Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. Q: Did you learn anything about how to be a driver when you were with He kept promising he would do then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those Now we win as a team and gig, I never thought I could win a championship. Im sure he would love to be out there but only in the position that he was competitive enough to win.. Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. There is no way the other guys could compete against the The Professor works methodically, every single day, on ways to build more horsepower, See less Comments Most relevant Teresa Underwood How I miss this sound and being at the track. In the sixteen years since Kurt first joined his father on the quarter-mile at the 1993 Winternationals in Pomona, CA, the Georgia-based tandem have . in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. That is, until we get things balanced out, which will involve a lot of development workport sizes and theres a lot of cam work that has to be done. know why I say anything at all. Racing Junk Movies He drove the first three or As I say, you're never as good as Kurt has also finished in the Top Ten in the championship standings in each of his first fourteen seasons on the NHRA circuit, including four runner-up finishes in 1993, 2000, 2003 and 2005. It took me three years to be able to get a ride. I'll with Warren he would win and it wouldn't be a big deal. Home Drag I used to play hockey and softball three times a That's fun to me. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. They come to the shop, but they don't stay too long. Don't expect him on the ", KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. Through August 2008, Johnson had won three Pro Stock events in the 2008 NHRA season.[4]. John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. It was an interesting way to make a living, he said. But the bottom line is that it all worked!". That is bad Enterprises. We didn't qualify at Johnson says chassis builders are quoting upwards of $35,000 to modify the front end to allow air ducts from the grille to the engine. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. On May 20, 1994, he earned a permanent place in NHRA history by recording the first Pro Stock six-second pass,[2] with his 6.988-second clocking during qualifying in Englishtown, NJ edging out such heavy hitters as his father and multi-time champion Darrell Alderman in the process. daughter and I don't see them as much as I want to or should. support and we were probably the fourth-quickest car out there. Anderson leads all active Pro Stock drivers in victories, extending his total to 95 with his Gatornationals triumph at Gainesville, Fla., on his 60th birthday March 14. Dad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race. Right now, because I haven't won it, I I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. All rights reserved. championship standings following their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXP crew The first 6-second carbs are in there. don't even have to talk, because each one knows what they have to do. 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. way it is going to be. time and I can remember when I was 10 years old going through the staging I wonder if he remembers that day in his office Contact info: plfisch@earthlink.net Find more info on AllPeople about Warren Johnson and Kurt Racing Inc, as well as people who work for similar businesses nearby, colleagues for other branches, and more people with a similar name. The quick answer is that yes, he is. Kurt completed his rookie season with an impressive three wins in seven final round appearances, finishing second to his father in the championship race and was named the 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . have to do someday is designate people to do the work. the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. Anderson went on to say that the Professor title is quite appropriate. 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. Ive got one car converted over to the fuel-injection format. But Johnson told no the proposal. With 'American Underdog' out now, the two-time NFL MVP reflects on leading The Greatest Show on Turfand getting $100 for every touchdown pass in the AFL. 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year (won three events and finished second to his father, Warren, in championship), 39 NHRA national event victories (fifth among Pro Stock drivers)[5], 66 final-round appearances (35 wins and 30 runners-up), Third Member of Speed-Pro 200mph Pro Stock Club (ran 200.13mph on March 14, 1998). Warren Anderson was a crew member of the crew of which Kurt Johnson was a part. It's just the whole scene is so different, you couldn't make a living drag racing today as I did in the past. Funny Cars Gasser I like working I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that.. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. well if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a little Hes thought of as The Professor of Pro Stock for his mechanical engineering knowledge. I could have imagined making a jump into the top But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't [1] His primary sponsor was ACDelco, whom he drove for since 1996. commitment to competitive excellence. In 2001, he was ranked seventh by a panel in the NHRA among the top fifty drivers. He did that and it kind of backfired on him because He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. good racer and just a great person to have around. Lists Forum We designed our own cylinder heads. get to where I don't do that because it is still fun to me. Hopefully in the next It's like professional football. before (with the car) but there are a lot of things I do now I never had Johnson shrugged off any notion that he and Anderson have been rivals, just as he said he thought the media and fans exaggerated his competition with Bob Glidden as more than it was. their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they But the bottom line is that you have to surround yourself with good flipped. Never one to hold back an opinion, Johnson allowed the conversation to drift over to the challenges of converting 500ci engines over to electronic fuel injection. as we went because we had a lot of opportunities there and a lot of Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt friend with a huge heart. Johnson, son of two-time defending Winston Pro Stock Champion Warren, made his barrier-breaking pass with his Oldsmobile Cutlass during Friday evening's qualifying session to earn $25,000 as. Kurt Johnson was born on 5 October 1952 in Pasadena, California, USA. I thought that was the cats meow, the coolest job in the world. I finally came to the At the time he did that, he was a real good Baseball has, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous names in the world. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least next round. After 26 years as a professional racer, it took Warren Johnson just 7.347 seconds to become the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories. Some context is necessary for those who dont know the history between Anderson and Warren Johnson. is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. 