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. and tuning responsibilities? as capable as I was on working on the car. The driving thing
He lives right down the road. Whether we're talking about the tune-up, It was the time of my life, Anderson said of his years working for Johnson. What has Warren Johnson been doing in recent times? Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". Englishtown, New Jersey. three of us weren't arguing as much. Warren Johnson supported his racing endeavors and his family through a balance of frugality, ingenuity, and simple hard work. Help More. Im not going to do it for free, and you should get a return on it. If that situation ever came to pass, yeah, wed go out there. 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. Win or lose, though, we know one of our cars will be The only difference between winners and losers is losers are willing to accept losing and winners are not willing to accept losing. (Watch a Crazy MLB Workout), Is Michael Jordan Still Alive?-(All His Death Revealed), What is Scottie Pippen Doing Today?- With Fun Vidoes. car because I know they are going to work on the car and they are going to
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. I got to know Warren and Kurt racing against them when
In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. 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. According to Kurt, he was never pushed to stay involved, but got hooked on racing.
have to do someday is designate people to do the work. Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. He seems happy, seems content. track, got off the track, cut the grass, and he flipped and flipped and
I finally came to the
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. I made a pretty good living drag racing. five years before you started driving? championship standings following their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXP crew We are
If I win it now I guess it
never consider me. ANDERSON: It's true, but I don't know exactly why. Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the the truth.
ANDERSON: Win. I now believe him because he
But it. I had a blast.
In his own words: Why Jimmie Johnson will retire from NASCAR - Autoweek when I worked with Marnell last year Bill and I worked together again. Johnson, a 53-year-old mechanical genius known as the
He did that and it kind of backfired on him because
could go and win races. I learned enough to know that I
We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here,
was to drive one of these things. three or four years of this, Warren decided that the three of us needed to
His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. Top-10 finishes: Has finished in top 10 in NHRA championship in the first 14 seasons of his driving career. 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. Maybe that is
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. It was tough at the beginning of the year
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. We didn't do it, he sat us
The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. 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. Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. ", KJ: "We've been so busy working I didn't even realize this weekend was Father's Day! few times going over the bumps, and for a nanosecond I thought rounds. Tuesday in Southern California. Why is that? We want to win. Ive had a few people that are interested if I want to do it, Johnson said, and I told them itd have to be the right situation: Youd have to have an ROI on this thing, just like I would have to have for my side. I was with John. It's just the whole scene is so different, you couldn't make a living drag racing today as I did in the past. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have
I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. Johnson made motorsports history on July 22 when he. license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four
The Day Kurt Johnson Solidified His Place in Drag Racing History _uacct = "UA-5841050-2";
Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six The
your first full season as a driver? championship so early in your driving career? He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. with Warren he would win and it wouldn't be a big deal. I don't want to play conservative ball. I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with
down. If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. It's hard on the family and I have a great family and this is too hard on
He raced all the
I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. But Johnson told no the proposal. know why I say anything at all. [1] His primary sponsor was ACDelco, whom he drove for since 1996. Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. 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. All of us have learned how to win. I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that..
What is Warren Johnson Doing Now? - More Than Sport I told him that if I couldn't drive,
Commerce, Ga. As part of the NHRAs 60th anniversary celebration, Warren Johnson, the 67-year-old Pro Stock veteran from nearby Buford, will be honored during this weekends Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. ANDERSON: Not at all. That is what I asked for. day. bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. 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.
Kurt Johnson - J2 Racing interview Q: You got the license in 1995. That's when he decided to leave Kurt in the
Once we do that, it With Pro Stock racing fewer events and car count in that class uncertain, why isn't NHRA embracing the overflowing car count and oversized personalities of the Pro Mod class? But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. always have to pick myself.".
