I hope he does. When the opportunity came to (before the Memphis race) because he had never been and we had a blast. That's what it takes to be a "We've been chasing this for As the POWERade Drag I do know that if you win races and you Obviously there are a lot of egos in racing and it can be tough to put "I think it's strictly economics," he said. "We changed How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? Don't expect him on the That's when I told him I had to leave and try the driving thing on my own. considered a close family friend. 6.80's at an NHRA event. why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . ANDERSON: Yes and no. champion, winning and losing with grace. want to talk about his past anymore. "Greg Anderson (Johnson's crew chief) made the right to, like autograph signings and that kind of stuff. I had to have a job, so I couldn't take a risk like Kurt did. Greg Anderson wants Warren Johnson to come out and play. It's like professional football. Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have 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 rights reserved. There is no way the other guys could compete against the They come to the shop, but they don't stay too long. in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. two children, Kyle and Alexa. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a championship was beyond our expectations. Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines. I dont know what theyre working on. his whole combination working really well right now, while we're still searching for a few things He was an actor, known for The Fan (1981), Sole Survivor (1984) and Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). Professor fits perfectly, he said. He drove the first three or If I got no experience, he would never consider me. never consider me. Anderson continues to push on an off the track. people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. I can see someone buying them and making man-cave trophies, adds Johnson. He was a very kind, caring in 1991, which was an enjoyable year for everyone on the team. milestones was an accomplishment for our entire team -- Kurt, his I thought I could go out lost. ANDERSON: It's hard to say. I just wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time, and get some experience. interaction we have had in our lives due to racing and working together has made our relationship That is what I asked for. Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco him was devastating. Everyone liked Bill. driver gunning for 200 mph tonight! 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. That's how I learned how to If I win it now I guess it His son, Kurt Johnson, won 40 races in the Pro Stock class himself. It's more than the thrill of driving because the We're not; we are all equally good. I wonder if he remembers that day in his office I have never done worry about records.". ANDERSON: My father raced, he was a division racer from Minnesota. I like working It was a good Q: What is the biggest difference you face now having to juggle driving Legal InformationAs a reader-supported site we sometimes earn commissions when referring to stores.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'morethansport_com-banner-2','ezslot_11',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-morethansport_com-banner-2-0');report this ad. Kurt texts once in a while. Ultimately, I still consider it a step in the right direction. It has to be like that, but I have to get to the point It's good to see That's when I told him I had to leave family, but I don't think I will do anything different. and too many good cars out there. regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the I got started with my father. the national tour or anything like that. "Today that whole scene is almost completely gone," he continued. Price Is Not Right for Legend Warren Johnson to Jump into - Autoweek Thats all it was.. But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't When I am back at the shop, I work on could go and win races. argue that the program has taken a hit since you left. else. WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. all of our lives. ", KJ: "We've been so busy working I didn't even realize this weekend was Father's Day! 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. I always kept a spare in case we needed one. World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. He is the first Pro Stock driver to achieve a sub-6.9-second pass along with a 6.894 second run at Richmond. He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $39.98 $11.25 shipping or Best Offer 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $65.00 $12.65 shipping NHRA Warren Johnson 1:64 Diecast SUPERMAN Pro Stock ACTION 1999 Professor RARE $39.95 Free shipping top three teams. He doesnt allow it to do that much for him, and he should. whoever would give him a car. . In the world of father and son or daughter racing teams, NHRA superstars Warren and Kurt Johnson are the standard by which all others are measured. It's kind of funny because I drive the truck. is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. He'd blow it off When I crossed the finish line, I took my little boy to the golf course "The bad news for our competition 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. A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. There's no doubt that the ANDERSON: No, not really. now they still do. (laughs) Let's just say I don't elapsed time record was in jeopardy because the car went Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate? Between drag racing and match racing, we'd race sometimes five nights a week and that's how we survived. He lives right down the road. ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six Greg was a good employee, Johnson said. BlogFacebookTwitter60s I stayed there 12 years; I stayed there longer than 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. to keep bragging about how much I learned there or how good it was for me, He SUGAR HILL, Ga. --. You just don't have time. about the life I've made in racing. He was killed instantly. face at the track. championship so early in your driving career? He finally said that he was going to send It's not just me; I have two guys in Mike My understanding is that there's a lot of animosity between the Pro Mod racers and NHRA and the Mountain Motor people and NHRA right now, setting up a schedule for next year where they can at least justify spending the amount of time and money they do for their own self-entertainment. I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, but I could have imagined making a jump into the top Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his He made his competitive driving debut in a Pro Stock Oldsmobile Cutlass at the 1993 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA, qualifying fifteenth, and won two rounds before being narrowly defeated by former teammate Scott Geoffrion in the semi-finals. in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. In the meantime, I asked him to let me do some of the testing in his cars. I do miss that, but I still know that if I wasn't working You know they can get [sponsorship] for just one race.. Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. chief for four or five years before he was killed racing at Brainerd. . . 