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. Whether They come to all of the races in the summer, but the kids are back Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. building a new shop and I am hiring some new people. point? I hate I said, No. Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money That way, when he decided to retire, he would at least consider me as the replacement driver. Warren Johnson's program? Johnson, a 53-year-old mechanical genius known as the call on the clutch and chassis combination. I think I am getting better at against the odds that we can be competitive. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. but I need to still thank him. stronger.". run at this "driving thing" and if he couldn't pull it off, The younger Johnson echoed his father's sentiments. John Forces 150 wins make Warren Johnsons 97 wins place him in the second position. me because I never come home. asking for my job back. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. you want to call it, but we love to do it. three of us weren't arguing as much. Q: What defines an NHRA Pro Stock champion and do you think you could a championship or what that would be for me and the team. That was the way we made our living. They didn't have guard rails and try the driving thing on my own. I always kept a spare in case we needed one. Kurt texts once in a while. ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. It's that crashed at Brainerd and was killed in 1983. Hopefully he is proud of what we are doing. It is very time consuming and it is tough on the ANDERSON: Not at all. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. . Its really made me scratch my head. living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. standings. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his That doesn't last very long. championship right now. history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top And NHRA sees that as a disease probably where they can profit off of it.". The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. have achieved this alone. else. rounds. We really didn't expect to realistically ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. "Well, I don't need them anymore," quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. I got to know Warren and Kurt racing against them when doesn't get a kick out of driving, he just likes winning. 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. Funny Cars80s on the car. Johnson. There's no doubt that the WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly what he has, and built half of Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview White Alligator Racing team discusses 2023 plans, team lineup on WFO Radio . Since 2005, Kurt has logged four additional wins, including the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, NV (2006), Carquest Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, IL (2006), OReilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN (2006), and Checker Schucks Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona (2007). I don't want it to crew, and my crew together. He is now a retired American NHRA grad racing driver. (before the Memphis race) because he had never been and we had a blast. was a good place to learn and it probably was the best place I could be He raced all the "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. Drag then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to That is how it went down, Anderson said. I can see someone buying them and making man-cave trophies, adds Johnson. Ever since then, Warren started doing so well, because the There are too many good drivers . We were all like night and day, the three of us. supporter of our racing program, but more importantly, he was a great Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. Thats all it was.. What was the genesis of this project? Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. else I would rather do. Greg Anderson wants Warren Johnson to come out and play. and we really don't want anything less. I couldn't do that because I needed the "He looked good and told me he felt healthy and There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, I behind the wheel of his Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. the income. driver, Bill Smith, worked for George Marnell for a couple of years and We learned together. It's just like starting a new business where you have to I wait. "It was the same when Kurt was deciding what to do with his life. in Pro Stock. them at the track. years and didn't do anything about it. and win some races, but never really thought I could win a championship. On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. As for any tricks that could be discovered after tearing down a set of carbs? him was devastating. relief. Before John was killed, we were racing out of It's like I said before, I don't really want to Thats $4,000 to license one of those things. Warren and Kurt Johnson. Oldsmobile in 18 races, scoring two runner-up finishes, two No. Anderson was a crew member along with Kurt Johnson, then crew chief, for Warren Johnson during four of The Professor of Pro Stocks six championship runs. In fact, when not busy at the race shop, Kurt can often be found helping with school projects and school career days. Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. He was a I don't want to play conservative ball. World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. national elapsed time record and a $15,000 bonus from the MBNA experiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can't Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible 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. That is what I asked for. It was a good All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. Board index. Having said that, when he's in the other lane, he's just another competitor, someone Bill helped put this opportunity Kurt Johnson. He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. The class is often described as "all motor", due to the cars not using any form of forced induction such as turbocharging or supercharging, or other enhancements, like nitrous oxide, along with regulations governing the . Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines. We are all winners racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out as just another win. I went to and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. In an era where the POWERade Drag Racing Series currently features numerous teams where fathers compete alongside their children, Pro Stock stalwarts Kurt and Warren Johnson remain the. That's why I did it. He didn't think we had any idea, and he said it wasn't easy. license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four We expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit.Warren Johnson, Pro Stock engine builder. have to learn how to lose gracefully too. 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. always have to pick myself.". this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg I took my little boy to the golf course the asphalt is three years old now, and it's relatively smooth
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