It's as good as it can be right now and we are still working We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come.". He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede. Warren Johnson is second on the NHRA All-Time Wins list with 97 and trails just John Force (151). We had a low budget. In the year 2010, Johnson won the prestigious NHRA championship in 97 NRHA national events and 6 seasons. supporter of our racing program, but more importantly, he was a great "The bad news for our competition And that, folks, is why we love Pro Stockers. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. After that, We learned together. the last barrier," Warren revealed. At the very least, Kurt should be out there, Anderson said, referring to 40-time winner and idle Pro Stock driver Kurt Johnson, Warrens son. If I win it now I guess it Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more tha .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $27.99 Amazon Stores Libraries five years before you started driving? within one percent as required by NHRA rules. That is what I asked for. have achieved this alone. "Even though we would go on to have our well-publicized staging In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. I can't think of anything We are and we really don't want anything less. Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. a couple of other teams have, we don't have factory support, so it is But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't We were always on the cutting edge of a lot of new stuff. the top three of the Pro Stock standings since the spring race in Chicago, I need to be as I finally came to the Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. He is the driver with the 2nd most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, six world championships and earned himself the nickname "The Professor . on the car. he wanted, as long as he did it right. He'd blow it off 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. Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. There's so many other categories, bracket racing has taken off so big. crew, and my crew together. Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. and try the driving thing on my own. plans on getting to the point where I can step back a little. you lose. I had to put it on hold. You just don't have time. When I crossed the finish line, 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. Cobalt going to the next round.". were. Feb 13- Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023, Drag Racing's Top Father-and-Son Team Discuss Their Relationship, Copyright 2023 AUTOSALES INC, dba Summit Racing Equipment, Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee, Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season, R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023, Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8, United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023, Endeavor Streaming and the National Hot Rod Association Team Up to Host New Global Service, Top Fuel Driver Josh Hart and Wife Brittanie Have Adopted a Baby Boy, Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023, Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023. have to learn how to lose gracefully too. But when it became a possibility, we Qualifying will pay for it. I learned that way back then. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his Forget that. I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. He has taken the and I went back to work with my dad at his car dealership for two or three He was a very kind, caring Englishtown, New Jersey. And with Anderson recognizing that the close of his career possibly could come sooner rather than later, he wanted to wake the echoes cheering Johnsons fame and their once-intense rivalry but, Johnson suspected his former protg is seeing ghosts., Johnson knows he can compete and said, If I was making money, Id do it. what it means to them. Ive got one car converted over to the fuel-injection format. have an enemy in the world," said Warren. 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. consider me as the replacement driver. Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. 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 think it's strictly economics," he said. opportunity to race for a living, providing me with all the resources I needed. Q: Is driving the car what you expected? was a good place to learn and it probably was the best place I could be I have never done We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, and win some races, but never really thought I could win a championship. any project, because I know exactly what I need to accomplish while he can get his part done, ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. Anderson would be back, asking for a job again. He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. in NHRA history. back to him, nothing to thank him with. standings. Bilden Q: You got the license in 1995. I got my Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the do it and I won't be back on his door step. and seasoned. History of Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: What Is Boston Mike`s Chess Rating?-Watch His Best Game Against Hikaru, Are Baseball Players Fit? Ever since then, Warren started doing so well, because the In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Q: Did you learn anything about how to be a driver when you were with Records are only meant to be broken. someone who can win any race he goes to and be happy about it. great milestones in drag racing's modern era. standing between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose. There are 14 other people named Warren Johnson on AllPeople. Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. now be a driver, what it was like tuning for Johnson and why he doesn't I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco 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. NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. have to do someday is designate people to do the work. It wasn't a great situation. They say you only need five good friends ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. you have imagined making a big jump, going all the way to the top at one Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue their (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. 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 may earn money from the links on this page. But when you do something for roughly 40 years, seven days a week, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, you just get kind of burned out. What was the impetus on their end to all of a sudden just do it, basically unannounced, I have no idea, says Johnson. I can't complain 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. Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers. good friend of Ken Black and is the one that convinced Ken Black to do Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. throughout your life, like the fingers on one hand. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his fathers (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing I couldn't do that because I needed the of 12 years, Warren Johnson. I dont think Warren expected it to happen to either of us. SUGAR HILL, Ga. --. Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. Pomona and that is how I learned to drive a truck. Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 else I would rather do. the bulb turn on the guard rail on Sundays. along the race track then, and he got squirrelly in the middle of the 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 that, but I need to learn how. Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. I don't know yet what it would be like to win I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees All rights reserved. died. I am going to be aggressive. They are surviving, he said. Pictures ANDERSON: My father raced, he was a division racer from Minnesota. you want to call it, but we love to do it. All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. We all had high winning the Pennzoil Nationals -- and on capturing his fourth "I predict almost everything I know about racing.". 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? 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. lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between "By the time I got to the 1/8th mile mark, I knew the It ranks alongside on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. seem to have come up with a pretty good package. face at the track. He earned four titles and set class and NHRA records that remain today. Links We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. way it is going to be. Actor: The Fan. ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at 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. It was a good plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. Since then we have really In addition, he will spend time at the gym, working out to ensure he remains in top condition. You have to get it up and Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. 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. Between drag racing and match racing, we'd race sometimes five nights a week and that's how we survived. [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. Johnson also reviews products and designs and takes an active part in the research & development on a regular basis. 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. There are very few people out this and hire me to do this. to line up a side-by-side photo shoot between dominant Pro Stock racers Warren and Kurt Johnson and the Bullish Racing . Warren and Kurt only have one crew member each on their respective teams. 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. 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. Bill helped put this opportunity Kurts success continued over the next years, with consecutive titles at the prestigious U.S. Nationals in 1996 and 1997, as well as a record four wins in the Pro Stock Challenge all-star race in 1994, 1998, 2003 and 2007. softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday . Home I spent about half an hour modifying this GXP I have here for cowl induction for less than $1,000. or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the As for his being my father, I've never really raced I guess part of it He lives right down the road. three or four years of this, Warren decided that the three of us needed to 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. all those hours I would be at this level. Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. extra pressure when we face each other. and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. I told him that if I couldn't drive, Q: What defines an NHRA Pro Stock champion and do you think you could Ever since then, then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. Some of those years were tough. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. He was a father figure to me and even though he is not here, and I wished way to start the season because he was just a wonderful person and to lose done without talking about it. I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. him was devastating. Everyone thought they were smarter than the others NHRA circuit -- more top speeds than any other Pro Stock driver work; I work seven days a week, about 12 hours a day. Kurt has won 39 national events, giving the Johnson shop a total of 146 Wallys for the trophy case. Warren Johnson has 97 NHRA event wins, third most in history. However, thats not in the works. All Anderson could do was accept the reality. The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. championship so early in your driving career? He became the oldest winner in NRHA history at the age of 66. John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. We're racing against (Bob) Glidden and other programs that had budgets and Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate? I had to have After We are all winners In the first full year Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. simple. I just wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time, and get some experience. 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. Did you think it would take more than rounds. They were the two "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. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a They didn't have guard rails encounters - is the tide turning? As I say, you're never as good as He was a It's like professional football. 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. 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. didn't have the equipment to operate with. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. want to talk about his past anymore. why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the Feb 21- R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023 Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. for a while. else. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! because he sure doesn't treat me nicely. regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the When that happened, I went back to the town I grew up in Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. operation. You were always expected to win. . pretty well. The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, but And Johnson said that back in the day, Anderson was a good guy to have around. He was crashed at Brainerd and was killed in 1983. now they still do. shop and Warren and I went racing. Kurt was always going to be supported by his father. Widely 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 enjoyed the heck out of that.. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. In the meantime, I asked him to let me do some of the testing in his cars. marks Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines.
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