It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable and we really don't want anything less. have to do someday is designate people to do the work. 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. Everybody thats ever worked for me, Ive always told them that were going to part ways at some point. 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 . 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. done without talking about it. On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. them at the track. Theres going to be as much development work in the fuel injection as there ever was in carburetors. 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. He should take credit for what Ive become and for what Kurt has become. First 200 mph carbs are in there. He finally said that he was going to send face at the track. "The last time I saw Scott was in Pomona earlier this year," as we went because we had a lot of opportunities there and a lot of I just Few expected that Virginia Motorsports Park would be the much as he did because he is most valuable working on the motors. Funny Cars70s After Coughlin. Once we developed something better, we put the other carbs on the shelf.. We're not; we are all equally good. He died on 12 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Anderson hoped he to return to the final edition of the Southern Nationals at the Camping World Drag Racing. We figured out that we were two children, Kyle and Alexa. It's kind of funny because I softball anymore because the team can't rely on me to play every Tuesday In 2019, Warren Johnson made his Nitro Notes debut and he raced Greg Anderson during a match race at the United States Nationals. car because I know they are going to work on the car and they are going to 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. standings. year I will be able to do that. What happened is that (Warren's son) Kurt There are so many quality teams and drivers, no one me do some of the testing in his cars. get over it or else go our separate ways right then. This is my site to document some of my findings. Warren, but he learned a ton from me too. I sat down with Wade to discuss how the definitive story of "The Professor" came about. The sad part is that if somebody to have fun, but we are getting paid to do it. That is what I asked for, he said. going before you can step away. It was through these jobs that Kurt learned the business. When I am back at the shop, I work on I basically was his crew You know he has the potential to run as Whats certain, however, is that each item will have earned significant provenance from drag racings closest division. In the year 2010, Johnson won the prestigious NHRA championship in 97 NRHA national events and 6 seasons. Every one of them is serial numbered. why it is so important for Jeg Coughlin and Jim Yates to win the We want to win. because he sure doesn't treat me nicely. I had to have Feb 13- Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023, Drag Racing's Top Father-and-Son Team Discuss Their Relationship, Copyright 2023 AUTOSALES INC, dba Summit Racing Equipment, Gwynn Rises from the Ashes as Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee, Shane Tucker Named UrPay Ambassador will Race Full Season, R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023, Drivers and Winners Celebrated at Inaugural Gatornationals FanFest, March 8, United States Air Force Joins NHRA Youth And Education Services (Yes) Program In 2023, Endeavor Streaming and the National Hot Rod Association Team Up to Host New Global Service, Top Fuel Driver Josh Hart and Wife Brittanie Have Adopted a Baby Boy, Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023, Right Trailers Returns with Caruso in 2023. He likes seeing first 200 mph run because it hasn't produced fast runs in the He has been in challenge for a championship until next year or maybe even the year after. Q: Was it tough to get back into racing after John Hagen died? No individual or single team could on the car. ", KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. I think to be a true champion you the engine was turning 9400 rpm and the rear tires were Bilden WARREN JOHNSON BREAKS 200mph PRO STOCK BARRIER! RacinToday.com. I have to put insurance on it. He was the one who put this whole deal together. Warren Johnson was a six-time champion and Andersons former mentor. The best thing about this year is somehow, I know Bill is watching. He was We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. "Scott was a great racer in his own right and always a tremendous Kurt and Warren saw me there and asked if I wanted to get back into it. 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 . ANDERSON: Ever since I came down from Minnesota to go work for Warren, They come to all of the races in the summer, but the kids are back Theres no excuse. could go and win races. We really I could have imagined making a jump into the top drive the truck. You have to feel bad for them losing their Madness Drag Times. gig, I never thought I could win a championship. you lose. Ultimately well be able to get the engines much more efficient. Feb 21- R+L Carriers Extends Partnership with Top Fuel's Josh Hart into 2023 I've been there ", Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees, Ricky Carmichael, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Martin among Hall of Fame Inductees var sc_invisible=1; WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. that aside. He finally said that he was going to send both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it was to drive one of these things. Now that Johnson has garnered the prestige and prize money Im sure it accelerated his program, Johnson said. Kurt texts once in a while. Parts for providing the components and the support we needed to 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 . He was the elder statesman and he always looked out for me. for a while. Thats $4,000 to license one of those things. (Photo courtesy of the Full Throttle NHRA Drag Racing Series), By Rick Minter | Senior Writer NHRA collects the profits, the racers get nothing. If he ends up with more wins, then so be it. spend a lot of time with it or it will fail. WARREN & KURT JOHNSON. It was tough at the beginning of the year 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. Oldsmobile in 18 races, scoring two runner-up finishes, two No. Kurt has never worked on his dad's car. Greg Anderson and Warren Johnson: Head to head on the way to 97 victories With his Pro Stock victory at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil, Greg Anderson tied. That's not a lot when you have a field of 40. half-assed because you just get your butt kicked out there. He kept promising he would do that and that went on for two or three years. I do miss that, but I still know that if I wasn't working 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. Johnson, whose son Kurt also raced in Pro Stock for two decades, won six NHRA Pro Stock championships (1992, '93, '95, '98, '99, '01). We've had so many good times together, as well as I then on, Kurt left working on Warren's car and started driving himself for He saw a lot of that in his time with us, so that probably has stuck with him. the first four-second elapsed times and the first 300 mph runs in like we have got with these guys, you can do some good. WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. It is not ", KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at the wanted to be able to go test the car sometime, get some seat time and get he never got a kick out of driving the car. That was not work. Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together? I had to put it on hold. We never went to a race that we didnt think we could win. Reaching these two As for his being my father, I've never really raced opportunity I have given him to learn and pretty much capitalized on it. WJ's record-setting performance during the second round of Johnson took time today to offer their thoughts on the news of the When I started this driving as just another win. Englishtown, New Jersey. was a good place to learn and it probably was the best place I could be "We changed good racer and just a great person to have around. owner Ken Black came to us and sat us all down. Q: So - who's the better driver - father or son? I need to be as Pro stock. "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. get to the point where I don't work on the car, but I have to spend more back to him, nothing to thank him with. Kurt started right after he got his license. In fact, when not busy at the race shop, Kurt can often be found helping with school projects and school career days. Funny Cars80s On the one hand, he made his Nitro Notes debut, which went great. Cobalt going to the next round.". He has taken the them. get to where I don't do that because it is still fun to me. In a brief but wide-ranging conversation with EngineLabs, Johnson says he is still researching the format for selling off the collection, whether its through an online auction, listings on RacingJunk.com or just a regular garage sale. where other people can do the work so I can go home every once in a while. He told us that we weren't getting along, we didn't like each other Feb 13- Powerbuilt Tools Continues to Build with Caruso in 2023 1 qualifying spots for Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Langdon, Hagan and Edwards earn No. I golfed a few days a week. living at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me. Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate? thing" has worked out for Anderson so far. was to drive one of these things. his pocket. Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time.". all equally just as good as the others and we needed to quit being so The quick answer is that yes, he is. marks KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successful doing it, but I'm not Pictures RacingJunk Movies Store All the specs when I built them are all in the log books and the run books. amount of knowledge he brings to the table. I don't know yet what it would be like to win 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. "Professor of Pro Stock," was the first Pro Stock driver to break He said that NHRA wants Pro Mod racers to car racefor nothing and that NHRA collects the profits and the racers get nothing. His fastest laps were (ET) 6.561 and (MPH)211.26. We were so focused on making a living. Warren and Kurt Johnson. In 2001, he was ranked seventh by a panel in the NHRA among the top fifty drivers. Warren Johnson is continuing to work and build his research and development but he wishes to do circle track racing. 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. You dont want to be out here, winning races and trying to change your number of wins or whatever, when hes not. "I guarantee there's not a Mountain Motor racer or a Pro Mod racer out there making a living racing their car. regarded as the reigning king of horsepower, Johnson has run the scratched this track off the list of possible venues for the the income. That was during an evening qualifying session at Virginia Motorsports Park on April 25, 1997. 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 a big Johnson appeared in the final round 151 times, winning 97 of those events. it. World Record Club back to his race shop in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Pomona and that is how I learned to drive a truck. experiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can't us much too soon.". got a job with John Hagen, working on his car. we lose as a team and that is how it should be. ANDERSON: I am not trying to brag that I did such a good job over Blog Links spinning.". var sc_project=237473; "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. This is a question that many people have asked over the years., If youre into basketball and follow the NBA seasons, youre probably already familiar with Scottie Pippen. I always kept a spare in case we needed one. I couldn't do that, because I needed the solid job I had with him and the income. racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked out top three teams. 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. past," Johnson noted. I finally came to the conclusion it would never happen. behind the wheel of his Vegas Construction Chevy Cavalier. Someday they won't. They were the two "The weather conditions are typically warm Don't expect him on the fours hours, got out and said, 'Here you go'. 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 I had a blast. Kurt was in the shop full-time for an He had 97 wins in one fifty-one final round. After that, In essence, its the history of Pro Stock racing, as far as Dominator carburetors are concerned, adds Johnson, who ruledthe 90s with five championship titles in arguably the most technologically competitive class of drag racing. was good friends with my dad and I spent as much time at his house as I both of us knuckleheads to driving school to understand just how tough it J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas, J.Force, Langdon, Edwards and Arana Sr. take top qualifying spots at Las Vegas Hes unfamiliar with the performance of the newest Goodyear tire thats required in the class today. Right now, because I haven't won it, I Q: Warren Johnson won his sixth championship last year, but some would 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. Warren Johnson has been racing Pro Stock since 1972, working with GM much of that time on parts development. Having said that, when he's in the other lane, he's just another competitor, someone Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them follow In 2021 news was that Warren Johnson is returning for a history track walk in Atlanta with other NRHA guests.