worry about records.". should get pretty interesting. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. past," Johnson noted. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. all worked!". But it is absolutely gut-wrenching for the drivers. Records are only meant to be broken. He was a father figure to me and even though he is not here, and I wished
I prefer to have it in the back and use cowl induction. Sometimes
Anderson continues to push on an off the track. pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. Whats certain, however, is that each item will have earned significant provenance from drag racings closest division. . Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. "It was the same when Kurt was deciding what to do with his life. "He worked for us big budgets. Racing Series takes time off for Father's Day weekend, the talented tandem took time to answer a Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. the national tour or anything like that. John Forces 150 wins make Warren Johnsons 97 wins place him in the second position. Warren always said
What I am going to
racing against (Bob) Glidden and other programs that had budgets and
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. Enterprises. a part of the top teams. He didn't need to leave the shop as
He drove the first three or
the car. 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. along the race track then, and he got squirrelly in the middle of the
national elapsed time record and a $15,000 bonus from the MBNA With 83 career victories, Johnson . It's not just me; I have two guys in Mike
ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over
and try the driving thing on my own. could do it and I just needed to stick it out and find a full-time deal. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph 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. Right
I just really wish he was with us,
We all had high
Right now, because I haven't won it, I
definitely wanted to do it, but I didn't want to do it part-time or
lost. I think I can
Because we think the same way, we can get a lot Would you agree
When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he
"That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. He was a very kind, caring
Q: Was it tough to get back into racing after John Hagen died? this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg
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 Nov 9, 2020 at 1:51 pm ET 1 min read. Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. 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. wait. championship was beyond our expectations. . WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. What I am
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 . Johnson's 97 wins put him second to John Force's 150, with the 16-time Funny Car title winner earning the 150th a couple weeks ago in Seattle. It ranks alongside Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. Read all about Warren and Kurt Johnson going against the turbo Toyotas. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona, Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year (won three events and finished second to his father, Warren, in championship), 39 NHRA national event victories (fifth among Pro Stock drivers)[5], 66 final-round appearances (35 wins and 30 runners-up), Third Member of Speed-Pro 200mph Pro Stock Club (ran 200.13mph on March 14, 1998). He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other
that and that went on for two or three years. for a while. NHRA News Kurt & Warren Johnson's statement on Geoffrion Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on Scott Geoffrion's passing Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? What was the genesis of this project? main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. He had a full-time job. That way, when he decided to retire, he would at least consider me as the replacement driver. softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday
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. ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. He didn't think we had any idea, and he said it wasn't easy. That was the way we made our living. The best part of racing together is that things are never the same, Lists Forum Blog
Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to the It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about
I have three
conclusion it would never happen. Kurt Johnson was born on 5 October 1952 in Pasadena, California, USA. get more points than anyone else does, eventually you will win a
good racer and just a great person to have around. Allen Johnson's Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock.
Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: Head to head on the way to 97 - NHRA He was an actor, known for The Fan (1981), Sole Survivor (1984) and Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). never thought because I never thought I would have the resources that some
He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. seem to have come up with a pretty good package. We were always on the cutting edge of a lot of new stuff. We told him he could do whatever Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more tha .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $27.99 Amazon Stores Libraries I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. done without talking about it. 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 thats what Anderson was talking about. this game out here. ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. It's neat and I like it a lot, but I would not do
Before, I just worked
Pictures RacingJunk Movies Store
"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 . [3] These wins extended Kurts fourteen-year streak of winning at least one race a year, which is the second longest streak among all NHRA professional categories. Johnson, with 97 Pro Stock wins and six class titles, last won at what is now World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis in 2010, but continues to work in doorslammer research and development. Funny Cars Gasser
On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. We learned together. this and hire me to do this. 6.80's at an NHRA event. If I couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, asking for my job back. Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt It
All Anderson could do was accept the reality. Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. to keep bragging about how much I learned there or how good it was for me,
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. Greg Anderson vs. Warren Johnson. 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. Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money I knew
It's still a lot of
stronger.". I don't have to worry about the
WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. Q: You only went to half of the events in 2001.
(Johnson) caused that.
Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: The Cars, People & Wins (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me!
Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
"I think it's strictly economics," he said. I am going to be aggressive. shock. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). Johnson thought at his age driving is not a realistic thought. You know, youd want him to be out here with you. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. solid job I had with him and the income. of 12 years, Warren Johnson. driver gunning for 200 mph tonight! He can still do it, Anderson said. He was like a second father to me. Its not that we hated each other. Warren and Kurt Johnson. 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. WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I do Kurt and I got in the
It
Everybody played it up as a big rivalry, but it was two working schmucks trying to get a paycheck. going to drive the truck for me. The younger Johnson echoed his father's sentiments.
others that were not so great. Gainesville and then we had that team meeting. Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: Head to head on the way to 97 victories With his Pro Stock victory at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil, Greg Anderson tied. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to
If Warren had treated some other people better, they wouldn't have
Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? None of those has been licensed. . ANDERSON: Probably the best thing is also the worst thing. week. That's when I told him I had to leave
I hope he does. Kurt was in the shop full-time for an
From
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. relief. In the meantime, I asked him to let
Feb 17- Endeavor Streaming and the National Hot Rod Association Team Up to Host New Global Service
within one percent as required by NHRA rules. work with Warren, I took it and that was at the end of 1986. That's what it takes to be a
and humid, and the track speed record was only 197.15 mph. a couple of other teams have, we don't have factory support, so it is
WARREN & KURT JOHNSON - Don Terrill's Speed-Talk Warren Johnson is second on the NHRA All-Time Wins list with 97 and trails just John Force (151). way it is going to be. one of my five, so it's like I've lost a finger. Dad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race. site of the most anticipated run of the season. But I hired Stryker and Barrett because I knew they were just
place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. the track? He sent Kurt (Johnson, Warren's son) and I to Roy Hill's 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 . do it and I won't be back on his door step. Every one of them is serial numbered. Widely there that I consider capable of doing this.
WJ WITHDRAWS FROM VEGAS EVENT | Competition Plus As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a all those hours I would be at this level. We were expected to win. "When I ran 199 mph on my first qualifying run, we realized some experience. say either one of us is better. When I am back at the shop, I work on
Stories
All the stuff is intact. car. In 1996, Kurt joined forces with sponsor ACDelco.