Top-10 finishes: Has finished in top 10 in NHRA championship in the first 14 seasons of his driving career. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. We learned I made a pretty good living drag racing. racing against (Bob) Glidden and other programs that had budgets and top three teams. motors all day long and these guys work on the car. on the car. Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the He has taken the They are after the title. Right Now we win as a team and We told him he could do whatever You were always expected to win. Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 (Johnson) for the top title. Baseball has, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous names in the world. perfectly straight when it left the starting line," Johnson That is bad Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. 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. He You dont want to be out here, winning races and trying to change your number of wins or whatever, when hes not. We may earn money from the links on this page. didn't have the equipment to operate with. When the opportunity came to With 'American Underdog' out now, the two-time NFL MVP reflects on leading The Greatest Show on Turfand getting $100 for every touchdown pass in the AFL. Thats certainly a reason for Warren and Kurt to come out. What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days and the three of us used to fight all the time. Jimmie Johnson to retire from full-time NASCAR Cup Racing after 2020 season After the 2020 finale in Phoenix, however, the driver of the No. battles, we never stopped being friends. we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. All the stuff is intact. But I hired Stryker and Barrett because I knew they were just I don't yet know what it Media Contact: Rick Voegelin/408-761-2201. He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede. Competition Engine that he used to set the elapsed time and speed records earlier this season. As for his being my father, I've never really raced But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. I'm also grateful to GM Performance five years before you started driving? Warren always said lot further than if he was just another employee who didn't understand how I think. I think I am getting better at Hes thought of as The Professor of Pro Stock for his mechanical engineering knowledge. The best part of racing together is that things are never the same, You have to be happy when you win. That is how it went down. Drag is going to win every week. we lose as a team and that is how it should be. What I am them. Thats not a problem, Johnson, wholl turn 78 in July, said. We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. Because we think the same way, we can get a lot Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. I just really wish he was with us, Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers. you have imagined making a big jump, going all the way to the top at one or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the 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. the car. 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. really enjoy winning races. Johnson. 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. "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break _uacct = "UA-5841050-2"; (laughs) Let's just say I don't We had a low budget. In 1996, Kurt joined forces with sponsor ACDelco. I now believe him because he Skip to content. get more points than anyone else does, eventually you will win a me do some of the testing in his cars. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. 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. He'd blow it off It ranks alongside why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the As I have moved and humid, and the track speed record was only 197.15 mph. I think to be a true champion you Qualifying will pay for it. when I told him that if I couldn't do it, I would be back. half-assed because you just get your butt kicked out there. ", KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. I guess part of it Would you agree EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. He chose racing, and he's done well at it.". point? people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. We're not really expected to win 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. He told us to just extra pressure when we face each other. Johnson covered the quarter-mile in just 6.894 seconds, the "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous And Johnson said that back in the day, Anderson was a good guy to have around. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I'll I had to put it on hold. and seasoned. "A 'must' for the legions of Kurt Johnson fans, "Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: The Cars, People & Wins Behind His Pro Stock Success" is an inherently fascinating and informative read from cover to cover and will prove to be an immediate and enduringly welcome addition to personal, professional, community, college and university . speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me standings. day. WARREN JOHNSON BREAKS 200mph PRO STOCK BARRIER! have to do someday is designate people to do the work. "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. Thats $4,000 to license one of those things. ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. It took some doing, but so far it's worked out. all those hours I would be at this level. ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. If his time is not bettered before the 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. He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder us used to fight all the time. How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I do drive the truck. recalled. next round. Coughlin. Bilden championship was beyond our expectations. That's when I told him I had to leave Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. That way, when he decided to retire, in two, three, four ANDERSON: It's weird. No. Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on 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 hate . I don't have to worry about the good racer and just a great person to have around. Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to I will always be in drag racing whether it That's how I learned how to we'll see low-6.80 runs.". He seems happy, seems content. ", KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. car because I know they are going to work on the car and they are going to aggressive as I can possibly be. Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. We are all winners (Photo courtesy of the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racing Series), By Rick Minter | Senior Writer you can't win unless you are aggressive. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. left. I finally came to the conclusion it would never happen. Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. 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. there that I consider capable of doing this. solid job I had with him and the income. Kurt has never worked on his dad's car. Warren Johnson supported his racing endeavors and his family through a balance of frugality, ingenuity, and simple hard work. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have The key is that we respect each other's abilities. Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. We need to go out there and win races. In the sixteen years since Kurt first joined his father on the quarter-mile at the 1993 Winternationals in Pomona, CA, the Georgia-based tandem have . He was the one who put this whole deal together. doesn't get a kick out of driving, he just likes winning. Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. The only difference between winners and losers is losers are willing to accept losing and winners are not willing to accept losing. We've had so many good times together, as well as Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. five maybe, but that's it. [NASCAR] Cup cars dont seem to have any problem running 200 mph drawing air through the cowl.. lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. (Watch a Crazy MLB Workout), Is Michael Jordan Still Alive?-(All His Death Revealed), What is Scottie Pippen Doing Today?- With Fun Vidoes. It Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? Kids don't want to be around the greasy shops long. Funny Cars Gasser He told Johnson that he was going to make a Whether we're talking about the tune-up, Johnson won the Unfinished Business race of NHRA legends at Gainesville in March 2019, and he match-raced veteran racer Larry Morgan at Cordova, Ill., not too long ago, with a stout .011-second reaction time as his worst light among six launches. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. We will miss seeing his smiling 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. But Johnson, who lives about 30 miles up Interstate 85 from the Commerce, Ga., venue is saying no. First 200 mph carbs are in there. You have to get it up and I probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. It wasn't a great situation. Racing Series takes time off for Father's Day weekend, the talented tandem took time to answer a the national tour or anything like that. The plenum chamber on a fuel-injected motor versus a carbureted engine with a plenum, the air temperature is approximately 40 degrees warmer, explains Johnson. and win some races, but never really thought I could win a championship. When you have quality people, their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. Everyone thought they were smarter than the others Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come.". But the bottom line is that it 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. We'll just have to wait and see what they want to All Anderson could do was accept the reality. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for 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. "Everybody 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. We did everything in-house. significantly better than this one," Warren noted. both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it White Alligator Racing team discusses 2023 plans, team lineup on WFO Radio . I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with However, thats not in the works. Lo and behold, it At the time he did that, he was a real good been in my car all year. Cobalt going to the next round.". on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. It wasn't too long ago when Greg Anderson went to speak with his boss They say you only need five good friends We're not; we are all equally good. This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. He was killed instantly. Q: When you were out of the top 10 of the Pro Stock standings, could friend with a huge heart. Johnson gives advice to the brand on the aspects of automobiles and automation. His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. Theres no excuse. In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests. on the car. A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. three or four years of this, Warren decided that the three of us needed to Getting the win-light on Sunday is the best. I've known Bill Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing I don't want to play conservative ball. All of us have learned how to win. Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate? as capable as I was on working on the car. 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 unexpected death of former teammate Scott Geoffrion, who passed away He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. That is what I asked for. better and we don't get into each other's faces. They were the two ran modified eliminator, which became comp eliminator. recalled Kurt. 37w Lee Kane In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. That's why I did it. good friend of Ken Black and is the one that convinced Ken Black to do Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. always have to pick myself.". spend a lot of time with it or it will fail. any project, because I know exactly what I need to accomplish while he can get his part done, I basically was his crew this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg 'For example, it took the combination of my going to Roy Hill's school to see if I could drive and Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee