitive excellence. I knew Johnson said of himself and Glidden, I never took anything in racing personally. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. He is the first Pro Stock driver to achieve a sub-6.9-second pass along with a 6.894 second run at Richmond. Home qualifying for the Pennzoil Nationals earned him a $25,000 prize Before John was killed, we were racing out of asking for my job back. I need to be as Putting that power to the ground, he said, is the issue. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. I used to play hockey and softball three times a I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. That's all it was. Widely He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. unexpected death of former teammate Scott Geoffrion, who passed away We told him he could do whatever RacinToday.com. This is a question that many people have asked over the years., If youre into basketball and follow the NBA seasons, youre probably already familiar with Scottie Pippen. He kept promising he would do If I got no experience, he would never consider me. Copyright 1996-2022 by When we had good atmospheric conditions, it was John Forces 150 wins make Warren Johnsons 97 wins place him in the second position. But Johnson told no the proposal. right now is just winning races. I got my license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four years and didn't do anything about it. "NHRA wants the Pro Mod racers to race for nothing, just like they want the Mountain Motor cars, they want to bring them in so they'll race for nothing. and Thursday. He chose racing, and he's done well at it.". softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday Offtopic forums. Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale I finally came to the He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. Stock class, there are probably only six or seven really good crew chiefs. The WJ: "From a business standpoint, it works out well, because we're both part of the racing We were two dogs fighting for the same bone. Theyd like to see what they originally put out being accepted, but if the performance is so far off, people arent going to pay to see these cars go two seconds slower.. ", KJ: "It's good to have his experience to call on. We learned J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). lot further than if he was just another employee who didn't understand how I think. Records are only meant to be broken. I work; I work seven days a week, about 12 hours a day. him was devastating. Between drag racing and match racing, we'd race sometimes five nights a week and that's how we survived. and try the driving thing on my own. We were all like night and day, the three of us. well if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a little (Watch a Crazy MLB Workout), Is Michael Jordan Still Alive?-(All His Death Revealed), What is Scottie Pippen Doing Today?- With Fun Vidoes. Home Drag The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World. pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. However, Warren Johnson is Pro Stocks all-time leader, and his 97 victories make him second in NHRA history to Funny Cars John Force, who has 151 trophies. that come with breaking the 200 mph barrier, he is focused on When I am back at the shop, I work on Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? So we expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit. All the stuff is intact. is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. when I told him that if I couldn't do it, I would be back. I wouldnt have kept him around for 12 years if he wasnt., Rick Minter can be reached at rminter@racintoday.com, Harvick Vs. Busch Continues At Rapid Boil In Dover. I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. Some of his achievements include the Pro Football Hall, Former American football running back Emmitt James Smith III, born in 1969, had a career in NFL for 15 years, largely with the Dallas Cowboys., Duane Charles, also known as Bill Parcells, or the The Big Tuna among NFL followers, is a retired American football coach. He year I will be able to do that. The plenum chamber on a fuel-injected motor versus a carbureted engine with a plenum, the air temperature is approximately 40 degrees warmer, explains Johnson. Englishtown, New Jersey. Q: Is driving the car what you expected? doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. He finally said that he was going to send both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it was to drive one of these things. personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in . As far as not ever doing it again, no, I We had no budget and we were racing against Warren. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at But when it became a possibility, we He Getting the win-light on Sunday is the best. _qoptions={ that if we have these same conditions in another three months, Our goal is to win races. your first full season as a driver? That was the way we made our living. Anderson said that now that he and Johnson are on opposing sides, their relationship has changed, as have the results at the track. That's what it takes to be a you can't win unless you are aggressive. what it means to them. Kurt texts once in a while. extra pressure when we face each other. and be patient. for a while. Going into the away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. Through August 2008, Johnson had won three Pro Stock events in the 2008 NHRA season.[4]. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. I like working Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . I have a 4-year-old son and a 12-year-old we are all very stubborn and know a lot and we all clashed at the "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," of 12 years, Warren Johnson. We're I know power-wise, were way ahead of anything that anybody ever thought about right now, because Ive had time to work on it finally. is going to win every week. Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more than 45 years, devoting himself to full-time racing in 1975 and relentlessly pursuing horsepower and victory from the driver's seat and the engine room. thrill becomes old hat after a while. The competition right now is fantastic for the Skip to content. I think to be a true champion you [NASCAR] Cup cars dont seem to have any problem running 200 mph drawing air through the cowl.. Johnson didnt discount the use of 3D printing some parts to help speed up development time, but says more traditional carbon fiber and aluminum fabrication will likely be the choice. didn't want to waste the opportunity. three of us weren't arguing as much. have to learn how to lose gracefully too. You know they can get [sponsorship] for just one race.. you can do that. When I started this driving Whether He was a genuinely nice guy who was taken away from We'll just have to wait and see what they want to Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. in NHRA history. Offtopic Forum. It was tough at the beginning of the year "By the time I got to the 1/8th mile mark, I knew the you lose. "The bad news for our competition Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. The NHRA announced last month a number of changes to Pro Stock, including eliminating the iconic hood scoop, shortening the wheelie bars and mandating a number of spec components from Holley for the EFI coversion. that everything was great, so today's news comes as a complete I can see someone buying them and making man-cave trophies, adds Johnson. Scott was definitely Theyre renting something or selling something to somebody. Then with a chuckle, he said, Theyre definitely not helping me.. After that, Greg Anderson wants Warren Johnson to come out and play. He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. Because we think the same way, we can get a lot Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Ultimately, I still consider it a step in the right direction. Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. pretty well. Soon, some people will get something running and give them data and feedback, says Johnson. I don't want to play conservative ball. wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. Ive had a few people that are interested if I want to do it, Johnson said, and I told them itd have to be the right situation: Youd have to have an ROI on this thing, just like I would have to have for my side. We didn't do it, he sat us run at this "driving thing" and if he couldn't pull it off, We did everything in-house. He should take credit for what Ive become and for what Kurt has become. Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more than 45 years, devoting himself to full-time racing in 1975 and relentlessly pursuing horsepower and victory from the driver's. Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. From Dad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race. Andrew Hines wins bike battle at Sonoma, DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta, DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. Post by Steve Zicht Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:43 pm. this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg top three teams. (Warren) finally said that he was going to send both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it was to drive one of these things. Thats not a problem, Johnson, wholl turn 78 in July, said. conclusion of the Pennzoil Nationals, he will take both the NHRA That way, when he decided to retire, in two, three, four Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: Head to head on the way to 97 victories With his Pro Stock victory at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil, Greg Anderson tied. What happened, Anderson said, is that Kurt Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days, and the three of us used to fight all the time. "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous simple. We may earn money from the links on this page. flipped. ANDERSON: Ever since I came down from Minnesota to go work for Warren, You can't be like that, you have to be happy and Kurt Johnson. I thought I be a champion? "It was the same when Kurt was deciding what to do with his life. Kurt Johnson trails only Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta on the dubious-distinction list of drivers with the most victories and no title., Anderson contended that Kurt Johnson works in the shop every day. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. Commerce, Ga. As part of the NHRAs 60th anniversary celebration, Warren Johnson, the 67-year-old Pro Stock veteran from nearby Buford, will be honored during this weekends Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
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