A Conversation with Drag Racing's Most Successful Pro Stock Driver
After 26 years as a professional racer, it took Warren Johnson just7.347 seconds to become the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories.Johnson made motorsports history on July 22 when he scored hisrecord-setting 86th career national event victory, defeating his sonKurt in the final round of the Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals inDenver.
Johnson, a.k.a. "W.J." and the "Professor of Pro Stock," isinvariably thoughtful and occasionally controversial. In the followinginterview, Johnson reflects on his career and the changes he haswitnessed in the sport. The 58-year-old driver of the GM GoodwrenchService Plus Pontiac has won five Winston championships (1992-93, 1995,1998-99) and finished second in the points standings eight times. Heleads the Pro Stock class in final rounds (134), No. 1 qualifiers (124),low elapsed times (124), and top speeds (189).
Here is the world according to Warren:
You began your racing career relatively late in life atage 32. What were your thoughts in 1975 when you decided to become aprofessional drag racer?
WARREN JOHNSON: There weren't many professional drag racers for rolemodels. I looked at what I wanted to do, what I liked to do, and thefeasibility of making a living at it. When I put all the parameterstogether, it looked like I could make it work.
I thought I would try it for a year and see how it turned out. Ifigured, "Why jump in head first when you can wade in and see how deepthe water is?" I may be a little crazy, but I'm not insane.
What was it like in the beginning when it was just you, your wifeArlene, your son Kurt, and the family dog?
WJ: Life was simpler then. As the saying goes, the longest journeystarts with a single step. My plan was to start at the bottom andwork my way up. We had no sponsorship money, absolutely nothing. Inretrospect, I had no choice but to make it work.
What resources did you have when you turned pro?
WJ: I was racing out of a one-man shop. I had one car, one engine andone toolbox that I could carry easily because there weren't many toolsin it. I still have some of the equipment from the original shop, and Istill use it.
How did you rate your chance of success against champions like Bill"Grumpy" Jenkins and Bob Glidden?
WJ: Glidden was unknown at one time and so was Jenkins. They weren'tovernight successes. The clichi that you have to pay your dues reallymeans that you have to become educated to the point that you have acompetitive program. You have to assess all of the factors, look at yourstrengths and weaknesses and build a program that's competitive.
What were your strong points?
WJ: A strong mechanical background and my understanding of what it takesto build competitive engines. I had to learn about chassis, clutches,suspensions and all the rest. I didn't have a mentor to show me the way.
When you finished second in the championship in 1976, was that aconfirmation that you could compete at the highest level of drag racing?
WJ: I always believed that I could compete at the championship level.This isn't rocket science, it isn't sending a man to the moon. It'sabout racing for 1,320 feet. There's only so much that can happen in aquarter of a mile. Drag racing is an engineering exercise in its purestform - you either win or lose.
Is it a thrill for you to drive?
WJ: It never has been for me. Driving is just a part of the program.When I started in racing, I couldn't afford to hire a driver. Arlenedidn't want to drive, Kurt was too young, the dog couldn't get adriver's license, so I was stuck with it!
I can understand why some racers like to drive - that's their adrenalinerush. I prefer the mechanical side of racing. If I can bend the dynoneedle, I've had a good day at the office.
You took a sabbatical from NHRA racing in the late '70s to run matchraces and compete on the IHRA "Mountain Motor" circuit. Did that giveyou a head start when NHRA introduced the 500-cubic-inch formula in1982?
WJ: The best driver training I had was on the Midwestern UDRA circuitbecause we often raced under less-than-ideal conditions. The IHRAprogram prepared me for what it takes to be competitive at the nationallevel. You have to understand how to win; winning doesn't happen byaccident. I learned how to race there. There wasn't as much pressureracing on the IHRA circuit because there was relatively little media andsponsor attention.
You were a member of the so-called "Gang of Four" that included BobGlidden, Frank Iaconio and Lee Shepherd. The four of you monopolizedthe Pro Stock winner's circle in 1980-84. Why were these drivers sodominant?
WJ: We were all just trying to win races. While it was a great time forus as individuals, I don't think it was good for the category or forthe competition. When a category is monopolized by a few racers, itcertainly loses some of its appeal for both spectators and competitors.
What did it mean to your program when you got your first corporatesponsorship with Oldsmobile in 1983?
WJ: It meant I could start investing in equipment to become moreself-sufficient as a race team. My approach has always been to do asmuch as possible in-house. This gives us faster turnaround and fewerquality control problems. We can also react quickly when we need to.At one point we even produced our own cars, but I got away from thatbecause it was cheaper to buy chassis and then modify them.
In the '80s, you changed cars almost every year. Was that by choiceor necessity?
