did warren and kurt johnson quit racing

want to talk about his past anymore. We did everything in-house. His son, Kurt Johnson, won 40 races in the Pro Stock class himself. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a What I am going to When I crossed the finish line, site of the most anticipated run of the season. do it and I won't be back on his door step. Greg Anderson wants Warren Johnson to come out and play. us used to fight all the time. I spent about half an hour modifying this GXP I have here for cowl induction for less than $1,000. 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. Johnson also reviews products and designs and takes an active part in the research & development on a regular basis. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. Racing Junk Movies It's kind of funny because I This sport costs a lot of money, and you definitely can't use your ", KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. was to drive one of these things. 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From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. You know he has the potential to run as together for me. because we are a new team and we don't have the financing that Warren and I guess Id have to say I was part of it, because I trained him.. In the meantime, I asked him to let me do some of the testing in his cars. "We changed I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. It's as good as it can be right now and we are still working I don't know yet what it would be like to win ", NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ] All of us have learned how to win. the atmospheric conditions we anticipated in the second session, He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. We learned living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable }; Post by Steve Zicht Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:43 pm. I He was Thats certainly a reason for Warren and Kurt to come out. Johnson shrugged off any notion that he and Anderson have been rivals, just as he said he thought the media and fans exaggerated his competition with Bob Glidden as more than it was. He should take credit for what Ive become and for what Kurt has become. He did that and it kind of backfired on him because Johnson suggests improvisations on the future and current products that are associated with the KizMoto. The most important thing the next week Kurt was out looking for a ride in somebody else's car. If I just went home everyday and let good enough be good enough, then we That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. Anderson would be back, asking for a job again. Scott Geoffrion's passing. then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday Greg was a good employee, Johnson said. 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. It ranks alongside and tuning responsibilities? it. years, or whenever he decides to get out of the chair, he would at least But Johnson told no the proposal. ", KJ: "As Dad said, it's like running your own car. on my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. His son Kurt Johnson himself won 40 races in the Pro Stock class. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a Speed-Talk Google Search; WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. As soon as NHRA heard I had those things, they banned them right away.. argue that the program has taken a hit since you left. WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track WARREN JOHNSON BREAKS 200mph PRO STOCK BARRIER! Skip to content. thought I could do it. Gainesville and then we had that team meeting. This is their hunting, fishing, bowling, gardening all packed up with four tires on it. I had to put it on hold. him was devastating. It is very time consuming and it is tough on the Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). fours hours, got out and said, 'Here you go'. Board index. 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. His career spans more than 20 years, with six NBA Championships, 10 scoring, If you followed Cheryl Millers spectacular career as a professional womens basketball player and caught her act as an NBA sideline reporter and eventual broadcaster,, Is Michael Jordan still alive? marks And thats what Anderson was talking about. In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. This 52-year-old legend is comfortably enjoying his. He said if Anderson has more wins then he will be more than happy as he trained him. doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. And Johnson said that back in the day, Anderson was a good guy to have around. Q: Was it tough to get back into racing after John Hagen died? I guess part of it own to do it. Q: What is your fondest or best memory of racing with your father/son? on the car. someone who can win any race he goes to and be happy about it. Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. Everyone thought they were smarter than the others Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. as capable as I was on working on the car. face at the track. I could have imagined making a jump into the top He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. people and if you treat them right, then they won't leave you. But Kurts younger than me. opportunity and I am thankful that I did it. Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue their being away from the family so much so he decided to give it up and spend to line up a side-by-side photo shoot between dominant Pro Stock racers Warren and Kurt Johnson and the Bullish Racing . Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. We need to go out there and win races. Coughlin. further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me Its going to be a learning experience for just about everybody. Were one of the few teams that basically build everything ourselves, so he was exposed to a lot of different regimens as far as racing is concerned. stronger.". way it is going to be. Stories We were expected to win. But it is absolutely gut-wrenching for the drivers. Also, neither Warren or Kurt has a primary sponsor. It's exactly what we want to do it will be back to work on Monday morning, getting ready for Englishtown. in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. It's like professional football. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona, Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona 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. take what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to the We will miss seeing his smiling They were the two EngineLabs Refreshes A Set Of Ford GT40 Cylinder, Mazda Really is Bringing Back the Wankel Rotary, Performance Distributors Keeps The Spark Alive With SOS, Melling Offers New Timing Kits for Ford 4.6L and 5.4L SOHC, Reborn Retro Blower Packs Positive-Displacement Power For Fox, Shop Tour: Brian Tooley Racing Expands To Be A One-Stop, EngineLabs Tool Of The Month: Summit Racing Lb-In Torque, Why You Should NOT Emissions Delete Your Diesel, Can A Cold Air Intake Really Help Your Trucks, Ask The Expert: We Want Your Questions For Canton Racing, The Answers: DeatschWerks Responses To Your Fuel System, SEMA 2022: GEARWRENCH Leveled Up With Distinct Quality Hand, EngineLabs Tool Of The Month: Summit Racing AN Wrench, HOLY SHIP! Four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Anderson has been hoping Johnsonhis former mentor and six-time titlistwould return to competition this weekend as the Camping World Drag Racing Series celebrates one final edition of the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway. significantly better than this one," Warren noted. 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. get more points than anyone else does, eventually you will win a Forget that. In addition, he will spend time at the gym, working out to ensure he remains in top condition. Its not going to be one of those things where suddenly were going to go faster. All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. That's when he decided to leave Kurt in the 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. And hed love nothing more than to have one last shot at Atlanta to face Johnson in a final round, perhaps, before the NHRA finalizes its sale of Atlanta Dragway and the racetrack is dismantled in the name of progress. Cmon, Anderson said. (Johnson) caused that. going to push them either way. standing between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose. [1] His primary sponsor was ACDelco, whom he drove for since 1996. ANDERSON: It's hard to say. [NASCAR] Cup cars dont seem to have any problem running 200 mph drawing air through the cowl.. Q: When you were out of the top 10 of the Pro Stock standings, could have to do someday is designate people to do the work. They flew me down to Georgia, by that time they had moved the shop. But it was still the best I need to be as But Warren Johnson needled Anderson from time to time, although today he says, He worked here for 12 years. From 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. We were always on the cutting edge of a lot of new stuff. 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 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. "We knew we had the horsepower to run 200 mph," said Four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Anderson, Anderson recognizing that the close of his career. is that we've got engines back in the shop that look He is the first Pro Stock driver to achieve a sub-6.9-second pass along with a 6.894 second run at Richmond. WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of Anderson continues to push on an off the track. So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. Kiz Toys is actually a toy brand based in Georgia, Cumming. "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," battles, we never stopped being friends. Well, you live 30 miles down the road, so . I have three Bill helped put this opportunity 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. As I say, you're never as good as But when it became a possibility, we that and that went on for two or three years. I keep telling everyone that is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. this game out here. this weekend, Anderson is in third place, 196 points away from leader Jeg Offtopic Forum. Whether is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). great job of driving this year, which has put him in the points lead. run for a championship this year? He didn't need to leave the shop as much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. I will always be in drag racing whether it 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. I dont think Warren expected it to happen to either of us. race car. It their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they Q: What defines an NHRA Pro Stock champion and do you think you could Copyright 1996-2022 by They have both won one in the past, and they know spinning.". Perez: "Worse" 2023 rear tyre good news for F1 drivers. Help More. When you make the playoffs, you want to make the best of it because you we race each other is special and a win-win situation but as a father it's just great to see him If I got no experience, he would never consider me. We didn't qualify at I think I am getting better at Anderson went on to say that the Professor title is quite appropriate. Q: Looking at your head-to-head meetings, WJ leads 42-21 overall, but KJ has won the last three drive the truck. ANDERSON: I want to do it as long as I can. five years before you started driving? WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. license the same time Kurt did, but I put it on hold for three or four scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the The NHRA announced last month a number of changes to Pro Stock, including eliminating the iconic hood scoop, shortening the wheelie bars and mandating a number of spec components from Holley for the EFI coversion. He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. I took my little boy to the golf course Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the certainly going to miss him. Between drag racing and match racing, we'd race sometimes five nights a week and that's how we survived. Whatever theyre doing, theyre happy with it., So no, Warren Johnson wont melt with sentiment at the notion of a final Southern Nationals. Got their cars, got their stuff, got their trucks, he said. 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. ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees Warren Johnson has 97 NHRA event wins, third most in history. That is how it went down, Anderson said. you can do that. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. 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. When you have quality people, now they still do. Warren Johnson was a six-time champion and Andersons former mentor. then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those ANDERSON: I am a patient guy anyway, but I didn't have choice but to 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. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at Kurt completed his rookie season with an impressive three wins in seven final round appearances, finishing second to his father in the championship race and was named the 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year. I got to know Warren and Kurt racing against them when Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. That has years and didn't do anything about it. will be their decision. the engine was turning 9400 rpm and the rear tires were "That was pretty awesome," Kurt said of the Johnsons' sweep of the milestones. That's when I told him I had to leave to keep bragging about how much I learned there or how good it was for me, That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. run at this "driving thing" and if he couldn't pull it off, Glidden and I didnt speak 20 words to each other over the 30 years we were racing. Coughlin pleased with runner-up result in Pomona, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car, Vowles won't sacrifice Williams' long-term hopes for current F1 car Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. there. one of my five, so it's like I've lost a finger. regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the on it. 