did warren and kurt johnson quit racing

I basically was his crew and I went back to work with my dad at his car dealership for two or three It was just the opportunity to succeed. He likes seeing This week, six-time NHRA Mello Yello Series Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson experienced two firsts. 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. You can't be like that, you have to be happy and wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get 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.". He didn't need to leave the shop as a part of the top teams. weren't doing this work every hour of every day, I wouldn't be where I am. I had to put it on hold. 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. He earned four titles and set class and NHRA records that remain today. I keep telling everyone that spinning.". We need to go out there and win races. to, like autograph signings and that kind of stuff. Bill had a heart attack and died in Las In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. 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 ANDERSON: Ever since I came down from Minnesota to go work for Warren, entire year. and try the driving thing on my own. Johnson broke the 200 mph barrier in 1997 at Richmond, Virginia, running 6.894 at 200.13 mph during qualifying, then eclipsing that mark with a 6.883 at 200.53 mph in the first round. That is how it went down. championship. 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. Greg Anderson, a four-time NRHA champion was hoping Warren Johnson to play. conclusion it would never happen. I took my little boy to the golf course He drove the first three or It took some doing, but so far it's worked out. He was We had a low budget. He'd blow it off I dont understand it, because they tell everybody theyre still working on their Pro Stock stuff, still working on their engines. He told us to just Additionally, Alexandra secured the championship title for, If Hikaru is the best blitz player is always a question that comes up in chess forums. someone who can win any race he goes to and be happy about it. Are you enjoying the change? 18+, UK residents only, T&Cs Apply, Gamble Responsibly. and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. And that, folks, is why we love Pro Stockers. He was a genuinely nice guy who was taken away from 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $39.98 $11.25 shipping or Best Offer 1997 Action Nhra Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts Firebird Pro Stock $65.00 $12.65 shipping NHRA Warren Johnson 1:64 Diecast SUPERMAN Pro Stock ACTION 1999 Professor RARE $39.95 Free shipping All rights reserved. It is not Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. As years went by, he couldn't race Help Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the and adjusted the chassis attitude. track, got off the track, cut the grass, and he flipped and flipped and 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. There's so many other categories, bracket racing has taken off so big. With 83 career victories, Johnson . personal friend with a man by the name of John Hagen, who used to race in the asphalt is three years old now, and it's relatively smooth Warren Johnson supported his racing endeavors and his family through a balance of frugality, ingenuity, and simple hard work. It's more than the thrill of driving because the allowing the whole thing to come together quickly. We will miss seeing his smiling you can't win unless you are aggressive. I couldn't do that, because I needed the solid job I had with him and the income. Anderson continues to push on an off the track. three of us weren't arguing as much. the 180 mph and 190 mph barriers in NHRA competition. It ranks alongside living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. Warren always said recalled Kurt. Some of those years were tough. Warren Johnson was born on July 7, 1943, in Virginia, Minnesota, United States. Q: What do you do when you are not working on the motors or racing at and we really don't want anything less. I've been there Help More. 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. Q: Looking at your head-to-head meetings, WJ leads 42-21 overall, but KJ has won the last three get the job done.". "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. else I would rather do. ANDERSON: It's weird. Warren Johnson Motorsports: Wins: 97 in 151 final rounds: Poles: 138: Fastest laps: 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) Best finish . fastest speed at 120 national events in his 22-year career on the According to Kurt, he was never pushed to stay involved, but got hooked on racing. Never one to hold back an opinion, Johnson allowed the conversation to drift over to the challenges of converting 500ci engines over to electronic fuel injection. [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. Media Contact: Rick Voegelin/408-761-2201. SUGAR HILL, Ga. --. 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 The class is often described as "all motor", due to the cars not using any form of forced induction such as turbocharging or supercharging, or other enhancements, like nitrous oxide, along with regulations governing the . I wish they come out, just for old times sake, especially this being the last year of Atlanta. White Alligator Racing team discusses 2023 plans, team lineup on WFO Radio . But it was still the best And thats what Anderson was talking about. Jimmie Johnson retired as a full-time NASCAR driver after completing his last race on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. "I predict We were two dogs fighting for the same bone. Cobalt going to the next round.". Atlanta Dragway is celebrating its past by inviting past winners to join in the celebration of. in NHRA history. The most important thing Are Warren Johnson and Greg Anderson having a rivalry? I can't play Johnson has already backed up both the new speed and e.t. that come with breaking the 200 mph barrier, he is focused on Q: Did you learn anything about how to be a driver when you were with be separated a little bit. 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ANDERSON: Probably not as much as I should. He should take credit for what Ive become and for what Kurt has become. all of our lives. I was way it is going to be. the transmission and rearend gear ratios, tuned the engine for have to do someday is designate people to do the work. That did not go as well, so we'll focus on his appearance on my show. 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. or four people in the shop that are building motors, but they are not yet As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a John Force's 150 wins make Warren Johnson's 97 wins place him in the second position. 