WJ: In most instances I didn't have any choice in the body styleI had to run. That's the obligation of having sponsors; sometimesdecisions are made for marketing reasons. Obviously the '83 and '84Hurst/Oldsmobiles were not ideal Pro Stock race cars. They werebasically flying boxcars. Then I switched to the Calais, which had thesame characteristics with a notchback rear window, a lot of drag and alot of lift. Then I went to the Firenza, which was a great race car.When you're not in total control of your own destiny, you just have toaccept these decisions and work harder.
What was your involvement with GM's drag racing engine program?
WJ: That was my real forte. I really wasn't too concerned with thebody style I had to run. I figured that as long as I put enough powerunderneath the hood, the car would be competitive. Even with that flyingboxcar, we were able to set the speed record. That was strictly theresult of horsepower, not aerodynamics.
Is horsepower still the key?
WJ: It's still a part of the equation, but it's not as big a factoras it was in the past. We're at the point that getting the power tothe track is more difficult. The clutch, suspension, shocks, springs,transmissions, rearends, timers, and everything else have a much moresignificant effect on overall performance than they did in the early'80s.
Which events in your career stand out?
WJ: Six wins at Indy, four of them consecutively. Setting the top speedat every race in 1999, which had never been done before. The first 200mph Pro Stock run, and Kurt's first six-second Pro Stock run.
Really, the most important thing is to being able to enjoy what I'mdoing. When some people lose a race, they get completely sideways. In myperspective, I lost for a reason. Either the driver or the team didn'tperform. So the next step is to find out why and fix it. A race car isjust an inanimate object. It responds to what you do to it. If you loseit's because you haven't turned the right dials or pressed the rightbuttons.
How did you develop your no-nonsense approach to racing?
WJ: The only way to make a business successful is to work at it. That'swhat we do, seven days a week. There are a lot of people who race forthe fun of it. If they can afford to do that, more power to them. Thatultimately makes my job easier because they're here today and gonetomorrow.
You didn't win an NHRA national event until 1982 and you had to waitten more years to win your first NHRA championship. Did you think youmight never be a champion?
WJ: When I started racing, I couldn't afford to win the championship.I could have bet the farm on one year's racing, but if I didn't win, Iwould have been out of business. I could have spent $200,000 or $300,000extra to win the championship, but the championship wasn't worth thatmuch money. My approach was to spend a little bit each year to get tothe point that I could win it. When you can afford to win, you canafford to lose.
Do you have any favorite race cars?
WJ: I never get attached to any of them. A race car is just a piece ofmachinery, just a tool. I'm not sentimental about my cars. If somethingisn't the way I like it, I grab a torch and hammer. I'll cut a car apartas soon as I think there's something I need to change.
I have kept a couple of cars for historical reasons. The Firebird thatmade the first 200 mph Pro Stock run is in the NHRA Motorsports Museum,and my Cutlass that won 23 races is in the Talladega Motorsports Museum.I think I got a pretty good return on that particular investment.
How have you maintained your intensity through all these years?
WJ: I learned a long time ago how to pace myself. I can work more hoursthan most people, but I don't go into frenzies. I work at a uniformpace, and I don't burn myself out that way. I've worked without sleepfor four days straight, and I did that because I had to get somethingdone. Once I take on a project, I'm just stubborn enough to work my waythrough it.
Racing is enjoyable for me. Warren Johnson Enterprises is my hobby shop.I'm creating things, I'm doing something new every day. What I do maynot be creative in the bigger context of society, but in the arena ofracing, it is creative.
What do you foresee for the future of Pro Stock?
WJ: I think there is a place for a gasoline-burning category, analcohol category and a nitro category. I don't believe there is justone category that can sustain drag racing because it's a rather uniquesport. You'd have to get into the psyche of the spectators to reallyunderstand what interests them. There's a diverse crowd out there, soit's up to the sanctioning body to satisfy that appetite.
Do you enjoy being the "Professor"?
WJ: I've been called a lot worse! If a nickname helps the media and fansidentify a driver, that's fine with me. I've never had the need forpeople to recognize Warren Johnson. Bottom line, I'm just a guy tryingto make a living with a race car.
How much longer do you want to race?
WJ: I want to do it forever! Right now I enjoy what I'm doing, so Ican't put a number on it.
What does the GM Goodwrench Service Plus sponsorship bring to yourprogram?
WJ: First and foremost, their reputation for quality. The sponsorshipdollars are what make this thing work, but for a sponsorship to workcorrectly, it has to be the right person with the right sponsor. Therelationship has to be credible. There is a good fit between WarrenJohnson and GM Goodwrench.
I've been with General Motors since 1983. I've certainly enjoyed it, andI certainly hope they've gotten good value for it. If sponsorship hasproduced the benefits they expected, then it's been a perfect marriage.
What is the most significant change you've seen in the sport?
WJ: The biggest change is accepting that this is the entertainmentindustry. It's not about going out on the weekend and racing your hotrod for self-gratification. We've come to the realization that thespectators in the stands are paying to be entertained.
-GM Racing-
