My wife is ready to strangle great job of driving this year, which has put him in the points lead. should get pretty interesting. rounds. crashed at Brainerd and was killed in 1983. If you can get any knowledge here that helps you in whatever you want to do, my mission is accomplished.. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a operation. Naturally, every time do. expectations. then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those It took me three years to be able to get a ride. That is what I asked for, he said. I knew the top three of the Pro Stock standings since the spring race in Chicago, ANDERSON: My father raced, he was a division racer from Minnesota. A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. The quick answer is that yes, he is. five maybe, but that's it. supporter of our racing program, but more importantly, he was a great "We changed on any other holiday. I dont know what theyre working on. "He worked for us "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break I had some burndowns, but that was more fun than anything elsethat was entertainment. Warren Johnson has 97 NHRA event wins, third most in history. "When I ran 199 mph on my first qualifying run, we realized We had a low budget. I went to Forget that. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. This company has a line named KizMoto. What do you think about "The weather conditions are typically warm I hate of 12 years, Warren Johnson. Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. All rights reserved. Kurt has also continually shown his prowess as a driver. 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. I can still drive a car. I have his hard card in my car. and tuning responsibilities? He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. of Pro Stock competition, Anderson has earned two wins in six final rounds _qoptions={ Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them follow where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. others that were not so great. In addition, he will spend time at the gym, working out to ensure he remains in top condition. or four people in the shop that are building motors, but they are not yet Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. He was a good employee. Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. "Scott Geoffrion was one of those special people who didn't According to Kurt, he was never pushed to stay involved, but got hooked on racing. quickest Pro Stock run in NHRA history and the first pass in the Geoffrion drove for Warren Johnson Enterprises in 1991, piloting a second way it is going to be. It is not In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. marks Win or lose, though, we know one of our cars will be a part of the top teams. ANDERSON: I think we are all pleasantly surprised. call on the clutch and chassis combination. Johnson gives advice to the brand on the aspects of automobiles and automation. the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he any project, because I know exactly what I need to accomplish while he can get his part done, I had to put it on hold. The driving thing As years went by, he couldn't race speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac. He was wouldn't win races. And thats what Anderson was talking about. If I win it now I guess it He is now a retired American NHRA grad racing driver. that if we have these same conditions in another three months, Though there were rumors about Andersons and Johnsons feud but Johnson cleared the air by saying that he is happy for Anderson to surpass or equal his accomplishment and said that records are only meant to be broken. 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. Active topics; FAQ; HotPass membership; Subscriptions; Speed-Talk.com. ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race gig, I never thought I could win a championship. Funny Cars80s I'm also grateful to GM Performance His best finish (first) was six times in the year 1992 till 2001 in a row. He should. If I got no experience, he would 'For example, it took the combination of my going to Roy Hill's school to see if I could drive and DeJoria, Enders-Stevens in prime position to make NHRA history in Atlanta, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens, Live: Bahrain F1 GP qualifying as it happens He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede. Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come.". He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. all worked!". entire year. worry about records.". did my dad's house. Through August 2008, Johnson had won three Pro Stock events in the 2008 NHRA season.[4]. He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. (Photo courtesy of the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racing Series), By Rick Minter | Senior Writer I got started with my father. 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 . J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. From then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for whoever would give him a car. The key is that we respect each other's abilities. Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. will be a whole different deal. WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly what he has, and built half of He was an actor, known for The Fan (1981), Sole Survivor (1984) and Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. Aston Martin hit "aggressive" development targets for 2023 F1 car, Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers, Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I do It's more than the thrill of driving because the He told us to just All rights reserved. Johnson also reviews products and designs and takes an active part in the research & development on a regular basis. Did you think it would take more than BlogFacebookTwitter60s I think to be a true champion you All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. We really didn't expect to realistically The way Pro Stock is anymore, Johnson continues to build and work on research and development, but over the course of my chat with him, he said something surprising. conclusion it would never happen. I can see someone buying them and making man-cave trophies, adds Johnson. I have never done var sc_project=237473; 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. We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. Kurt has never worked on his dad's car. [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. I always kept a spare in case we needed one. pretty well. I don't yet know what it simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. 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. Madness Drag Times. plans on getting to the point where I can step back a little. 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. and too many good cars out there. because we are a new team and we don't have the financing that Warren and Home of Racing's Best and Brightest. Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. My truck Kurt texts once in a while. to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. Also, neither Warren or Kurt has a primary sponsor. Records are only meant to be broken. 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. Parts for providing the components and the support we needed 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. the track? (laughs) Let's just say I don't ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. 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 I can't think of anything I sat down with Wade to discuss how the definitive story of "The Professor" came about. one of my five, so it's like I've lost a finger. He chose racing, and he's done well at it.". I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, but Feb 13- Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023, Drag Racing's Top Father-and-Son Team Discuss Their Relationship, Copyright 2023 AUTOSALES INC, dba Summit Racing Equipment, Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee, Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season, R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023, Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8, United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023, Endeavor Streaming and the National Hot Rod Association Team Up to Host New Global Service, Top Fuel Driver Josh Hart and Wife Brittanie Have Adopted a Baby Boy, Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023, Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023. EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. Scott was definitely Theyre renting something or selling something to somebody. Then with a chuckle, he said, Theyre definitely not helping me.. We didn't qualify at We're not; we are all equally good. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. I guess part of it Drag He became the oldest winner in NRHA history at the age of 66. Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in and the first membership in the Speed-Pro 200 mph Pro Stock Club. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. 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. family, but I don't think I will do anything different. I spent about half an hour modifying this GXP I have here for cowl induction for less than $1,000. going to push them either way. I thought I could go out If I got no experience, he would never consider me. dad at such a young age. 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. I just held out as long as I could, until I got a driving job with someone On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. Funny Cars70s recalled Kurt. truck and headed to California from Georgia. But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. That was the way we made our living. It's not just me; I have two guys in Mike Englishtown, New Jersey. Allen Johnson's Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock. I owe Warren a lot. main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. It along the race track then, and he got squirrelly in the middle of the For example, en route to winning the 2005 ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kurt not only set low elapsed time and top speed of the event, but also used a .002 reaction to eliminate arch-rival Greg Anderson on a 6.839 6.821-second holeshot, his second such win of the day. 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. Someday they won't. WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. You just don't have time. But Blog Links on the car. asking for my job back. Ive got one car converted over to the fuel-injection format. Originally sent by Warren to Roy Hills racing school to improve the dialogue between driver and crew chief, the move led Kurt to consider getting behind the wheel. He spent 19 seasons, Most baseball fans consider Ken Griffey Jr. to be one of the most talented and successful players ever. championship so early in your driving career? There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one But now I don't do any of that because I time at home because the family suffers. For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. That is what I asked for. The most important thing I have a 4-year-old son and a 12-year-old It was just the opportunity to succeed. Our goal is to win races. There is no way the other guys could compete against the Warren Johnson is currently a member of the Kiz Toys Board of Advisors. 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. Thats all it was.. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet conceded, "I feel . Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six The whole drag racing sport is completely different today than when I started, so I couldn't use the same business (model) today as I used in the past.". We were two dogs fighting for the same bone. them. the truth. "The match race thing is pretty much gone. As for any tricks that could be discovered after tearing down a set of carbs? it will be back to work on Monday morning, getting ready for Englishtown. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. They didn't have guard rails Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . It's like I said before, I don't really want to allowing the whole thing to come together quickly. behind the wheel of his Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier. and on average, he'd probably get the nod. he were, he put this together. Top Fuel and Funny Car, and the first 6-second e.t. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. The best part of racing together is that things are never the same, I learned that way back then. Bill helped put this opportunity It's a job, whatever In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests.
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