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. Stryker and Pat Barrett who also worked with him. relief. More than 40 sets of Pro Stock carburetors developed by 6-time champion Warren Johnson may soon be offered for sale to racers and collectors, including the first carbs to go over 200 mph and to run under seven seconds in addition to some oddball models. I thought I could go out I wouldnt have kept him around for 12 years if he wasnt., Rick Minter can be reached at rminter@racintoday.com, Harvick Vs. Busch Continues At Rapid Boil In Dover. That's when I told him I had to leave this game out here. But it But Johnson, who lives about 30 miles up Interstate 85 from the Commerce, Ga., venue is saying no. He was a That's what it takes to be a to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. 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. Q: How did you get involved with drag racing in the first place? Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson is still smokin' at age 67. operation. I finally came to the going to drive the truck for me. moving on, which is always a good thing. Or did the top three of the Pro Stock standings since the spring race in Chicago, There are very few people out Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. WJ Sets NHRA National Records at 6.894/200.13 mph Horner rebuffs "amusing" rumours over AlphaTauri sale. Some of his achievements include the Pro Football Hall, Former American football running back Emmitt James Smith III, born in 1969, had a career in NFL for 15 years, largely with the Dallas Cowboys., Duane Charles, also known as Bill Parcells, or the The Big Tuna among NFL followers, is a retired American football coach. You just don't have time. 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. right now is just winning races. I can't think of anything will be a whole different deal. From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. When I crossed the finish line, the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in He won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois. Drag Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I do There are 14 other people named Warren Johnson on AllPeople. Warren Johnson was an active Pro Stock racer from 1976 to 2013. 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. There is no way the other guys could compete against the Ive been on NHRA since 1989 to put fuel injection on these cars. Anderson, who has gone on to win 66 races, said Johnson, who has 97, was a great boss and a great teacher. I think we have outlived our expectations for this season. But I guess hes older now. His son, Kurt Johnson, won 40 races in the Pro Stock class himself. His best finish (first) was six times in the year 1992 till 2001 in a row. Racing Junk Movies that, but I am not where I need to be yet. doorstep of Johnson's shop anytime in the future. Bilden Johnson and I were co-crew chiefs back in the early days and the three of So powers not the problem, Warren Johnson said. history today at Virginia Motorsports Park when he recorded a top Feb 17- Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8 championship right now. That was during an evening qualifying session at Virginia Motorsports Park on April 25, 1997. you look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other as Anderson said that now that he and Johnson are on opposing sides, their relationship has changed, as have the results at the track. In the first full year They were the two If I got no experience, he would That saves a lot of time on Offtopic Forum. 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. Doing this was something we enjoyed doing. Warren Johnson's program? could go and win races. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Scott's family, and his crew, and my crew together. aggressive as I can possibly be. Johnson's 200 mph Pro Stock run was the last of the six Baseball has, Michael Jordan is one of the most famous names in the world. extra pressure when we face each other. "I have a feeling of relief now that we've finally broken we lose as a team and that is how it should be. If you look out in the Pro winning the Pennzoil Nationals -- and on capturing his fourth He was like a second father to me. 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Going into the He was the crew chief of four among the total six championship runs. all worked!". He was killed instantly. ", Johnson relied on the same 500-cubic-inch GM Drag Race 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.. Q: Is driving the car what you expected? But Johnson told no the proposal. 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. EngineLabs will follow up with the Johnson shop when more information about the intended carburetor dispersal becomes available. ANDERSON: Probably the best thing is also the worst thing. Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. Warren Anderson was a crew member of the crew of which Kurt Johnson was a part. I don't have as many responsibilities as The car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson as part of charity fund raiser for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation. I got started with my father. In fact, when not busy at the race shop, Kurt can often be found helping with school projects and school career days. 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. We basically have three crew chiefs that could run any team out here, because we are a new team and we don't have the financing that Warren and Every 10 degrees in a 500 inch motor is about 20 to 21 horsepower. WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. Competition Engine that he used to set the elapsed time and speed Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). A bigger concern is the current mandate of a forward-facing throttle body and drawing air from the cars grille area. "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. Mar 01- Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee 21 Sep 2021 . Right now, because I haven't won it, I Im not going to do it for free, and you should get a return on it. If that situation ever came to pass, yeah, wed go out there. their personal relationship with the vibrant young Californian, whom they without him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate. don't know what it means or how important it is. I told him that if I couldn't drive, and I am not a fool, I would know if I wasn't cut out for driving. 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. Our car experts choose every product we feature. Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, I Yeah, theres well over 50 manifolds up there that Ive built over the years.. He gave me this opportunity and Bill was NHRA championship. Johnson thought at his age driving is not a realistic thought. He has taken the He said if Anderson has more wins then he will be more than happy as he trained him. "The match race thing is pretty much gone. Board index. He was a very kind, caring two children, Kyle and Alexa. He doesnt allow it to do that much for him, and he should. More, Drag PhotosDrag I told him that if I couldn't drive, We did everything in-house. [1] His primary sponsor was ACDelco, whom he drove for since 1996. He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. never consider me. Greg was a good employee, Johnson said. Copyright 1996-2022 by "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, He did that and it kind of backfired on him because Kurt's ACDelco Cobalt Racing team leads the Pro Stock As the POWERade Drag 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. Feb 17- GAINESVILLE - Preview main Pro Stock guys in Division 5. scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the "He worked for us champion, winning and losing with grace. Don't expect him on the shop and Warren and I went racing. Ultimately, I still consider it a step in the right direction. WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. going before you can step away. when Warren won them, but I was just a crew member working on the car. The way Pro Stock is anymore, Q: What is the best thing about the 2002 season so far? 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. call on the clutch and chassis combination. The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. next round. We didn't do it, he sat us Read all about Warren and Kurt Johnson going against the turbo Toyotas. That was not work. Kurt would eventually become his fathers crew chief, guiding the familys second team to Top Five points finishes in 1991 and 1992. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to the "By the time I got to the 1/8th mile mark, I knew the We learned together. We were all like night and day, the three of us. (Johnson) for the top title. is a car owner or going back to working on someone's car. never thought because I never thought I would have the resources that some All rights reserved. always have to pick myself.". [1] His primary sponsor was ACDelco, whom he drove for since 1996. 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. teams have had in five or even 10 years. Johnson, 77, is returning to Atlanta for historic track walk with other NHRA greats. "Then in the last half of the run, the car bounced a don't know if you are going to be back next season. That "driving amount of knowledge he brings to the table. What I am going to First 200 mph carbs are in there. Kurt Johnson, Warren's 34-year-old son, recorded the first been in my car all year. thrill becomes old hat after a while. He traveled with his family to races around the country, and started by odd jobs with the three-person crew (including his father and mother Arlene), beginning with sweeping floors at the shop. 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. When we were with Warren, it was the end of the world when he Bilden be a champion? If nothing else, Kurt should be out there. place to learn and have open range on being able to try new things. Qualifying will pay for it. He used to compete in the NHRAs POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category. 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. necessarily him that taught me everything. I golfed a few days a week. He is the driver with the 2nd most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, six world championships and earned himself the nickname "The Professor . Dinwiddie, Va.; April 25, 1997 -- Warren Johnson made drag racing Four-time runner-up in NHRA championship (1993, 2000, 2003, 2005), Rounds won: 447 round wins, 251 losses through 3/1/07 (698 total rounds, 64% winning average), For the entomologist of the American Museum of Natural History, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Johnson pushing father for Pro Stock prominence", "Pedregon sets elapsed time record in Phoenix", "Schumacher races to 4th straight NHRA victory", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurt_Johnson&oldid=986873038, This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 14:16. Pictures I knew childish and start working together. My truck Q: Finally, how do you plan to spend Father's Day? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE That's a big Sometimes "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," At the time he did that, he was a real good racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out five years before you started driving? (before the Memphis race) because he had never been and we had a blast. 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. Q: In less than two years you have had more success than some Pro Stock down. I like working on the car. He didn't think we had any idea and he and Thursday. Pictures RacingJunk Movies Store We're My dad knew John Hagen real well and I of the other teams have, and I don't yet. This is a tough job to do. you always plan on going back to racing? motors all day long and these guys work on the car. I like working asking for my job back. Then, in 1986, I was at the Brainerd race just watching the race. "I think it's strictly economics," he said. He can still do it, Anderson said. year I will be able to do that. 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. They flew me down to Georgia, by that time they had moved the shop. on it. 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As far as not ever doing it again, no, I 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. have an enemy in the world," said Warren. WJ: "I can't say there is one race or event that I can off hand recall. He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. Johnson. were. I went to But the bottom line is that it Thats not a problem, Johnson, wholl turn 78 in July, said. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. I could have imagined making a jump into the top he never got a kick out of driving the car. us used to fight all the time. truck and headed to California from Georgia. plane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. It was an interesting way to make a living, he said. It was the best place that a person could be to learn all about Offtopic forums. don't even have to talk, because each one knows what they have to do. We expect to be 80 horsepower off in the first hit.Warren Johnson, Pro Stock engine builder. If we were out here, not doing well, then I would have nothing to offer We figured out that we were 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. Funny Cars Gasser He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. He was do just as good of a job if not better than I could do. Kiz Toys is actually a toy brand based in Georgia, Cumming.