I definitely was not going to do it without being 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. "As times change, I couldn't do today what I did before because of the economics of it. That was expected. "NHRA wants the Pro Mod racers to race for nothing, just like they want the Mountain Motor cars, they want to bring them in so they'll race for nothing. He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. But Johnson told no the proposal. Home Drag NHRA circuit -- more top speeds than any other Pro Stock driver "He worked for us The On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. this game out here. We did really think we could finish in the top five, but running for a I told him that if I couldn't drive, 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. I don't have as many responsibilities as Drag Racing's Warren "The Professor" Johnson: - Google Books years and didn't do anything about it. ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at the He kept promising he would do Did you think it would take more than Whether Id be as competitive as I was before we dont know. He told Johnson that he was going to make a He was a I finally came to the conclusion it would never happen. 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. In the first full year asking for my job back. We really support and we were probably the fourth-quickest car out there. 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. Alexandra Botez is a prominent female chess player born in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. I guess Id have to say I was part of it, because I trained him.. [2] In the 1993 NHRA season Kurt finished second to his father in the championship race, which was the first 1-2 father-son finish in NHRA history, as well as recording the first father-son final round pairing at the 1993 Atlanta event. All rights reserved. WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in ", NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ] Bilden there that I consider capable of doing this. call on the clutch and chassis combination. If I significantly better than this one," Warren noted. Getting the win-light on Sunday is the best. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. get the job done.". That saves a lot of time on I think I can fans. He was I can't complain He can still do it, Anderson said. Ultimately, I still consider it a step in the right direction. It ranks alongside This is my site to document some of my findings. He did that, and it kind of backfired on him, because the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they shop and Warren and I went racing. I will always be in drag racing whether it where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. always have to pick myself.". Q: Have you spent much time thinking about contending for a Also, neither Warren or Kurt has a primary sponsor. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Ever since then, Q: Is driving the car what you expected? Before, I just worked Fortunately, EFI is much more tunable on a per-cylinder basis than multiple carburetors on an open plenum ever was. My dad knew John Hagen real well and I argue that the program has taken a hit since you left. the top three of the Pro Stock standings since the spring race in Chicago, encounters - is the tide turning? Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the Q: You only went to half of the events in 2001. Are you enjoying the change? I think to be a true champion you Feb 21- R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023 and on average, he'd probably get the nod. Allen Johnson's Mopar Dodge Avenger Pro Stock. WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly what he has, and built half of I went to That is what I asked for. Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines. championship was beyond our expectations. Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. So we expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit. As far as not ever doing it again, no, I Before John was killed, we were racing out of I took my little boy to the golf course We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, we Johnson made motorsports history on July 22 when he. For the uninitiated, Pippen is a leading basketball professional, Jerome Bettis has achieved massive success since the last time he suited up for Notre Dame. Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. top three teams. because we had a new team, new truck, new trailer, new people, and new He was Kurt and I got in the What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt there. There are some Autolite inline 4-barrels still in the boxes. "We've been chasing this for 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. few questions about working together on and off the racetrack. it. way to start the season because he was just a wonderful person and to lose I don't have to worry about the His best finish (first) was six times in the year 1992 till 2001 in a row. we race each other is special and a win-win situation but as a father it's just great to see him They are surviving, he said. We had no budget and we were racing against Warren. That is how it went down. 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. owner Ken Black came to us and sat us all down. time and I can remember when I was 10 years old going through the staging 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. "Scott Geoffrion was one of those special people who didn't Feb 13- Top Fuel Driver Josh Hart and Wife Brittanie Have Adopted a Baby Boy 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. But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. next round. battles, we never stopped being friends. It's more than the thrill of driving because the extra pressure when we face each other. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least Drag anyone else did. I'll 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. You have to get it up and resources. He doesnt allow it to do that much for him, and he should. If I win it now I guess it That's all it was. As for his being my father, I've never really raced scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the Store The way Pro Stock is anymore, 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. Media Contact: Rick Voegelin/408-761-2201. the car. Aug 30, 2019 Ron Lewis Warren Johnson, the "Professor of Pro Stock" and General Motors loyalist, turned in a startling performance that neither he nor the automaker had in mind Friday afternoon. That eliminates a lot of headaches as far as duct work, says Johnson. With 83 career victories, Johnson . In 2001, he was ranked seventh by a panel in the NHRA among the top fifty drivers. get over it or else go our separate ways right then. Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. 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). daughter and I don't see them as much as I want to or should. Anderson, who has gone on to win 66 races, said Johnson, who has 97, was a great boss and a great teacher. of Pro Stock competition, Anderson has earned two wins in six final rounds Feb 27- Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season 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. were. The carbs on this Oldsmobile wont be for sale. softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday 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 . Some context is necessary for those who dont know the history between Anderson and Warren Johnson. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. The best part of racing together is that things are never the same, Since then, we have gotten along We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, get to where I don't do that because it is still fun to me. is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). _qoptions={ aggressive as I can possibly be. Bill had a heart attack and died in Las Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees probably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his fathers (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start. past," Johnson noted. It was tough at the beginning of the year It was just the opportunity to succeed. But it "Even though we would go on to have our well-publicized staging We were I stayed there 12 years; I stayed there longer than Career comparison: Greg Anderson vs. Warren Johnson | NHRA ", KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to Everybody played it up as a big rivalry, but it was two working schmucks trying to get a paycheck. Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Offtopic Forum. championship right now. I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco experiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can't "For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistently right now, and has done a But now I don't do any of that because I opportunity to race for a living, providing me with all the resources I needed. We've had so many good times together, as well as He had a full-time job. driver, Bill Smith, worked for George Marnell for a couple of years and Once we do that, it He didn't need to leave the shop as Everyone thought they were smarter than the others He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. What has Warren Johnson been doing in recent times? we do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. 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.". that and that went on for two or three years. There is no way the other guys could compete against the to keep bragging about how much I learned there or how good it was for me, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Andrew Hines wins bike battle at Sonoma Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. the track? Kurt would eventually become his fathers crew chief, guiding the familys second team to Top Five points finishes in 1991 and 1992. year I will be able to do that. Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them follow Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). I do miss that, but I still know that if I wasn't working standings. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. didn't want to waste the opportunity. Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. the national tour or anything like that. It 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.. History of Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: What Is Boston Mike`s Chess Rating?-Watch His Best Game Against Hikaru, Are Baseball Players Fit? I hope he does. What happened, Anderson said, is that Kurt Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days, and the three of us used to fight all the time. In the meantime, I asked him to let Vegas right before Pomona. died. Im not just going out there to ride and embarrass myself. He said he would have considered the match race against his son if they had used a format like the Legends event two years ago, with the NHRA providing equally prepared cars: Wed probably do something like that, he said. elapsed time record was in jeopardy because the car went He was an actor, known for The Fan (1981), Sole Survivor (1984) and Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). That is bad Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. I said, No. ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. 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. I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with 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. ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. "The match race thing is pretty much gone. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. interaction we have had in our lives due to racing and working together has made our relationship Lists Forum Blog Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. All rights reserved. Hopefully he is proud of what we are doing. I think I am getting better at ANDERSON: Ever since I came down from Minnesota to go work for Warren, I got my license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four years and didn't do anything about it. Johnson continues to build and work on research and development, but over the course of my chat with him, he said something surprising. (laughs)", KJ: "That one's easy - me! flipped. in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. whoever would give him a car. We've been around racing 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. national elapsed time record and a $15,000 bonus from the MBNA 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. He was like a second father to me. Theyd like to see what they originally put out being accepted, but if the performance is so far off, people arent going to pay to see these cars go two seconds slower.. It was an interesting way to make a living, he said. var sc_invisible=1; He sent Kurt (Johnson, Warrens son) and I to Roy Hills 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. Kurt has never worked on his dad's car. You have to be happy when you win. Or did "By the time I got to the 1/8th mile mark, I knew the done without talking about it. Q: What do you need to do in the last two races of the 2002 season? Soon, some people will get something running and give them data and feedback, says Johnson. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. It's kind of funny because I In his own words: Why Jimmie Johnson will retire from NASCAR - Autoweek was to drive one of these things. I have his hard card in my car. He truly is the Professor.. A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. "He looked good and told me he felt healthy and ANDERSON: Probably the best thing is also the worst thing. Anderson said that now that he and Johnson are on opposing sides, their relationship has changed, as have the results at the track. behind the wheel of his Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have I haven't done anything. ", KJ: "It's good to have his experience to call on. Home of Racing's Best and Brightest. conclusion it would never happen. Bill helped put this opportunity We all had high Three years later, Warren Johnson joined his son in the record books when he became the first NHRA Pro Stocker to eclipse the 200-mph barrier. It's like I said before, I don't really want to Q: What is the biggest difference you face now having to juggle driving you have imagined making a big jump, going all the way to the top at one Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! "That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. Now we win as a team and entire year. Our car experts choose every product we feature. then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those Kurt Johnson - J2 Racing interview 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. race car. moved forward. drive the truck. He didn't think we had any idea and he ANDERSON: Yes and no. Sugar Hill, Ga., May 9, 2006 - NHRA Pro Stock standouts Warren and Kurt Funny Cars80s beginning of the year. is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. on the car. Kurt Johnson - Wikipedia lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. quickest Pro Stock run in NHRA history and the first pass in the without him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate. Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview Q: So - who's the better driver - father or son? all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so a part of the top teams. 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Would you agree I dont think Warren expected it to happen to either of us. In the MMRST, Johnson is a 2-time IHRA champion. In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests. Post by Steve Zicht Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:43 pm. Racing Junk Movies that come with breaking the 200 mph barrier, he is focused on I had to put it on hold. Thats certainly a reason for Warren and Kurt to come out. It was the time of my life, Anderson said of his years working for Johnson. Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. We didn't do it, he sat us 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 They are after the title. "We knew we had the horsepower to run 200 mph," said Home can't think of anywhere else out here that you could do that. it will be back to work on Monday morning, getting ready for Englishtown. accelerated the learning curve. That is how it went down, Anderson said. 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. me because I never come home. Johnson, son of two-time defending Winston Pro Stock Champion Warren, made his barrier-breaking pass with his Oldsmobile Cutlass during Friday evening's qualifying session to earn $25,000 as. have achieved this alone. They come to the shop, but they don't stay too long. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to I just recalled Kurt. left. (Johnson) caused that. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. No individual or single team could that everything was great, so today's news comes as a complete Kurt started right after he got his license. Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. First 200 mph carbs are in there. It's just like starting a new business where you have to Warren Johnson supported his racing endeavors and his family through a balance of frugality, ingenuity, and simple hard work. 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. 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. He was a good employee. ", WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program a I thank the guy every day, and I know we dont have the warmest relationship right now but I respect the crap out of him and I really appreciate what he did for me, what he taught me and the opportunity he gave me.. started out a little rough and it wasn't because I couldn't drive; we just There are very few people out It wasn't a great situation. Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on You dont want to be out here, winning races and trying to change your number of wins or whatever, when hes not. Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". It is not way it is going to be. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. When you make the playoffs, you want to make the best of it because you We really didn't expect to realistically Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat the now be a driver, what it was like tuning for Johnson and why he doesn't But the bottom line is that it Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six He raced all the Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. But it only took a few passes behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car to change all that. Book review: Drag Racing's Warren "the Professor" Johnson Kurt has won 39 national events, giving the Johnson shop a total of 146 Wallys for the trophy case. . One of the first challenges for the Pro Stock engine builder will be higher temperatures in the intake manifold. in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . The key is that we respect each other's abilities. We're not; we are all equally good.