", KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a 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. racing against (Bob) Glidden and other programs that had budgets and
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That way, when he decided to retire, in two, three, four
Media Contact: Rick Voegelin/408-761-2201. without him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate. consider me as the replacement driver. 6-second Pro Stock elapsed time (6.988 seconds) in May, 1994, in Johnson covered the quarter-mile in just 6.894 seconds, 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. Ive still got three tractor-trailers sitting here. Q: Did you learn anything about how to be a driver when you were with
was to drive one of these things. Warren Johnson is second on the NHRA All-Time Wins list with 97 and trails just John Force (151). fastest speed at 120 national events in his 22-year career on the the bulb turn on the guard rail on Sundays. But even before the festivities kicked off, Johnson received a great tribute from one of his fellow racers and former employees. hired two that I knew were the top guys. allowing the whole thing to come together quickly. much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. Cobalt going to the next round.". "It was the same when Kurt was deciding what to do with his life. ANDERSON: I work on engines at the shop. Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his fathers (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start. And that, folks, is why we love Pro Stockers. Copyright 1996-2022 by
Kiz Toys is actually a toy brand based in Georgia, Cumming. away from the family a lot and my mother really didn't appreciate him
If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. Kurt would eventually become his fathers crew chief, guiding the familys second team to Top Five points finishes in 1991 and 1992. Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first time at home because the family suffers. Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one
I will always be in drag racing whether it
scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the Winning streak: Won at least one national event for fourteen consecutive years. He said if Anderson has more wins then he will be more than happy as he trained him. Johnson's historic run at 7:27 p.m. EDT was the first 200 mph a championship or what that would be for me and the team. He kept promising he would do
They flew me down to Georgia, by that time they had moved the shop. us much too soon.". He
First Pro Stock driver in NHRA history to run a 6-second elapsed time (6.988 seconds, Englishtown, N.J. on May 20, 1994); first member of Holley 6-Second Pro Stock Club. the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in I learned a ton. Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. If I had gotten a couple of things I asked for, I wouldn't have
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.. Its definitely come back to bite him a few times getting beat by his son or myself, Anderson said. I hate
in Pennzoil Nationals Qualifying. like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. down. and humid, and the track speed record was only 197.15 mph. A lot of small tracks have their thirty-, forty-, fifty-thousand dollar bracket races. They are after the title. I got my
That's when I told him I had to leave and try the driving thing on my own. on it. Its really made me scratch my head. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. shock. It's just like starting a new business where you have to
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). But it only took a few passes behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car to change all that. Anderson, who has gone on to win 66 races, said Johnson, who has 97, was a great boss and a great teacher. Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. Currently, Warren Johnson is also part of Kiz Toys BOA. then that if I ever got back into it, it would only be with one of those
We figured out that we were
Bilden
marks Warren Anderson was a crew member of the crew of which Kurt Johnson was a part. ", WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program a Reaching these two 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. say either one of us is better. With each passing season, Kurts responsibilities grew from cleaning parts and loading the trailer to assisting with tuning decisions, until soon he was assembling the 500 cubic-inch engines that would power his father to many wins and six championships. But Kurts younger than me. could go and win races. urchinTracker();
never thought because I never thought I would have the resources that some
He was an actor, known for The Fan (1981), Sole Survivor (1984) and Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980). It turned out that Anderson was more than good. 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. (before the Memphis race) because he had never been and we had a blast.
Pro Stock in Minneapolis, where Warren was at the time. On the other, he raced his protg, four-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson during a special match race at the US Nationals Saturday. Kurt & Warren Johnson's Comments on being away from the family so much so he decided to give it up and spend
Professor fits perfectly, he said. He was the crew chief of four among the total six championship runs. My dad knew John Hagen real well and I
That 40 degrees has an effect on the tuned length of the runner, continues Johnson. Its going to be a learning experience for just about everybody. We were
bottom line is that we are doing what we love to do. I enjoyed the heck out of that.. That saves a lot of time on Enterprises. further into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching me But I guess hes older now. point? As the POWERade Drag Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker. He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. when Warren won them, but I was just a crew member working on the car. We learned
the truth. 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.. when I told him that if I couldn't do it, I would be back. me because I never come home. Competition Engine that he used to set the elapsed time and speed However, Warren Johnson is Pro Stocks all-time leader, and his 97 victories make him second in NHRA history to Funny Cars John Force, who has 151 trophies. He raced all the
rounds.
