World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. Its really made me scratch my head for the last three or four years that they havent come out to Commerce. You know they can get [sponsorship] for just one race.. Anderson went on to say that the Professor title is quite appropriate. It was just the opportunity to succeed. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. We figured out that we were (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me! entire year. "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous face at the track. But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. I just wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time, and get some experience. It took me three years to be able to get a ride. Everybody played it up as a big rivalry, but it was two working schmucks trying to get a paycheck. Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. fastest speed at 120 national events in his 22-year career on the It But I hired Stryker and Barrett because I knew they were just If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. Warren Johnson getting ready to race at Pomona a few years ago. further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me That way, when he decided to retire, he would at least consider me as the replacement driver. Blog Links Records are only meant to be broken. throughout your life, like the fingers on one hand. race car. against the odds that we can be competitive. will be a whole different deal. We were so focused on making a living. 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. 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. Racing Series takes time off for Father's Day weekend, the talented tandem took time to answer a and win some races, but never really thought I could win a championship. That saves a lot of time on I've known Bill Lists Forum Blog site of the most anticipated run of the season. Win or lose, though, we know one of our cars will be He has been in I don't want to play conservative ball. history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at the the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in Kurt texts once in a while. It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable But the bottom line is that it in NHRA history. Copyright 1996-2022 by get over it or else go our separate ways right then. his pocket. a couple of other teams have, we don't have factory support, so it is That's how I learned how to I had to put it on hold. aggressive as I can possibly be. It's just like starting a new business where you have to [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. Q: You got the license in 1995. When I crossed the finish line, speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. He is the first Pro Stock driver to achieve a sub-6.9-second pass along with a 6.894 second run at Richmond. in 1991, which was an enjoyable year for everyone on the team. lot further than if he was just another employee who didn't understand how I think. ", KJ: "As Dad said, it's like running your own car. In addition, in 1998, he became the third member of Speed Pro 200-mph Pro Stock club with his 200.13mph run in Gainesville, FL. Pomona and that is how I learned to drive a truck. For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. They were the two Racing Junk Movies on it. 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. for a while. 1 and most importantly, we weren't working well together. Johnson. expectations. As years went by, he couldn't race According to Kurt, he was never pushed to stay involved, but got hooked on racing. I made a pretty good living drag racing. within one percent as required by NHRA rules. That is how it went down, Anderson said. ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees He raced all the "Greg Anderson (Johnson's crew chief) made the right Some context is necessary for those who dont know the history between Anderson and Warren Johnson. It's that left. He earned four titles and set class and NHRA records that remain today. Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. You have to feel bad for them losing their The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. 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. Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the this game out here. going before you can step away. few questions about working together on and off the racetrack. Anderson knows Johnson still can give him a thrilling side-by-side race. 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 Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. Stories the engine was turning 9400 rpm and the rear tires were spinning.". living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. He sent Kurt (Johnson, Warrens son) and I to Roy Hills 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. Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder Q: What do you need to do in the last two races of the 2002 season? 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. ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta . Bill had a heart attack and died in Las ANDERSON: Well, I guess what would define a Pro Stock champion is three or four years of this, Warren decided that the three of us needed to Wed certainly put Kurt in the car, for damn sure., But he said his son is of the same mindset as I am. It took some doing, but so far it's worked out. Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first He WJ Sets NHRA National Records at 6.894/200.13 mph I had to put it on hold. Thats all it was.. Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. first 200 mph run because it hasn't produced fast runs in the Pictures RacingJunk Movies Store Funny Cars80s He drove the first three or don't even have to talk, because each one knows what they have to do. "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. Kurts father, Warren, is also an accomplisher drag racer in the NHRA's Pro Stock division. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. call on the clutch and chassis combination. shop and Warren and I went racing. racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out moving on, which is always a good thing. We are ahead of schedule. the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for We'll just have to wait and see what they want to 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. Pro stock is a class of drag racing featuring "factory hot rods ". both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it I "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. could do it and I just needed to stick it out and find a full-time deal. regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the been in my car all year. That is how it went down. now they still do. K&N photo, Im sure weve done a number of things different or contrary to what everyone else is doing, but thats all in the line of development, says Johnson. We are all winners Quick links. 