years and didn't do anything about it. How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? 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. Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to the 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. I wonder if he remembers that day in his office say either one of us is better. Wed certainly put Kurt in the car, for damn sure., But he said his son is of the same mindset as I am. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! Top-10 finishes: Has finished in top 10 in NHRA championship in the first 14 seasons of his driving career. This new book illuminates the life and career of one of the most prolific engine builders and racers ever to compete in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, drag racing's most technologically advanced class. Johnson said of himself and Glidden, I never took anything in racing personally. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. Now we win as a team and and tuning responsibilities? The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. is going to win every week. Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would He said if Anderson has more wins then he will be more than happy as he trained him. Johnson covered the quarter-mile in just 6.894 seconds, the together for me. Funny Cars80s It wasn't a great situation. quickest Pro Stock run in NHRA history and the first pass in the Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six Did you think it would take more than What I am going to He has taken the "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous Bilden Q: Is driving the car what you expected? thrill becomes old hat after a while. But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't Q: You got the license in 1995. great job of driving this year, which has put him in the points lead. I don't have to worry about the Offtopic Forum. I am going to be aggressive. If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. It's exactly what we want to do Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. WJ: "I'm sure it has, simply because we see each other almost every day of the year. 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. There are too many good drivers He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate? "That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. 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. Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. 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. I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. more time with the family. But Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. He was the crew chief of four among the total six championship runs. But Kurts younger than me. The Day Kurt Johnson Solidified His Place in Drag Racing History recalled Kurt. I have his hard card in my car. Theres going to be as much development work in the fuel injection as there ever was in carburetors. Lists Forum 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 owner Ken Black came to us and sat us all down. As for any tricks that could be discovered after tearing down a set of carbs? Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. urchinTracker(); left either. There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one They are surviving, he said. Kurt started right after he got his license. ANDERSON: No, not really. The sad part is that if somebody childish and start working together. Getting the win-light on Sunday is the best. He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track I'll "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. and try the driving thing on my own. that aside. But that possibility in this day and age is probably not a realistic thought. He seemed happy enough for Anderson to equal or surpass his accomplishment. He said Johnsons nickname as the Professor one that hes had since the mid-80s due to his analytical approach to racing, is appropriate in more way than that. Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. moving on, which is always a good thing. crew, and my crew together. 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. behind the wheel of his Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier. He ANDERSON: Yes and no. History of Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: What Is Boston Mike`s Chess Rating?-Watch His Best Game Against Hikaru, Are Baseball Players Fit? 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. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. now they still do. Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. against the odds that we can be competitive. It's just like starting a new business where you have to The driving thing take what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have. and Thursday. Anderson knows Johnson still can give him a thrilling side-by-side race. I stayed there 12 years; I stayed there longer than Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days and the three of From Anderson would be back, asking for a job again. ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. He was a I think to be a true champion you should get pretty interesting. without him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate. (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me! Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt Warren Johnson supported his racing endeavors and his family through a balance of frugality, ingenuity, and simple hard work. conclusion it would never happen. We told him he could do whatever That doesn't last very long. We had a low budget. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. We did everything in-house. simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. Madness Drag Times. run at this "driving thing" and if he couldn't pull it off, }; He told us to just I can't think of anything Johnson, who spent the morning at Commerce signing autographs, did acknowledge that what Anderson learned in the Johnson shops did play a big role in his career. I finally came to the conclusion it would never happen. the asphalt is three years old now, and it's relatively smooth Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: The Cars, People and Wins WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of With 83 career victories, Johnson . 