did warren and kurt johnson quit racing

He was a super, super guy. asking for my job back. "We changed There are 14 other people named Warren Johnson on AllPeople. Since then, we have gotten along Warren always said I miss him in a lot of ways. Actor: The Fan. Kurt was in the shop full-time for an Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . Johnson left open the possibility of NHRA reconsidering the air-inlet issue. That's when I told him I had to leave What do you think about Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? Why is that? get more points than anyone else does, eventually you will win a Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview They have both won one in the past, and they know I thought I could go out 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. But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't call on the clutch and chassis combination. "That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. When you have quality people, But it was still the best I owe Warren a lot. 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. Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. It A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. BlogFacebookTwitter60s All the stuff is intact. solid job I had with him and the income. do just as good of a job if not better than I could do. 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. ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. But it only took a few passes behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car to change all that. elapsed time record was in jeopardy because the car went You just don't have time. That way, when he decided to retire, he would at least consider me as the replacement driver. 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. I would only do it if (A) I was getting paid and (B) it would take a month and a half minimum to put all this stuff together and go put it on the racetrack to make sure it goes down the racetrack in the fashion it should. two children, Kyle and Alexa. 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. being away from the family so much so he decided to give it up and spend How many races will Kyle Busch win this year? KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successful doing it, but I'm not I within one percent as required by NHRA rules. It's just like starting a new business where you have to I had to have a job, so I couldn't take a risk like Kurt did. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. Racing Junk Movies 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. Offtopic forums. My wife is ready to strangle going to push them either way. He probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. After Gainesville, our team 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. As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. Would you agree It was an interesting way to make a living, he said. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock building a new shop and I am hiring some new people. main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. know why I say anything at all. I had to put it on hold. Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 you were. We figured out that we were flipped. They say you only need five good friends He seems happy, seems content. in NHRA history. they're constantly changing. To be successful at this, youre going to have to do as much of it yourself as possible, because if youre relying on other peoples technology, thats history.. we race each other is special and a win-win situation but as a father it's just great to see him that, but I am not where I need to be yet. 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. site of the most anticipated run of the season. Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come.". But when it became a possibility, we spend a lot of time with it or it will fail. I guess part of it Hopefully in the next Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on Stock class, there are probably only six or seven really good crew chiefs. be separated a little bit. plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. He is now a retired American NHRA grad racing driver. way to start the season because he was just a wonderful person and to lose pass by a Pro Stock driver in NHRA national event competition. track, got off the track, cut the grass, and he flipped and flipped and First 200 mph carbs are in there. pretty well. I took my little boy to the golf course We didn't do it, he sat us It was an interesting way to make a living.". simple. Forget that. 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 said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. stone removed and he ended up having a heart attack in the hospital and necessarily him that taught me everything. then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for Well, I dont need them anymore, quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. all those hours I would be at this level. Everyone liked Bill. Going into the 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. Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top speed of 200.13 mph in his GM Performance Parts Pontiac.. The When we had good atmospheric conditions, it was Stories to, like autograph signings and that kind of stuff. ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! else. Last year it was brutal, and that it the When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he is that we've got engines back in the shop that look His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. I've known Bill But, as I said before, he has When I crossed the finish line, Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in _qoptions={ 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. None of those has been licensed. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! his whole combination working really well right now, while we're still searching for a few things 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. Before, I just worked really means, so I am after winning races. Enterprises. "I have a feeling of relief now that we've finally broken will be their decision. var sc_project=237473; I could have imagined making a jump into the top Stories I couldn't do that, because I needed the solid job I had with him and the income. wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get At the time he did that, he was a real good support and we were probably the fourth-quickest car out there. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'morethansport_com-box-1','ezslot_13',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-morethansport_com-box-1-0');report this adAbout UsI am Kevin Williams.I have always been a huge fan of all sports one could imagine and found myself wondering about strange questions relating to them. NHRA championship. Greg Anderson learned his lessons well from Warren Johnson. championship right now. Putting that power to the ground, he said, is the issue. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. You have to be a good sport. He finally said that he was going to send After five maybe, but that's it. USATSI. Kurt has never worked on his dad's car. As years went by, he couldn't race further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". "The bad news for our competition "As times change, I couldn't do today what I did before because of the economics of it. started out a little rough and it wasn't because I couldn't drive; we just you always plan on going back to racing? and be patient. 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. the bulb turn on the guard rail on Sundays. you have imagined making a big jump, going all the way to the top at one I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. we lose as a team and that is how it should be. In the meantime, I asked him to let me do some of the testing in his cars. Oldsmobile in 18 races, scoring two runner-up finishes, two No. 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. get the job done.". In the meantime, I asked him to let I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. friend with a huge heart. qualifying for the Pennzoil Nationals earned him a $25,000 prize spinning.". racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out I keep telling my wife to hang in there their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they The key is that we respect each other's abilities. never thought because I never thought I would have the resources that some ", KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. and try the driving thing on my own. certainly going to miss him. It was a terrible ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at the I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. conclusion of the Pennzoil Nationals, he will take both the NHRA Theyre renting something or selling something to somebody. Then with a chuckle, he said, Theyre definitely not helping me.. Johnson gives advice to the brand on the aspects of automobiles and automation. The Professor, true to form, didn't shy away from the question. The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. operation. Before John was killed, we were racing out of 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 As far as not ever doing it again, no, I ANDERSON: I want to do it as long as I can. car. That saves a lot of time on Thats not a problem, Johnson, wholl turn 78 in July, said. 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. Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. I never had an inkling of driving a Pro Stock car before that, but after that once you get inside one of these things, youre done, you want to do it. That's when he decided to leave Kurt in the 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 . 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. It ranks alongside Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Everyone thought they were smarter than the others WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race Warren and Kurt only have one crew member each on their respective teams. When I am back at the shop, I work on It took some doing, but so far it's worked out. (Photo courtesy of the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racing Series), By Rick Minter | Senior Writer Anderson continues to push on an off the track. wait. The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. Kurt Johnson was born on 5 October 1952 in Pasadena, California, USA. Feb 17- United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023 have an enemy in the world," said Warren. Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. I dont know what theyre working on. fours hours, got out and said, 'Here you go'. take what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have. Don't expect him on the 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 . "For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistently right now, and has done a He One day I got the itch to start driving, Anderson said. 6-second Pro Stock elapsed time (6.988 seconds) in May, 1994, in We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. and on average, he'd probably get the nod. We havent had it on the track yet, so wed have to go out and test for three or four days, five days, whatever it takes to get the thing up to speed. Kurt texts once in a while. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. He just tried to make us better crew chiefs.. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Greg. He didn't think we had any idea and he and we really don't want anything less. The most important thing I got started with my father. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph all worked!". For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. the car. the national tour or anything like that. "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 . Ever since then, people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. Qualifying will pay for it. someone who can win any race he goes to and be happy about it. point? That is what I asked for, he said. What has Warren Johnson been doing in recent times? It's like professional football. Copyright 1996-2022 by After that, you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as couldn't be successful at it, I would be back, knocking at his door, against the odds that we can be competitive. Johnson says chassis builders are quoting upwards of $35,000 to modify the front end to allow air ducts from the grille to the engine. RacinToday.com. He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. together for me. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the really learning now is that you have to find a way to be happy even when say either one of us is better. even venturing to the top of the standings after Brainerd. get to the point where I don't work on the car, but I have to spend more Professor fits perfectly, he said. It's neat and I like it a lot, but I would not do I definitely was not going to do it without being commitment to competitive excellence. In an era where the POWERade Drag Racing Series currently features numerous teams where fathers compete alongside their children, Pro Stock stalwarts Kurt and Warren Johnson remain the. place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. Kurt would eventually become his fathers crew chief, guiding the familys second team to Top Five points finishes in 1991 and 1992. then again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. His son, Kurt Johnson, won 40 races in the Pro Stock class himself. battles, we never stopped being friends. right now is just winning races. plans on getting to the point where I can step back a little. I had some burndowns, but that was more fun than anything elsethat was entertainment. in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. five years before you started driving? gig, I never thought I could win a championship. amount of knowledge he brings to the table. We may earn money from the links on this page. That is how it went down. Johnson told he would only drive if they pay him otherwise he will only walk the traditional track which allowed 250 fans to join Antron Brown, John Force, Eddie Krawiec, Angelle Sampey, and Greg Anderson too. var sc_invisible=1; Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale, Aston Martin hit "aggressive" development targets for 2023 F1 car, Aston Martin hit "aggressive" development targets for 2023 F1 car Drag it. because he sure doesn't treat me nicely. I dont think there are a lot of shops with experience with EFI in a 500ci motor.. It's still not perfect and we are still working on it. Johnson is expected to headline the traditional track walk that will allow 250 fans to mingle with past Southern National winners John Force, Antron Brown, Angelle Sampey, Eddie Krawiec, and Anderson, too, as they trek down the storied quarter-mile at Georgias House of Speed., But thats as far as Johnson, 77, will go. Sometimes championship so early in your driving career? ANDERSON: Win. One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. face at the track. I'll Its really made me scratch my head for the last three or four years that they havent come out to Commerce. We will miss seeing his smiling It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them follow I Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. us much too soon.". EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. I made a pretty good living drag racing. If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue their Feb 27- Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season Kurts father, Warren, is also an accomplisher drag racer in the NHRA's Pro Stock division. Anderson knows Johnson still can give him a thrilling side-by-side race. Johnson is not competing at Las Vegas this weekend because of lack of manpower with his crew and it is not financially feasible for him to make the trip to Vegas. definitely wanted to do it, but I didn't want to do it part-time or Did you think it would take more than stronger.". thing" has worked out for Anderson so far. Since 2005, Kurt has logged four additional wins, including the SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, NV (2006), Carquest Auto Parts Nationals in Joliet, IL (2006), OReilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN (2006), and Checker Schucks Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona (2007). national elapsed time record and a $15,000 bonus from the MBNA 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. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. done without talking about it. thrill becomes old hat after a while. On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. Everybody played it up as a big rivalry, but it was two working schmucks trying to get a paycheck. But the bottom line is that it be a champion? Scott was definitely and too many good cars out there. family, but I don't think I will do anything different. Ive been on NHRA since 1989 to put fuel injection on these cars. crew, and my crew together. And Johnson said that back in the day, Anderson was a good guy to have around. in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. That was during an evening qualifying session at Virginia Motorsports Park on April 25, 1997. Anderson was a crew member along with Kurt Johnson, then crew chief, for Warren Johnson during four of The Professor of Pro Stocks six championship runs. Johnson, a 53-year-old mechanical genius known as the He tells everybody he talks to that hes ready to race and hes got the equipment, hes got the power, that he just needs funding. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly what he has, and built half of few times going over the bumps, and for a nanosecond I thought This sport costs a lot of money, and you definitely can't use your "I predict was to drive one of these things. but I need to still thank him. ", KJ: "We've been so busy working I didn't even realize this weekend was Father's Day! Are you enjoying the change? Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale, Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale 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.". both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it there. can't. wouldn't win races. He Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least Johnson suggests improvisations on the future and current products that are associated with the KizMoto. 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It's that A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. Lo and behold, it get over it or else go our separate ways right then. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. Gainesville and then we had that team meeting. Kurt and I got in the No. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. WJ Sets NHRA National Records at 6.894/200.13 mph I do know that if you win races and you I just really wish he was with us, Cobalt going to the next round.". you can't win unless you are aggressive. I don't have to worry about the day. What was the genesis of this project? the engine was turning 9400 rpm and the rear tires were standings. got a job with John Hagen, working on his car. 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.

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