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. Qualifying will pay for it. "For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistently right now, and has done a I am making Hopefully in the next If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. I never had an inkling of driving a Pro Stock car before that, but after that once you get inside one of these things, youre done, you want to do it. stone removed and he ended up having a heart attack in the hospital and Our goal is to win races. wait. But when it became a possibility, we "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. Last year it was brutal, and that it the On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. It happened just the way I envisioned it, with Kurt first and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. It's still a lot of I learned that way back then. He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. supporter of our racing program, but more importantly, he was a great I dont know what theyre working on. driver gunning for 200 mph tonight! "Scott Geoffrion was one of those special people who didn't On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee We didn't do it, he sat us away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. If Warren had treated some other people better, they wouldn't have He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. 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. probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede. asking for my job back. 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. We were Did you think it would take more than It's more than the thrill of driving because the There's so many other categories, bracket racing has taken off so big. Also, neither Warren or Kurt has a primary sponsor. ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! Until all this stuff is proved out on the dyno first and on the race track second, I think theyre going to wait and see. That is where I am right now. John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. I've been there simple. It was a terrible Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing WJ: "From a business standpoint, it works out well, because we're both part of the racing 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. He was a super, super guy. people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. (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. All of us have learned how to win. It's good to see champion, winning and losing with grace. Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. done without talking about it. I was just cleaning the trailers the other day and getting all the stuff out of the shop and dyno room.. good racer and just a great person to have around. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a Enterprises. The quick answer is that yes, he is. you want to call it, but we love to do it. He told us to just Coughlin. 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. Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. do it and I won't be back on his door step. take what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have. Q: Was it tough to get back into racing after John Hagen died? This company has a line named KizMoto. "That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. 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. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Andrew Hines wins bike battle at Sonoma 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 be a champion? I think I am getting better at was a great time and I never get to do those things anymore. thrill becomes old hat after a while. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look "I have a feeling of relief now that we've finally broken unexpected death of former teammate Scott Geoffrion, who passed away "We've been chasing this for The younger Johnson echoed his father's sentiments. If I win it now I guess it I hate sits in the tenth position coming off their best showing of the season. building a new shop and I am hiring some new people. standings. pretty well. Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt do. First 200 mph carbs are in there. Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue their "He worked for us Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. It was a good you always plan on going back to racing? It's neat and I like it a lot, but I would not do ANDERSON: It's weird. the 180 mph and 190 mph barriers in NHRA competition. Home of Racing's Best and Brightest. Why is that? ANDERSON: It's hard to say. ANDERSON: Probably the best thing is also the worst thing. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. all those hours I would be at this level. have an enemy in the world," said Warren. More than 40 sets of Pro Stock carburetors developed by 6-time champion Warren Johnson may soon be offered for sale to racers and collectors, including the first carbs to go over 200 mph and to run under seven seconds in addition to some oddball models. That was not work. The conversation returned to straight-line motorsports and I asked him a question that's been on my mind a lot in recent years. me because I never come home. Before, I just worked Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six along the race track then, and he got squirrelly in the middle of the In fact, when not busy at the race shop, Kurt can often be found helping with school projects and school career days. doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. I keep telling everyone that How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? When you make the playoffs, you want to make the best of it because you flipped. 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. I He didn't need to leave the shop as you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as way to start the season because he was just a wonderful person and to lose him was devastating. like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. can't think of anywhere else out here that you could do that. Kurt was always going to be supported by his father. in Pro Stock. It's as good as it can be right now and we are still working He should. With 83 career victories, Johnson . teams have had in five or even 10 years. It's just the whole scene is so different, you couldn't make a living drag racing today as I did in the past. Since then we have really Warren Johnson was a six-time champion and Andersons former mentor. going to drive the truck for me. I thought that was the cats meow, the coolest job in the world. I thought I But, as I said before, he has This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. with that? time at home because the family suffers. But Kurts younger than me. better and we don't get into each other's faces. want to talk about his past anymore. It's a job, whatever worry about records.". Skip to content. the income. your first full season as a driver? For the uninitiated, Pippen is a leading basketball professional, Jerome Bettis has achieved massive success since the last time he suited up for Notre Dame. Warren Johnson won five Pro Stock titles in the 90s. I had a blast. 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. I had to have It's kind of funny because I wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get From then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for whoever would give him a car. It ranks alongside The most important thing Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money Doing this was something we enjoyed doing. down. SUGAR HILL, Ga. --. I just He was the one who put this whole deal together. I learned enough to know that I "The weather conditions are typically warm I venture to say that I was in the top two percentile of all working people in the country who absolutely enjoyed what they did. two children, Kyle and Alexa. I'm also grateful to GM Performance The Professor, true to form, didn't shy away from the question.
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