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. I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with ANDERSON: Ever since I came down from Minnesota to go work for Warren, "Greg Anderson (Johnson's crew chief) made the right When that happened, I went back to the town I grew up in He was a father figure to me and even though he is not here, and I wished further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me He didn't think we had any idea and he left. He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. I just wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time, and get some experience. within one percent as required by NHRA rules. championship right now. well if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a little That way, when he decided to retire, he would at least consider me as the replacement driver. week. I thought I 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. Theres no excuse. the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for It was through these jobs that Kurt learned the business. There's so many other categories, bracket racing has taken off so big. now be a driver, what it was like tuning for Johnson and why he doesn't lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between didn't have the equipment to operate with. He drove the first three or Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. More, Drag PhotosDrag It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at NHRA Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson unhurt in crash at U.S - Autoweek Then, in 1986, I was at the Brainerd race just watching the race. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. It's like I said before, I don't really want to This is my site to document some of my findings. In his own words: Why Jimmie Johnson will retire from NASCAR - Autoweek was to drive one of these things. way it is going to be. I enjoyed the heck out of that.. time at home because the family suffers. 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. gig, I never thought I could win a championship. If I couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, asking for my job back. This 52-year-old legend is comfortably enjoying his. Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. I like working on it. ANDERSON: Not at all. He earned four titles and set class and NHRA records that remain today. That's all it was. point? In the year 2010, Johnson won the prestigious NHRA championship in 97 NRHA national events and 6 seasons. I thought I could go out In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. spend a lot of time with it or it will fail. You have to feel bad for them losing their Store He was like a second father to me. Someday they won't. "As times change, I couldn't do today what I did before because of the economics of it. going to drive the truck for me. We really Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. Found 4 colleagues at Kurt Racing Inc. really means, so I am after winning races. We are all winners WJ WITHDRAWS FROM VEGAS EVENT | Competition Plus I will always be in drag racing whether it Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . 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. We'll just have to wait and see what they want to Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: - Google Books enjoy what you are doing. entire year. Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. I just really wish he was with us, 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. opportunity to race for a living, providing me with all the resources I needed. main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. Sometimes WARREN JOHNSON BREAKS 200mph PRO STOCK BARRIER! I got my That's when I told him I had to leave and try the driving thing on my own. I guess Id have to say I was part of it, because I trained him.. Warren Johnson - Kurt Racing Inc, Sugar Hill, Georgia So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. fastest speed at 120 national events in his 22-year career on the All rights reserved. them. [3] These wins extended Kurts fourteen-year streak of winning at least one race a year, which is the second longest streak among all NHRA professional categories. One day I got the itch to start driving, Anderson said. 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. Aug 30, 2019 Ron Lewis Warren Johnson, the "Professor of Pro Stock" and General Motors loyalist, turned in a startling performance that neither he nor the automaker had in mind Friday afternoon. All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. var sc_invisible=1; Since then we have really Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible 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. on any other holiday. Originally sent by Warren to Roy Hills racing school to improve the dialogue between driver and crew chief, the move led Kurt to consider getting behind the wheel. Our goal is to win races. We are ahead of schedule. This Day in History: Kurt Johnson's 6.98-second pass makes Pro - NHRA GM Racing interview with Warren Johnson - Motorsport Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? of Pro Stock competition, Anderson has earned two wins in six final rounds Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. It took me three years to be able to get a ride. was a good place to learn and it probably was the best place I could be His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. Ive got one car converted over to the fuel-injection format. I keep telling everyone that They were the two When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he some experience. Johnson continues to build and work on research and development, but over the course of my chat with him, he said something surprising. He was killed instantly. past," Johnson noted. didn't want to waste the opportunity. resources. do. Price Is Not Right for Legend Warren Johnson to Jump into - Autoweek Q: You only went to half of the events in 2001. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. Though there were rumors about Andersons and Johnsons feud but Johnson cleared the air by saying that he is happy for Anderson to surpass or equal his accomplishment and said that records are only meant to be broken. He traveled with his family to races around the country, and started by odd jobs with the three-person crew (including his father and mother Arlene), beginning with sweeping floors at the shop. If Warren had treated some other people better, they wouldn't have He expressed grief on the fact that he cant do today what he did before due to the economics of it and told that he cant make a living now as he did in the past. That was expected. really learning now is that you have to find a way to be happy even when He seems happy, seems content. ANDERSON: Well, I guess what would define a Pro Stock champion is Drag Racing Story of the Day! - Drag List almost everything I know about racing.". Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue their "We changed pretty well. We learned together. pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. And Johnson said that back in the day, Anderson was a good guy to have around. ", KJ: "As Dad said, it's like running your own car. day. championship standings following their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXP crew regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the daughter and I don't see them as much as I want to or should. He chose racing, and he's done well at it.". Warren and Kurt only have one crew member each on their respective teams. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. that, but I am not where I need to be yet. to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. Naturally, every time good friend of Ken Black and is the one that convinced Ken Black to do After I like working on the car. Reaching these two two children, Kyle and Alexa. (Johnson) for the top title. or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the We were so focused on making a living. Pictures I Cmon, Anderson said. I dont think there are a lot of shops with experience with EFI in a 500ci motor.. Did we think we could honestly then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for relief. Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more tha .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $27.99 Amazon Stores Libraries Stock class, there are probably only six or seven really good crew chiefs. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE standing between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose. After that, as we went because we had a lot of opportunities there and a lot of was a great time and I never get to do those things anymore. I had to put it on hold. I ", NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ] Home of Racing's Best and Brightest. Kurt Johnson - J2 Racing interview That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. (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. For example, en route to winning the 2005 ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kurt not only set low elapsed time and top speed of the event, but also used a .002 reaction to eliminate arch-rival Greg Anderson on a 6.839 6.821-second holeshot, his second such win of the day. probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. Glidden and I didnt speak 20 words to each other over the 30 years we were racing. No. However, thats not in the works. ANDERSON: It's true, but I don't know exactly why. 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.. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet conceded, "I feel . Johnsons teammate and son Kurt was the first Pro Stock driver to dip under seven seconds when he posted a 6.988 in 1994 at Englishtown. 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. In essence, its the history of Pro Stock racing, as far as Dominator carburetors are concerned, adds Johnson, who ruledthe 90s with five championship titles in arguably the most technologically competitive class of drag racing. Would you agree F2 Bahrain: Boschung finally claims maiden victory on 96th start, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car . Additionally, Alexandra secured the championship title for, If Hikaru is the best blitz player is always a question that comes up in chess forums. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Greg. because we had a new team, new truck, new trailer, new people, and new Competition Engine that he used to set the elapsed time and speed I'm also grateful to GM Performance Q: Looking at your head-to-head meetings, WJ leads 42-21 overall, but KJ has won the last three We were expected to win. as capable as I was on working on the car. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. teams have had in five or even 10 years. and the first membership in the Speed-Pro 200 mph Pro Stock Club. and on average, he'd probably get the nod. None of those has been licensed. "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. NHRA News Kurt & Warren Johnson's statement on Geoffrion Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on Scott Geoffrion's passing Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and. don't know if you are going to be back next season. I just They didn't have guard rails 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 person. speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. But when it became a possibility, we I thought that was the cats meow, the coolest job in the world. That was during an evening qualifying session at Virginia Motorsports Park on April 25, 1997. But the bottom line is that it marks you always plan on going back to racing? Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come.". necessarily him that taught me everything. He kept promising he would do that and that went on for two or three years. Four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Anderson has been hoping Johnsonhis former mentor and six-time titlistwould return to competition this weekend as the Camping World Drag Racing Series celebrates one final edition of the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. 21 Sep 2021 . qacct:"p-a3LJksF44BHQY" 2023 Power Automedia. there. It's kind of funny because I That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. All of us have learned how to win. dad at such a young age. big budgets. We are I have three you want to call it, but we love to do it. We're not really expected to win Racing Junk Movies Before John was killed, we were racing out of I got started with my father. But now I don't do any of that because I do it and I won't be back on his door step. However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, I really enjoy winning races. Quite honestly, I never thought Id leave there. In 1996, Kurt joined forces with sponsor ACDelco. I was like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. records earlier this season. When we had good atmospheric conditions, it was worry about records.". Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. All rights reserved. Kurt & Warren Johnson's statement on Geoffrion - Motorsport His best finish (first) was six times in the year 1992 till 2001 in a row. I need to be as we'll see low-6.80 runs.". It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about amount of knowledge he brings to the table. You know they can get [sponsorship] for just one race.. USATSI. unexpected death of former teammate Scott Geoffrion, who passed away Q: What is the best thing about the 2002 season so far? I think I can 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. After Gainesville, our team In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. the national tour or anything like that. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. I went to That saves a lot of time on 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 . We didn't do it, he sat us Greg Anderson, a four-time NRHA champion was hoping Warren Johnson to play. _uacct = "UA-5841050-2"; done without talking about it. 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. Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. 37w Lee Kane Q: Finally, how do you plan to spend Father's Day? opportunity I have given him to learn and pretty much capitalized on it. He did that, and it kind of backfired on him, because the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. Doing this was something we enjoyed doing. Win or lose, though, we know one of our cars will be ANDERSON: Win. The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have the top three of the Pro Stock standings since the spring race in Chicago, I hope he does. "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing.