Kurt and Warren Johnson Father's Day Q&A (2024)

Sun, 15 Jun 2008, 04:30 PM Drag Racing's Top Father-and-Son Team Discuss Their Relationship

Courtesy of Jon Knapp

SUGAR HILL, Ga. --

Warren and Kurt Johnson

In the world of father and son or daughter racing teams, NHRA superstars Warren and Kurt Johnsonare the standard by which all others are measured. In the sixteen years since Kurt first joinedhis father on the quarter-mile at the 1993 Winternationals in Pomona, CA, the Georgia-based tandemhave combined to be a formidable force, with 134 wins in 220 final rounds between them. Inaddition, their many accomplishments include the first father-and-son final round and 1-2championship finish in NHRA history.

Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, the Johnsons continue theircommitment to competitive excellence. Kurt's ACDelco Cobalt Racing team leads the Pro Stockchampionship standings following their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXP crewsits in the tenth position coming off their best showing of the season. As the POWERade DragRacing Series takes time off for Father's Day weekend, the talented tandem took time to answer afew questions about working together on and off the racetrack.

Q: What is it like to have your father/son as your teammate?

WJ: "From a business standpoint, it works out well, because we're both part of the racingoperation. We each have our own share of the responsibilities, and, looking at the results, weseem to have come up with a pretty good package.

"For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistently right now, and has done agreat job of driving this year, which has put him in the points lead. He has taken theopportunity I have given him to learn and pretty much capitalized on it."

KJ: "It's good to have his experience to call on. Whether we're talking about the tune-up,or looking at the starting line, he understands every aspect of the game, and you can't beat theamount of knowledge he brings to the table. As for his being my father, I've never really racedwithout him, so I'm not sure how different it is or isn't to have him as a teammate."

Kurt vs Warren Johnson

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Q: What is the biggest contribution the other has made to your racing program?

WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance his part of the program alot further than if he was just another employee who didn't understand how I think. We reallydon't even have to talk, because each one knows what they have to do. That saves a lot of time onany project, because I know exactly what I need to accomplish while he can get his part done,allowing the whole thing to come together quickly. Because we think the same way, we can get a lotdone without talking about it."

KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! (laughs) In all seriousness, however, Dad gave me theopportunity to race for a living, providing me with all the resources I needed. As I have movedfurther into my career, his expertise in almost every area has proven invaluable, teaching mealmost everything I know about racing."

Q: What is your fondest or best memory of racing with your father/son?

WJ: "I can't say there is one race or event that I can off hand recall. Naturally, every timewe race each other is special and a win-win situation but as a father it's just great to see himtake what I have done and in some cases perfect it better than I have."

KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. We've had so many good times together, as well asothers that were not so great. The best part of racing together is that things are never the same,they're constantly changing. Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still to come."

Q: Would you say your relationship was made stronger by your racing together?

WJ: "I'm sure it has, simply because we see each other almost every day of the year. Whetheryou look at it as father and son, co-workers or business partners, working alongside each other aswe do certainly strengthens all facets of our relationship."

KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in Sugar Hill or at theracetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get the job done, and so far it has worked outpretty well. The key is that we respect each other's abilities. There's no doubt that theinteraction we have had in our lives due to racing and working together has made our relationshipstronger."

Q: You're teammates, but you're also competitors. What's it like to race each other?

WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly what he has, and built half ofit. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-win situation, because one of our cars is going to go to thenext round. Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be the best possiblescenario. Having said that, when he's in the other lane, he's just another competitor, someonestanding between me and the winner's circle, and I never like to lose."

KJ: "As Dad said, it's like running your own car. You know he has the potential to run aswell if not better than I do, and he always gets on the wheel when he races me, so there's a littleextra pressure when we face each other. Win or lose, though, we know one of our cars will bemoving on, which is always a good thing. I just try to leave first and make sure it's my ACDelcoCobalt going to the next round."

Q: Looking at your head-to-head meetings, WJ leads 42-21 overall, but KJ has won the last threeencounters - is the tide turning?

WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. But, as I said before, he hashis whole combination working really well right now, while we're still searching for a few thingson my GM Performance Parts GXP that we know will increase its performance. Once we do that, itshould get pretty interesting. He's doing well at the moment, but I'm not about to concede."

KJ: "I like my job, so I'd prefer not to comment on that. (laughs) Let's just say I don'tworry about records."

Q: So - who's the better driver - father or son?

WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car control after his early on-trackexperiences, he's been able to perfect his performance in the back half of the track, so I can'tsay either one of us is better. I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lights right now, butthen again, let's give him another 25 years and see what happens. As I say, you're never as good asyou were. (laughs)"

KJ: "That one's easy - me! (laughs) I don't know - everyone has their good and bad days,and on average, he'd probably get the nod. However, no matter who I am comparing myself to, Ialways have to pick myself."

Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett - would you like to see any of them followin your footsteps and become the third generation of the Johnson racing legacy?

WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to do it. I can't complainabout the life I've made in racing. It's something I enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptableliving at it, but whatever they want to do when they grow up will be just fine with me.

"It was the same when Kurt was deciding what to do with his life. We told him he could do whateverhe wanted, as long as he did it right. As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on aplane with me headed to Georgia to race full time. He chose racing, and he's done well at it."

KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successful doing it, but I'm notgoing to push them either way. This sport costs a lot of money, and you definitely can't use yourown to do it. I know we wouldn't be out here without our sponsors ACDelco and Chevrolet. But itwill be their decision.

'For example, it took the combination of my going to Roy Hill's school to see if I could drive andDad's fielding a second car after winning the championship to convince me that I wanted to race.It took some doing, but so far it's worked out. We'll just have to wait and see what they want todo. Conner, my oldest, is only 11, so they have some time."

Q: Finally, how do you plan to spend Father's Day?

WJ: "Doing what I need to do to keep this operation going - working at the shop, just like I doon any other holiday."

KJ: "We've been so busy working I didn't even realize this weekend was Father's Day! I'llprobably hang around the house with my family and let them bring me breakfast in bed. After that,it will be back to work on Monday morning, getting ready for Englishtown."