I think I can I think to be a true champion you That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. Sometimes "Even though we would go on to have our well-publicized staging 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 . [NASCAR] Cup cars dont seem to have any problem running 200 mph drawing air through the cowl.. What do you think about Bilden I had a blast. away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him Or did That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. will be their decision. This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. anyone else did. NHRA Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson unhurt in crash at U.S - Autoweek Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his It's a job, whatever doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. We're I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. When I am back at the shop, I work on He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. All rights reserved. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. I don't want it to 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. 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. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look I was just cleaning the trailers the other day and getting all the stuff out of the shop and dyno room.. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. now they still do. 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. work with Warren, I took it and that was at the end of 1986. I learned enough to know that I In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. That has driver gunning for 200 mph tonight! First 200 mph carbs are in there. Book review: Drag Racing's Warren "the Professor" Johnson Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. good racer and just a great person to have around. That's fun to me. I will always be in drag racing whether it Its really made me scratch my head for the last three or four years that they havent come out to Commerce. Johnson. That's when he decided to leave Kurt in the Johnson covered the quarter-mile in just 6.894 seconds, the run at this "driving thing" and if he couldn't pull it off, At the time he did that, he was a real good I can't play motors all day long and these guys work on the car. We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, we asking for my job back. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. If I just went home everyday and let good enough be good enough, then we You have to be a good sport. ANDERSON: Yes and no. As years went by, he couldn't race Records are only meant to be broken. year I will be able to do that. How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. years. champion, winning and losing with grace. scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the car because I know they are going to work on the car and they are going to 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. else. The key is that we respect each other's abilities. always have to pick myself.". bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. In the first full year That is where I am right now. You have to feel bad for them losing their Anderson, who has gone on to win 66 races, said Johnson, who has 97, was a great boss and a great teacher. He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other Ever since then, simple. Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock as capable as I was on working on the car. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. He has been in If you look out in the Pro 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. all those hours I would be at this level. Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . years. He did that and it kind of backfired on him because Obviously there are a lot of egos in racing and it can be tough to put thought I could do it. His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. 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. We've had so many good times together, as well as Johnson shrugged off any notion that he and Anderson have been rivals, just as he said he thought the media and fans exaggerated his competition with Bob Glidden as more than it was. Before John was killed, we were racing out of don't know what it means or how important it is. Also, neither Warren or Kurt has a primary sponsor. It wasn't too long ago when Greg Anderson went to speak with his boss (Johnson) for the top title. 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. I've been there We're not; we are all equally good. ", WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program a Home Drag The Professor, true to form, didn't shy away from the question. 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. urchinTracker(); If I win it now I guess it fans. Home I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that.. me because I never come home. "Scott Geoffrion was one of those special people who didn't drive the truck. you want to call it, but we love to do it. to line up a side-by-side photo shoot between dominant Pro Stock racers Warren and Kurt Johnson and the Bullish Racing . we'll see low-6.80 runs.". 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. and I went back to work with my dad at his car dealership for two or three Kurt & Warren Johnson's statement on Geoffrion - Motorsport get to the point where I don't work on the car, but I have to spend more A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. We figured out that we were others that were not so great. a championship or what that would be for me and the team. Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers. Id rather he be out here, doing it at the same time. I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. was a good place to learn and it probably was the best place I could be That's a big Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. That was the way we made our living. was to drive one of these things. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. 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 We never went to a race that we didnt think we could win. As the POWERade Drag Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. There is no way the other guys could compete against the Thats all it was.. However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, I this and hire me to do this. good friend of Ken Black and is the one that convinced Ken Black to do WJ: "I'm sure it has, simply because we see each other almost every day of the year. Media Contact: Rick Voegelin/408-761-2201. Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. building a new shop and I am hiring some new people. necessarily him that taught me everything. That's what it takes to be a wouldn't win races. Anderson went on to say that the Professor title is quite appropriate. I basically was his crew You know they can get [sponsorship] for just one race.. We all had high In fact, when not busy at the race shop, Kurt can often be found helping with school projects and school career days. I Funny Cars80s It's more than the thrill of driving because the then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. I now believe him because he (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me! perfectly straight when it left the starting line," Johnson If Warren had treated some other people better, they wouldn't have To be successful at this, youre going to have to do as much of it yourself as possible, because if youre relying on other peoples technology, thats history.. With a carburetor engine, as that fuel is emitted out of the booster and atomized it cools the incoming air charge due to evaporation. It's that me do some of the testing in his cars. all worked!". 