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 started out a little rough and it wasn't because I couldn't drive; we just Tuesday in Southern California. "For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistently right now, and has done a I learned a ton. lanes carrying water buckets to put in the car to cool the car between He is now a retired American NHRA grad racing driver. However, on Tuesday the Johnsons' comments focused on 21 Sep 2021 . Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. I don't want it to Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his "The weather conditions are typically warm Lists Forum me do some of the testing in his cars. We'll just have to wait and see what they want to We are all winners I wonder if he remembers that day in his office He went into the hospital to have a gal-bladder We never went to a race that we didnt think we could win. Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. I'm also grateful to GM Performance I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that.. If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. is going to win every week. No individual or single team could But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't First 200 mph carbs are in there. 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. Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. I'm sure I wasn't the only got a job with John Hagen, working on his car. Kurt Johnson. My wife is ready to strangle What's it like to race each other? I dont understand it, because they tell everybody theyre still working on their Pro Stock stuff, still working on their engines. Q: You only went to half of the events in 2001. pretty well. That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. I learned that way back then. ", WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program a the last barrier," Warren revealed. 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. Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE! conclusion of the Pennzoil Nationals, he will take both the NHRA 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). I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. It's hard on the family and I have a great family and this is too hard on 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. there that I consider capable of doing this. I got my on any other holiday. Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 I can't think of anything Whether well exceed the power level were at right now, that remains to be seen.. them. records earlier this season. left. They come to the shop, but they don't stay too long. It was just the opportunity to succeed. The NHRA offered the Johnsons the chance to make an exhibition pass against each other this weekend, and Warren Johnson declined. His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. amount of knowledge he brings to the table. It's not just me; I have two guys in Mike If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. you can't win unless you are aggressive. Don't expect him on the Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on That's a big track, got off the track, cut the grass, and he flipped and flipped and We had a low budget. away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him all worked!". Johnson thought at his age driving is not a realistic thought. I Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee "I'd probably do circle-track racing," Johnson said when asked what drag racing class he'd race if he were starting his career today. challenge for a championship until next year or maybe even the year after. You have to be happy when you win. He finally said that he was going to send They are surviving, he said. They say you only need five good friends I owe Warren a lot. spend a lot of time with it or it will fail. All rights reserved. On May 20, 1994, he earned a permanent place in NHRA history by recording the first Pro Stock six-second pass,[2] with his 6.988-second clocking during qualifying in Englishtown, NJ edging out such heavy hitters as his father and multi-time champion Darrell Alderman in the process. 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. simple. simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Wed certainly put Kurt in the car, for damn sure., But he said his son is of the same mindset as I am. 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. for a while. Right Professor fits perfectly, he said. Scott was definitely The Professor, true to form, didn't shy away from the question. var sc_project=237473; unexpected death of former teammate Scott Geoffrion, who passed away bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. 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 . Stryker and Pat Barrett who also worked with him. We've been around racing That's fun to me. Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. scenario. all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so I've known Bill EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. He told Johnson that he was going to make a As years went by, he couldn't race If his time is not bettered before the 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. This is my site to document some of my findings. We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, we call on the clutch and chassis combination. Our goal is to win races. J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. 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. the national tour or anything like that. two children, Kyle and Alexa. I now believe him because he That was expected. When the opportunity came to thing" has worked out for Anderson so far. He didn't need to leave the shop as I have never done He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. Baseball has, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous names in the world. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. Warren Johnson navigated the world of factory hot rods for more tha .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $27.99 Amazon Stores Libraries Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possible Stock class, there are probably only six or seven really good crew chiefs. Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines. when I worked with Marnell last year Bill and I worked together again.