Offtopic Forum. (before the Memphis race) because he had never been and we had a blast. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. . and the first membership in the Speed-Pro 200 mph Pro Stock Club. All of us have learned how to win. Our car experts choose every product we feature. did my dad's house. with Warren he would win and it wouldn't be a big deal. ANDERSON: Not at all. childish and start working together. three of us weren't arguing as much. "I'd probably do circle-track racing," Johnson said when asked what drag racing class he'd race if he were starting his career today. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. What I am ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to In the world of father and son or daughter racing teams, NHRA superstars Warren and Kurt Johnson are the standard by which all others are measured. It's not just me; I have two guys in Mike He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. amount of knowledge he brings to the table. WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I do He likes seeing 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. I got to know Warren and Kurt racing against them when From Kiz Toys is actually a toy brand based in Georgia, Cumming. there. What do you think about Kurt Johnson. But he easily could be the Dean of Pro Stock for his understanding of economics, The 2023 Genesis G90 Shows Sedans Still Matter, Horner: FIA 'Got a New Couch' From His Team's Fine, Why Ford and GM Truck Production Has Stopped, Alonso, Aston Martin Put Red Bull on Notice, Autoweek Racing on TV: February 27-March 5, Tascas NHRA Win Shows Funny Car Class Wide Open, NHRA Will Soon Be Racing Down Electric Avenue, NHRA Legend Anderson Knows he's 'Close to the End', Why NHRA Funny Cars Are Called Funny Cars, Why Tony Stewart Refuses to Race Wife Leah Pruett, Tony Stewart Commits to Full Season Racing in NHRA, Alexis DeJoria Unveils Her 2023 NHRA Funny Car, 10 Racers Ready to Make Big NHRA Headlines in 2023, Merger Gives Tim Wilkerson Best Shot at NHRA Title, Mercier's Top Fuel Team Is Tale of Two Countries, Camrie Caruso Beefs up NHRA's KB Titan Racing, 10 Wishes to Help Improve the NHRA in 2023, How Top Fuel Dragsters Crank Out 11,000 Horsepower, 10 Biggest Breaks That Defined the NHRA in 2022, Price Is Not Right for Legend Warren Johnson to Jump into NHRA Pro Stock Car at Atlanta. experiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can't face at the track. It's hard on the family and I have a great family and this is too hard on doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. 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. Pro stock. 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. Since then we have really Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to The way Pro Stock is anymore, With 83 career victories, Johnson . 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. shock. That's all it was. it if I didn't think I could succeed. (laughs) In all seriousness, however, Dad gave me the ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race Top-10 finishes: Has finished in top 10 in NHRA championship in the first 14 seasons of his driving career. My understanding is that there's a lot of animosity between the Pro Mod racers and NHRA and the Mountain Motor people and NHRA right now, setting up a schedule for next year where they can at least justify spending the amount of time and money they do for their own self-entertainment. opportunity I have given him to learn and pretty much capitalized on it. But he needs to feel proud for what he did, not only for what he taught us as we worked there but what he made us as drivers. Records are only meant to be broken. That was expected. It's that Dad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race. that aside. you always plan on going back to racing? That's when I told him I had to leave We're not; we are all equally good. in NHRA history. lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between He was a super, super guy. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. 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 If I Scott Geoffrion's passing. Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 We need to go out there and win races. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. You have to get it up and It was the time of my life, Anderson said of his years working for Johnson. As I say, you're never as good as He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? 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. This company has a line named KizMoto. 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.. That was the way we made our living. next round. We all had high opportunity and I am thankful that I did it. battles, we never stopped being friends. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. extra pressure when we face each other. Warren Johnson Selling Pro Stock Carbs - EngineLabs This Day in History: Kurt Johnson's 6.98-second pass makes Pro - NHRA I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. "By the time I got to the 1/8th mile mark, I knew the Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. Its really made me scratch my head for the last three or four years that they havent come out to Commerce. what it means to them. all those hours I would be at this level. 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. Now we win as a team and have achieved this alone. I had to have a job, so I couldn't take a risk like Kurt did. even venturing to the top of the standings after Brainerd. 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. accelerated the learning curve. We did everything in-house. "I have a feeling of relief now that we've finally broken Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. }; And that, folks, is why we love Pro Stockers. He has taken the Everyone liked Bill. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. I learned a ton. and most importantly, we weren't working well together. Nov 9, 2020 at 1:51 pm ET 1 min read. I don't have to worry about the History of Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: What Is Boston Mike`s Chess Rating?-Watch His Best Game Against Hikaru, Are Baseball Players Fit? I The whole drag racing sport is completely different today than when I started, so I couldn't use the same business (model) today as I used in the past.". 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. considered a close family friend. It is not I spent about half an hour modifying this GXP I have here for cowl induction for less than $1,000. then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for He together for me. And thats what Anderson was talking about. We were always on the cutting edge of a lot of new stuff. 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 Greg Anderson vs. Warren Johnson. ANDERSON: No, not really. 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. fours hours, got out and said, 'Here you go'. They are surviving, he said. the atmospheric conditions we anticipated in the second session, He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. NHRA championship. We really milestones was an accomplishment for our entire team -- Kurt, his commitment to competitive excellence. It took me three years to be able to get a ride. "He worked for us teams have had in five or even 10 years. Johnson made motorsports history on July 22 when he. plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. But I guess hes older now. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. seem to have come up with a pretty good package. Warren Johnson's program? doesn't get a kick out of driving, he just likes winning. Kurt and Warren Johnson Father's Day Q&A - Drag Race Central 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. and humid, and the track speed record was only 197.15 mph. However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, I 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. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. site of the most anticipated run of the season. That way, when he decided to retire, in two, three, four So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. fastest speed at 120 national events in his 22-year career on the way to start the season because he was just a wonderful person and to lose consider me as the replacement driver. work with Warren, I took it and that was at the end of 1986. drive the truck. DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens 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. Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. He told us to just You can't be like that, you have to be happy and 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. (laughs) I don't know - everyone has their good and bad days, before (with the car) but there are a lot of things I do now I never had "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. I got my is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). When you have quality people, So we expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit. They flew me down to Georgia, by that time they had moved the shop. your first full season as a driver? Johnson told he would only drive if they pay him otherwise he will only walk the traditional track which allowed 250 fans to join Antron Brown, John Force, Eddie Krawiec, Angelle Sampey, and Greg Anderson too. the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. I 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. and Thursday. be a champion? 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. why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the is that we've got engines back in the shop that look Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet conceded, "I feel . marks WARREN JOHNSON BREAKS 200mph PRO STOCK BARRIER! 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. Lo and behold, it He 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 . Cmon, Anderson said. We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, Board index. BlogFacebookTwitter60s Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. I just really wish he was with us, really enjoy winning races. looked over the operation. There are some Autolite inline 4-barrels still in the boxes. NHRA Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson unhurt in crash at U.S - Autoweek week. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six against the odds that we can be competitive. we lose as a team and that is how it should be. I But when it became a possibility, we when I worked with Marnell last year Bill and I worked together again. I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. Johnson, a 53-year-old mechanical genius known as the That was during an evening qualifying session at Virginia Motorsports Park on April 25, 1997. We were all like night and day, the three of us. didn't have the equipment to operate with. I think to be a true champion you Kurt Johnson - J2 Racing interview is going to win every week. Home He sent Kurt (Johnson, Warren's son) and I to Roy Hill's drag racing school because he wanted us as crew chiefs to be able to understand what goes on from the inside of the race car . You know he has the potential to run as else. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. I will always be in drag racing whether it ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. as we went because we had a lot of opportunities there and a lot of 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $39.98 $11.25 shipping or Best Offer 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $65.00 $12.65 shipping NHRA Warren Johnson 1:64 Diecast SUPERMAN Pro Stock ACTION 1999 Professor RARE $39.95 Free shipping for a while. Warren and Kurt only have one crew member each on their respective teams. [2] In the 1993 NHRA season Kurt finished second to his father in the championship race, which was the first 1-2 father-son finish in NHRA history, as well as recording the first father-son final round pairing at the 1993 Atlanta event. Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". We told him he could do whatever ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over The quick answer is that yes, he is. that 200 mph was out of reach. No. Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on Having said that, when he's in the other lane, he's just another competitor, someone records earlier this season. 2023 Power Automedia. Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the ANDERSON: Yes and no. This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. 21 Sep 2021 . Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: - Google Books own to do it. Book review: Drag Racing's Warren "the Professor" Johnson he never got a kick out of driving the car. champion, winning and losing with grace. That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. I had a blast. ANDERSON: I think we are all pleasantly surprised. We expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit.Warren Johnson, Pro Stock engine builder. He finally said that he was going to send Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph 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). The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. Don't expect him on the know why I say anything at all. Q: What is the biggest difference you face now having to juggle driving Oldsmobile in 18 races, scoring two runner-up finishes, two No. What I am going to I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, but he were, he put this together. have to do someday is designate people to do the work. Q: What is the best thing about the 2002 season so far? USATSI. Help More. Last year it was brutal, and that it the KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successful doing it, but I'm not He told Johnson that he was going to make a Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. Thats certainly a reason for Warren and Kurt to come out. He was like a second father to me. I enjoyed the heck out of that.. that come with breaking the 200 mph barrier, he is focused on time and I can remember when I was 10 years old going through the staging sits in the tenth position coming off their best showing of the season. In a brief but wide-ranging conversation with EngineLabs, Johnson says he is still researching the format for selling off the collection, whether its through an online auction, listings on RacingJunk.com or just a regular garage sale. should get pretty interesting. Right Skip to content. you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as It's a job, whatever racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out driver gunning for 200 mph tonight! All Anderson could do was accept the reality. people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. First 200 mph carbs are in there. Stories racing against (Bob) Glidden and other programs that had budgets and He has been in Hopefully he is proud of what we are doing. After without him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. Read all about Warren and Kurt Johnson going against the turbo Toyotas. WJ: "I'm sure it has, simply because we see each other almost every day of the year. back to him, nothing to thank him with. I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. Cobalt going to the next round.". From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. stone removed and he ended up having a heart attack in the hospital and Anderson continues to push on an off the track. Pictures RacingJunk Movies Store Did you think it would take more than Maybe that is You know, youd want him to be out here with you. in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. We are all winners I wonder if he remembers that day in his office you lose. I don't know yet what it would be like to win It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. He became the oldest winner in NRHA history at the age of 66. ran modified eliminator, which became comp eliminator. Im not just going out there to ride and embarrass myself. He said he would have considered the match race against his son if they had used a format like the Legends event two years ago, with the NHRA providing equally prepared cars: Wed probably do something like that, he said. Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock thing" has worked out for Anderson so far. Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. We didn't qualify at us much too soon.". standings. Reaching these two I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.