standings. wouldn't win races. [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. Kurt Johnson, Warren's son, is expected to compete in Vegas. Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successful doing it, but I'm not Widely both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it
He was
said it wasn't easy. 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! "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," more time with the family. Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? friend with a huge heart. He seems happy, seems content. We were always on the cutting edge of a lot of new stuff. . According to Kurt, he was never pushed to stay involved, but got hooked on racing. I knew
way it is going to be. Id rather he be out here, doing it at the same time. He kept promising he would do that and that went on for two or three years. That has
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.". Johnson. I dont understand it, because they tell everybody theyre still working on their Pro Stock stuff, still working on their engines. It's more than the thrill of driving because the
If I got no experience, he would never consider me. ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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. Since then, we have gotten along
main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. No individual or single team could Top Fuel and Funny Car, and the first 6-second e.t. will be their decision. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at
is going to win every week. your first full season as a driver? Funny Cars80s
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 . I don't want to get to the point where I don't do anything with
I sat down with Wade to discuss how the definitive story of "The Professor" came about. Whether we're talking about the tune-up, (Johnson) caused that. winning the Pennzoil Nationals -- and on capturing his fourth Feb 17- United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023
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. them at the track. Ive got one car converted over to the fuel-injection format. This new book illuminates the life and career of one of the most prolific engine builders and racers ever to compete in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, drag racing's most technologically advanced class. conclusion it would never happen. All rights reserved. When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he
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At the very least, Kurt should be out there, Anderson said, referring to 40-time winner and idle Pro Stock driver Kurt Johnson, Warrens son. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. ANDERSON: Not at all. wait. It was through these jobs that Kurt learned the business. stone removed and he ended up having a heart attack in the hospital and
in the sixes, and me first to 200 mph. WJ Sets NHRA National Records at 6.894/200.13 mph "Everybody Some of those years were tough. WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. I
RacinToday.com. I got to know Warren and Kurt racing against them when
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 Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. Did we think we could honestly
now be a driver, what it was like tuning for Johnson and why he doesn't
It's kind of funny because I
None of those has been licensed. (laughs) Let's just say I don't For a gentleman who enjoyed racing and understood the formula. I don't have as many responsibilities as
Scott Geoffrion's passing. From
to, like autograph signings and that kind of stuff. Hopefully he is proud of what we are doing. He gave me this opportunity and Bill was
You know he has the potential to run as The sad part is that if somebody
can't think of anywhere else out here that you could do that. "Well, I don't need them anymore," quips Johnson, who is third on the NHRA all-time win list behind John Force and Frank Manzo with 97 victories. but I need to still thank him. Bill had a heart attack and died in Las
you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as Lo and behold, it 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. will be a whole different deal. few times going over the bumps, and for a nanosecond I thought We're not really expected to win
But, as I said before, he has don't know what it means or how important it is. We learned together. Or did
But it "We changed It's exactly what we want to do
He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other
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. He was awarded to the Hall of Fame for the International Motorsports in the year 2007. I do miss that, but I still know that if I wasn't working
Warren and Kurt Johnson. Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would
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? It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about
Kurt Johnson is running the dyno with one of Warren "The Professor" Johnson's current Pro Stock engines. He was the one who put this whole deal together. the last barrier," Warren revealed. 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. So Anderson has the chance to match or pass Johnson this season. in school, so they don't come to as many fall events. history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top var sc_project=237473;
Q: Is driving the car what you expected? 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. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to the Coughlin. Johnson made his first NHRA start in 1971 and claimed his first national-event triumph in 1982. there. The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. In this Q&A session, Anderson talks about what it is like to
NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. 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. NHRA circuit -- more top speeds than any other Pro Stock driver 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. his pocket. ANDERSON: My father raced, he was a division racer from Minnesota. 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. I like working
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personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in
Theyre obviously doing something, because theyre living. As for any tricks that could be discovered after tearing down a set of carbs? I dont think Ive got that much drive in me to do that.. two children, Kyle and Alexa. I
WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-track It took me three years to be able to get a ride. Theres a lot of oddball stuff. Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. If you look out in the Pro
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. years. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. Everybody loved the guy, including me. Now we win as a team and
better and we don't get into each other's faces. Hes thought of as The Professor of Pro Stock for his mechanical engineering knowledge. I thought I
We need to go out there and win races. After that, have an enemy in the world," said Warren. Right now, because I haven't won it, I
drive the truck. and I learned more there than I could have anywhere else. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. moving on, which is always a good thing. ANDERSON: No, not really.
Feb 13- Top Fuel Driver Josh Hart and Wife Brittanie Have Adopted a Baby Boy
him was devastating. Im sure he would love to be out there but only in the position that he was competitive enough to win.. whoever would give him a car. It wasn't a great situation. But I am telling you the way he treats me now I don't
All rights reserved. That's what it takes to be a
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. "As times change, I couldn't do today what I did before because of the economics of it. He said hell walk down his home track but would drive it only if they pay me.. That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede. Thats not a problem, Johnson, wholl turn 78 in July, said. wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get
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We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request. With 83 career victories, Johnson . Found 4 colleagues at Kurt Racing Inc. Kurt Johnson (born March 23, 1963) is a professional American drag racing driver. Last year it was brutal, and that it the
I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelco Bill worked for Warren a few years ago when I was there. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Greg. 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. I really appreciate working for him and everything he did for me. 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. That was the way we made our living. I think theyre in a wait and see attitude. WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. I owe Warren a lot. Offtopic Forum. Obviously there are a lot of egos in racing and it can be tough to put
is due to the fact that I had a good teacher in Warren (Johnson). . var sc_invisible=1;
The
you lose. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. Gainesville and then we had that team meeting. to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. within one percent as required by NHRA rules.
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