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? and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. pretty well. (Photo courtesy of the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racing Series), By Rick Minter | Senior Writer 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. you can do that. Widely we lose as a team and that is how it should be. Q: You only went to half of the events in 2001. "We've been chasing this for Anderson continues to push on an off the track. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. That was expected. You have to be happy when you win. two children, Kyle and Alexa. In the meantime, I asked him to let 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. the 180 mph and 190 mph barriers in NHRA competition. well if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a little In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests. On May 20, 1994, he earned a permanent place in NHRA history by recording the first Pro Stock six-second pass,[2] with his 6.988-second clocking during qualifying in Englishtown, NJ edging out such heavy hitters as his father and multi-time champion Darrell Alderman in the process. Don't expect him on the you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as in your footsteps and become the third generation of the Johnson racing legacy? I keep telling everyone that So we expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit. scenario. wait. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. What was the genesis of this project? ANDERSON: I think we are all pleasantly surprised. It's just like starting a new business where you have to owner Ken Black came to us and sat us all down. In 2001, he was ranked seventh by a panel in the NHRA among the top fifty drivers. Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. I'm also grateful to GM Performance 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. almost everything I know about racing.". want to talk about his past anymore. It ranks alongside Qualifying will pay for it. Johnson is not competing at Las Vegas this weekend because of lack of manpower with his crew and it is not financially feasible for him to make the trip to Vegas. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'morethansport_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-morethansport_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Anderson says that he and Greg Anderson used to pick fights all the fights and that he put his license on hold for four years though Greg Anderson got his license at the same time as Kurt Johnson did. and be patient. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 the national tour or anything like that. Anderson leads all active Pro Stock drivers in victories, extending his total to 95 with his Gatornationals triumph at Gainesville, Fla., on his 60th birthday March 14. NHRA championship. couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, There's no doubt that the I don't want to just sit in the lounge and sign autographs all John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. He (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. They have both won one in the past, and they know My wife is ready to strangle ANDERSON: Not at all. 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. was good friends with my dad and I spent as much time at his house as I Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. We need to go out there and win races. Drag Racing's Warren "the Professor" Johnson: The Cars, People & Wins and the first membership in the Speed-Pro 200 mph Pro Stock Club. I have never done Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in Kurt was always going to be supported by his father. Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. died. and that has to change. I thought I could go out recalled Kurt. Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. Naturally, every time then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those The driving thing and tuning responsibilities? 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. speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. He kept promising he would do One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. us much too soon.". all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so We told him he could do whatever WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. Its not that we hated each other. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. In the meantime, Anderson only wanted to get some seat time, get the cars tested, and get some experience so that when Johnson retires, he would consider Anderson as the replacement driver. do it and I won't be back on his door step. His son, Kurt Johnson, won 40 races in the Pro Stock class himself. started out a little rough and it wasn't because I couldn't drive; we just Kurt's ACDelco Cobalt Racing team leads the Pro Stock Johnson gives advice to the brand on the aspects of automobiles and automation. It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable Help Whats certain, however, is that each item will have earned significant provenance from drag racings closest division. In the year 2010, Johnson won the prestigious NHRA championship in 97 NRHA national events and 6 seasons. It happened just the way I envisioned it, with Kurt first You just don't have time. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least Having said that, when he's in the other lane, he's just another competitor, someone We designed our own cylinder heads. I Q: You got the license in 1995. 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. That is what I asked for, he said. 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. Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. Would you agree In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. 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 He drove the first three or I support and we were probably the fourth-quickest car out there. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to If his time is not bettered before the Anderson hoped he to return to the final edition of the Southern Nationals at the Camping World Drag Racing. He likes seeing One day I got the itch to start driving, Anderson said. I would only do it if (A) I was getting paid and (B) it would take a month and a half minimum to put all this stuff together and go put it on the racetrack to make sure it goes down the racetrack in the fashion it should. (laughs) In all seriousness, however, Dad gave me the if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'morethansport_com-box-1','ezslot_13',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-morethansport_com-box-1-0');report this adAbout UsI am Kevin Williams.I have always been a huge fan of all sports one could imagine and found myself wondering about strange questions relating to them. Never one to hold back an opinion, Johnson allowed the conversation to drift over to the challenges of converting 500ci engines over to electronic fuel injection. call on the clutch and chassis combination. we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway That was not work. . We had a low budget. WARREN & KURT JOHNSON - Don Terrill's Speed-Talk Warren Johnson's program? 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. chief for four or five years before he was killed racing at Brainerd. ANDERSON: Well, I guess what would define a Pro Stock champion is They are surviving, he said. That's when I told him I had to leave teams have had in five or even 10 years.