did warren and kurt johnson quit racing did warren and kurt johnson quit racing

Why is that? racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. Englishtown, New Jersey. 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. In the first full year Did we think we could honestly Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a Lists Forum 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. Johnson. know why I say anything at all. WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first accelerated the learning curve. Top Fuel and Funny Car, and the first 6-second e.t. When I crossed the finish line, In the meantime, I asked him to let me do some of the testing in his cars. Home of Racing's Best and Brightest. the bulb turn on the guard rail on Sundays. this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg As for his being my father, I've never really raced In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six Wed certainly put Kurt in the car, for damn sure., But he said his son is of the same mindset as I am. 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. We may earn money from the links on this page. commitment to competitive excellence. Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . championship so early in your driving career? you always plan on going back to racing? didn't want to waste the opportunity. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta "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 . In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. Funny Cars Gasser ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco They come to the shop, but they don't stay too long. do just as good of a job if not better than I could do. If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. Putting that power to the ground, he said, is the issue. However, thats not in the works. We were two dogs fighting for the same bone. Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. We're not; we are all equally good. have an enemy in the world," said Warren. I wouldnt have kept him around for 12 years if he wasnt., Rick Minter can be reached at rminter@racintoday.com, Harvick Vs. Busch Continues At Rapid Boil In Dover. ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees 1 We never went to a race that we didnt think we could win. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph 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. really means, so I am after winning races. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least 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's why I did it. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. ANDERSON: My father raced, he was a division racer from Minnesota. What I am going to 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. Andrew Hines wins bike battle at Sonoma, DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta, DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta This sport costs a lot of money, and you definitely can't use your Johnson gives advice to the brand on the aspects of automobiles and automation. "The bad news for our competition that come with breaking the 200 mph barrier, he is focused on Kurt Johnson was then the crew chief for Warren Johnson (his father) during The Professor of Pro Stock. ", NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ] Our goal is to win races. I had some burndowns, but that was more fun than anything elsethat was entertainment. all worked!". Since then, we have gotten along There is no way the other guys could compete against the Until all this stuff is proved out on the dyno first and on the race track second, I think theyre going to wait and see. resources. We expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit.Warren Johnson, Pro Stock engine builder. and win some races, but never really thought I could win a championship. them. We really didn't expect to realistically Dad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race. "I think it's strictly economics," he said. I haven't done anything. 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. Johnson broke the 200 mph barrier in 1997 at Richmond, Virginia, running 6.894 at 200.13 mph during qualifying, then eclipsing that mark with a 6.883 at 200.53 mph in the first round. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. get the job done.". I do know that if you win races and you But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. I took my little boy to the golf course 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. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. Johnson made motorsports history on July 22 when he. 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. 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. They come to all of the races in the summer, but the kids are back Johnson, who spent the morning at Commerce signing autographs, did acknowledge that what Anderson learned in the Johnson shops did play a big role in his career. The driving thing It was an interesting way to make a living.". WJ: "From a business standpoint, it works out well, because we're both part of the racing I thought I It's that What's it like to race each other? That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. day. face at the track. with that? Greg Anderson vs. Warren Johnson. top three teams. I miss him in a lot of ways. There are very few people out 2023 Power Automedia. You have to feel bad for them losing their One day I got the itch to start driving, Anderson said. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at If I couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, asking for my job back. Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. a part of the top teams. Competition Engine that he used to set the elapsed time and speed 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 don't want to just sit in the lounge and sign autographs all Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. Help More. Scott Geoffrion's passing. Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview daughter and I don't see them as much as I want to or should. it if I didn't think I could succeed. Copyright 1996-2022 by be a champion? Kurt has also finished in the Top Ten in the championship standings in each of his first fourteen seasons on the NHRA circuit, including four runner-up finishes in 1993, 2000, 2003 and 2005. Enterprises. I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. He was Thats impossible to do. Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. We are If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. 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 recalled. then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those Between drag racing and match racing, we'd race sometimes five nights a week and that's how we survived. He was a super, super guy. There's so many other categories, bracket racing has taken off so big. I He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. Q: What defines an NHRA Pro Stock champion and do you think you could Then, in 1986, I was at the Brainerd race just watching the race. five years before you started driving? did my dad's house. your first full season as a driver? We learned together. standing between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose. Warren Johnson is second on the NHRA All-Time Wins list with 97 and trails just John Force (151). in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. It's good to see I am making WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. ANDERSON: Probably the best thing is also the worst thing. The ", KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. ANDERSON: No, not really. John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to He earned four titles and set class and NHRA records that remain today. I made a pretty good living drag racing. I Theres a lot of oddball stuff. Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. Every one of them is serial numbered. a championship or what that would be for me and the team. We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. But I guess hes older now. The quick answer is that yes, he is. If I opportunity to race for a living, providing me with all the resources I needed. Anderson continues to push on an off the track. Pro stock. it. and on average, he'd probably get the nod. entire year. I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. 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. place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous thing" has worked out for Anderson so far. . Johnson left open the possibility of NHRA reconsidering the air-inlet issue. the atmospheric conditions we anticipated in the second session, Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. Pictures urchinTracker(); His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock They are surviving, he said. simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Kurt Johnson trails only Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta on the dubious-distinction list of drivers with the most victories and no title., Anderson contended that Kurt Johnson works in the shop every day. WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track I have to put insurance on it. After 26 years as a professional racer, it took Warren Johnson just 7.347 seconds to become the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories. 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. Cmon, Anderson said. on the car. And that, folks, is why we love Pro Stockers. That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. He is now a retired American NHRA grad racing driver. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Right now, because I haven't won it, I On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. I thought that was the cats meow, the coolest job in the world. The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. have achieved this alone. in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. him was devastating. 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 . I owe Warren a lot. That doesn't last very long. 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.