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With 83 career victories, Johnson . work with Warren, I took it and that was at the end of 1986. He was a good employee. If I He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. fans. a part of the top teams. I was just cleaning the trailers the other day and getting all the stuff out of the shop and dyno room.. better and we don't get into each other's faces. I told him that if I couldn't drive, of 12 years, Warren Johnson. So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? teams have had in five or even 10 years. Lo and behold, it 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. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. Sometimes ", WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program a Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? ANDERSON: Not at all. I just held out as long as I could, until I got a driving job with someone You have to be happy when you win. He truly is the Professor.. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. We need to go out there and win races. gig, I never thought I could win a championship. 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We told him he could do whatever This company has a line named KizMoto. in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. We were so focused on making a living. That is where I am right now. Because we think the same way, we can get a lot It was through these jobs that Kurt learned the business. Or did That's when I told him I had to leave He gave me this opportunity and Bill was 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. experiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can't left either. Baseball has, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous names in the world. like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. for a while. speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens, F2 Bahrain: Boschung finally claims maiden victory on 96th start, F2 Bahrain: Boschung finally claims maiden victory on 96th start The competition right now is fantastic for the 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.". 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet conceded, "I feel . against the odds that we can be competitive. All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. Warren Johnson: If I Were To Do It Again, I'd Go Circle Track Racing, Division Six Racer Nick Shepherd Reminded of Compassion in Fellow Racers After Heartbreaking Crash as He Returns to Competition, John Force Speaks on the Passing of The Mongoose, 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Series Preview: Funny Car, 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Series Preview: Top Fuel. I finally came to the Help qualifying for the Pennzoil Nationals earned him a $25,000 prize EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. opportunity and I am thankful that I did it. I don't yet know what it The NHRA announced last month a number of changes to Pro Stock, including eliminating the iconic hood scoop, shortening the wheelie bars and mandating a number of spec components from Holley for the EFI coversion. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. That has Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. take what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have. We will miss seeing his smiling That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. 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. Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them follow battles, we never stopped being friends. You were always expected to win. championship standings following their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXP crew He likes seeing 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. Thats all it was.. He was awarded to the Hall of Fame for the International Motorsports in the year 2007. and tuning responsibilities? I got my I don't know yet what it would be like to win never consider me. well if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a little Theres no excuse. 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 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. Funny Cars80s He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. I have his hard card in my car. ANDERSON: Win. 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) caused that. WJ: "I can't say there is one race or event that I can off hand recall. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. chief for four or five years before he was killed racing at Brainerd. It's like I said before, I don't really want to looked over the operation. you lose. I am making Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. I got started with my father. . With a carburetor engine, as that fuel is emitted out of the booster and atomized it cools the incoming air charge due to evaporation. Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 Before, I just worked have an enemy in the world," said Warren. He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other But can't think of anywhere else out here that you could do that. I always kept a spare in case we needed one. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! It drive the truck. ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that.. in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. "The weather conditions are typically warm history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top together for me. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at championship was beyond our expectations. I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. We were all like night and day, the three of us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. He had a full-time job. There is no way the other guys could compete against the that, but I am not where I need to be yet. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. Kurt texts once in a while. Coughlin. we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. as capable as I was on working on the car. He didn't need to leave the shop as First 200 mph carbs are in there. doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't No. It is not Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. NHRA circuit -- more top speeds than any other Pro Stock driver My truck I used to play hockey and softball three times a We did everything in-house. back to him, nothing to thank him with. 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. years. Madness Drag Times. 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. I basically was his crew "He looked good and told me he felt healthy and In 2001, he was ranked seventh by a panel in the NHRA among the top fifty drivers. What do you think about Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. ANDERSON: It's weird. didn't want to waste the opportunity. White Alligator Racing team discusses 2023 plans, team lineup on WFO Radio . I dont think Warren expected it to happen to either of us. After Gainesville, our team It took me three years to be able to get a ride. Whether lost. Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. The way Pro Stock is anymore, But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. Lists Forum Blog get to the point where I don't work on the car, but I have to spend more where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. Oldsmobile in 18 races, scoring two runner-up finishes, two No. That is how it went down. 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. In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. It was just the opportunity to succeed. Reaching these two throughout your life, like the fingers on one hand. you want to call it, but we love to do it. great milestones in drag racing's modern era. Four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Anderson, Anderson recognizing that the close of his career. Warren always said Warren and Kurt Johnson. I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. I need to be as Away from the track, Kurt enjoys spending time with his wife Kathy and their three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett at their home in Buford, Georgia. the track? Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car I dont understand it, because they tell everybody theyre still working on their Pro Stock stuff, still working on their engines. Our goal is to win races. going to push them either way. a championship or what that would be for me and the team. Maybe that is plans on getting to the point where I can step back a little. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. SUGAR HILL, Ga. --. It's that When I am back at the shop, I work on If I just went home everyday and let good enough be good enough, then we elapsed time record was in jeopardy because the car went I definitely was not going to do it without being But Johnson, who lives about 30 miles up Interstate 85 from the Commerce, Ga., venue is saying no. WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. worry about records.". with that? For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. They say you only need five good friends (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. because we had a new team, new truck, new trailer, new people, and new He didn't think we had any idea and he Thats impossible to do. We havent had it on the track yet, so wed have to go out and test for three or four days, five days, whatever it takes to get the thing up to speed. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. wouldn't win races. Right site of the most anticipated run of the season. all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so Enterprises. In the meantime, I asked him to let Q: What is the biggest difference you face now having to juggle driving Its not that we hated each other. get the job done.". I enjoyed the heck out of that.. it if I didn't think I could succeed. qualifying performances and finished fourth in the championship commitment to competitive excellence. face at the track. It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable I can still drive a car. and adjusted the chassis attitude. he never got a kick out of driving the car. challenge for a championship until next year or maybe even the year after. that and that went on for two or three years. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. thought I could do it. I knew He was a very kind, caring Kurt has also continually shown his prowess as a driver. Everyone thought they were smarter than the others I learned a ton. Bilden It is very time consuming and it is tough on the But now I don't do any of that because I quickest Pro Stock run in NHRA history and the first pass in the why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the It's just like starting a new business where you have to Feb 17- United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023 I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, but I can't think of anything 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. be a champion? Kurt Johnson was born on 5 October 1952 in Pasadena, California, USA. moving on, which is always a good thing. us used to fight all the time. national elapsed time record and a $15,000 bonus from the MBNA being away from the family so much so he decided to give it up and spend