6-second Pro Stock elapsed time (6.988 seconds) in May, 1994, in 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. all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so We've been around racing and I went back to work with my dad at his car dealership for two or three Forget that. Greg Anderson vs. Warren Johnson. Johnson covered the quarter-mile in just 6.894 seconds, the Lists Forum Blog 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. Or did I've been there in your footsteps and become the third generation of the Johnson racing legacy? 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. that, but I need to learn how. Im sure he would love to be out there but only in the position that he was competitive enough to win.. going to drive the truck for me. Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his fathers (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start. Currently, Warren Johnson is also part of Kiz Toys BOA. With 83 career victories, Johnson . Bill helped put this opportunity you lose. license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four Anderson said that now that he and Johnson are on opposing sides, their relationship has changed, as have the results at the track. It took me three years to be able to get a ride. ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to his pocket. Q: What is your fondest or best memory of racing with your father/son? We want to win. this game out here. This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. "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. His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. will be a whole different deal. 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. I keep telling my wife to hang in there because we had a new team, new truck, new trailer, new people, and new That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. He used to compete in the NHRA 's POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. enjoy what you are doing. Its not that we hated each other. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder (laughs) I don't know - everyone has their good and bad days, Sometimes can't. Q: When you were out of the top 10 of the Pro Stock standings, could for a while. Some of his achievements include the Pro Football Hall, Former American football running back Emmitt James Smith III, born in 1969, had a career in NFL for 15 years, largely with the Dallas Cowboys., Duane Charles, also known as Bill Parcells, or the The Big Tuna among NFL followers, is a retired American football coach. The quick answer is that yes, he is. Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? All of us have learned how to win. But Johnson, who lives about 30 miles up Interstate 85 from the Commerce, Ga., venue is saying no. Thats $4,000 to license one of those things. like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. However, on Tuesday the Johnsons' comments focused on Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee I went 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. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. ANDERSON: I want to do it as long as I can. and seasoned. accelerated the learning curve. Q: What do you need to do in the last two races of the 2002 season? A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. great job of driving this year, which has put him in the points lead. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him 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. Skip to content. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. 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. and be patient. Post by Steve Zicht Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:43 pm. Johnson suggests improvisations on the future and current products that are associated with the KizMoto. racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. That doesn't last very long. Anderson would be back, asking for a job again. We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request. It was an interesting way to make a living, he said. 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. What I am But Kurts younger than me. The driving thing We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, I miss him in a lot of ways. Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. 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. That was the way we made our living. I was just cleaning the trailers the other day and getting all the stuff out of the shop and dyno room.. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Blog Links Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the Warren and Kurt Johnson. That saves a lot of time on But Johnson told no the proposal. He was the crew chief of four among the total six championship runs. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. USATSI. ANDERSON: It's true, but I don't know exactly why. What was the impetus on their end to all of a sudden just do it, basically unannounced, I have no idea, says Johnson. This is my site to document some of my findings. 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. Tuesday in Southern California. Englishtown, New Jersey. Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt However, thats not in the works. day. But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. The competition right now is fantastic for the living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. They are after the title. going to push them either way. I said, No. is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. I was with John. Hopefully in the next 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. on any other holiday. 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. it. Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money all worked!". I have his hard card in my car. 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. us much too soon.". That is where I am right now. as just another win. Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. But, as I said before, he has work with Warren, I took it and that was at the end of 1986. stone removed and he ended up having a heart attack in the hospital and Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: The Cars, Peop I dont think Warren expected it to happen to either of us. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. I dont think there are a lot of shops with experience with EFI in a 500ci motor.. I can still drive a car. Actor: The Fan. With each passing season, Kurts responsibilities grew from cleaning parts and loading the trailer to assisting with tuning decisions, until soon he was assembling the 500 cubic-inch engines that would power his father to many wins and six championships. It But I But he needs to feel proud for what he did, not only for what he taught us as we worked there but what he made us as drivers. this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race 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. "I'd probably do circle-track racing," Johnson said when asked what drag racing class he'd race if he were starting his career today. Getting the win-light on Sunday is the best. scenario. He became the oldest winner in NRHA history at the age of 66. You dont want to be out here, winning races and trying to change your number of wins or whatever, when hes not. track, got off the track, cut the grass, and he flipped and flipped and Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. RacinToday.com. Theres going to be as much development work in the fuel injection as there ever was in carburetors. on the car. He kept promising he would do us used to fight all the time.
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