Kurt Johnson -- With more than a decade of accomplishments achieved behind the wheel ofone of the family's high-powered NHRA Pro Stock entries, Kurt Johnsonis in position to obtain a goal that he set for himself when he startedracing in 1993: win an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro Stockchampionship.
It's something that his father, noted "Professor of ProStock," Warren Johnson, has accomplished six times. The younger Johnsonhas come close on two occasions, finishing second in 1993 and 2000. Thisseason Johnson has left the starting line in his ACDelco Chevy Cavalierwith three victories in four final round appearances in the firstseven races, and currently leads the NHRA POWERade points chase in hiscategory heading into the K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals presented byPep Boys, May 15-18, at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown,N.J.
By claiming his 26th career victory in late April at Bristol,Tenn., the Lawrenceville, Ga. driver tied the late Lee Shepherd forfifth on the NHRA Pro Stock all-time win list. While his resume listsnotable achievements like being named the 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year;First driver to break the 7-second barrier; Holder of the national speedrecord at 205.57 mph; and two-time winner of the lucrative King DemonCrown, a special bonus event for quick Pro Stock competitors, he remainsintently focused on winning that elusive POWERade championship andthinks this may be his year. In this Q&A, Johnson talks about just howcompetitive NHRA Pro Stock racing has become, and how close his team isto logging the first 6.6-second run down the quarter-mile.
Q: After finishing outside the top five the last twoseasons, you've really been strong this season. What has brought aboutthe turnaround in your program?
Johnson: It all started to come together for the team in thesecond-half of last season. We figured a few things out and picked upthe performance in the last six races and should have won a couple moretimes. We won at Pomona (Calif., Auto Club NHRA Finals), but reallyI should have won at Reading (Pa.) and Las Vegas too. We came outconservatively this season, but the main thing was that we just lefteverything alone. It has worked so far.
Q: Is this the best race car that you've ever driven?
Johnson: This is by far the best overall package I've ever had.From the car to the crew and everything in between, it just clicks. Theteam chemistry is the best I've had and it's showing in our performance.As drivers, we always love the cars that win races. So in that case,yeah, it's a great car. We can't wait to replace the race cars thatcan't seem to find their way to winner's circle.
Q: In your first season in the sport, 1993, you finishedsecond in the point standings. Were you thinking at that point thatdriving a Pro Stock car was an easy gig?
Johnson: It seemed kind of easy that year. We had a bigperformance advantage over most of the teams back then. I was veryfortunate to come into a situation where the race program was developinggood horsepower and all the pieces were in place. It was still a bitof a learning experience because I crashed the car three times. I toresome stuff up, that's for sure. But I worked really hard on the drivingend of it and went to some racing schools. I had never driven anythingcompetitively until that first season in Pro Stock.
Q: After having great success during your first season,are you surprised that you are still chasing the goal of winning thechampionship 10 years later?
Johnson: I don't look at it that way. You work hard and competeand let the chips fall where they may. It just hasn't been my time yet.Maybe it will be my time this year. I figure if I can win some moreraces where I haven't won in the past, like Gainesville and Bristol,that will go a long way towards the championship. I was also runner-upat Las Vegas, where I hadn't been in a final before. It all adds up.
Q: This season at Houston Raceway Park you set thenational speed record at 205.57 mph. Did you think that number wasattainable this season?
Johnson: It was just a case of all the conditions coming togetherand the race track was really good. We ran 204 at Pomona (Calif., K&NFilters Winternationals), which is a track that runs slightly downhill,so I knew if we got the right conditions at Gainesville or Houston wemight be able to take advantage of it. To be honest we were a littlesurprised. I didn't expect to see 205 this season, but at Houstoneverything came together and a few 205s popped up on the board.
Q: After the last two seasons where there were as many as15 winners for 23 races, why are there only three drivers with trophiesin 2003?
Johnson: The fact that we've only had three winners in sevenraces this year is just as weird as having 15 different winners in2001 and 13 winners last year. It's just a freak of nature. It reallyshouldn't happen. There's a lot of really good cars out there andit's only a matter of time before a few other drivers start winningsome races. Believe me, anyone that's qualified in the top 16 canwin on Sunday. That's what makes Pro Stock racing so exciting--itsunpredictable nature.
Q: With as many as 35 teams battling for 16 starting spotson Sunday, is the competition as tough in NHRA Pro Stock as in any otherform of motorsport?
Johnson: Qualifying is the big deal. Once you get into the field,then you can start thinking about racing. I've had a few ulcers thinkingabout those Friday night qualifying sessions. It can be brutal if youdon't pull off a solid run in the Friday evening session. It can sendyou home on Saturday if you don't. It really amazes me that the categorycontinues to grow with new teams coming in, especially with the economythe way it is right now. Some of the guys in Pro Stock just love beinga part of it. It's their golf game or fishing trip. This is our primarybusiness, so we tend to look at it a little differently.
Q: Your father Warren once qualified for 303 consecutiveraces over a 15-year span. Jeg Coughlin currently has the longestongoing qualifying streak in Pro Stock at 20 consecutive races. Whatdoes that say about the level of competition in the category?
Johnson: It's really unbelievable. That just shows you how toughit is out there. There's just so much talent out there right now thatyou simply can't make a mistake at the wrong time.
Q: Did you always know that you wanted to raceprofessionally?
Johnson: I feel really fortunate to be in the position that I'min right now. I am glad that I am driving our second team car ratherthan some hired driver. It's what I've always wanted to do. In themid-'80s we didn't have the budget to put together a second car, butthat was always the plan. It was always in the back of my mind -- Iwanted to race. That's why I am so thankful that we have such greatsupport from the folks at ACDelco and GM. Without them, we wouldn't beable to do this.
Q: Now that you've gone 205 mph and were the first tobreak the 7-second barrier, how far away are you from clocking the first6.6-second run?
Johnson: About .021 of a second (national record is 6.720seconds, held by Warren Johnson). If we get the right conditions,I think it could happen. It's hard to say when. It could happen atEnglishtown (N.J.) next weekend, or it might not happen until one yearfrom now. It all depends on the atmospheric conditions and how well weset up the car for all of the variables.
Q: Speaking of Englishtown, are you looking forward tohaving the opportunity to win some bonus bucks in the King Demon Crown?
Johnson: Any time you can race for some extra cash, it's a greatrace. It's a competitive event because you've got the eight cars thatwere the most consistent from the last year running for $50,000. It'sthe best of the best putting it all on the line. I've been fortunateenough to win that race two times (1994 and 1998) and I'd like to do itagain this year. I think we have a car that's capable of doing it.
Q: You will face defending series champ Jeg Coughlin inthe first round. Do you have a special strategy going in?
Johnson: You have to see what kind of hand you're dealt for thatfirst round. I know who my opponent is going to be, Jeg (Coughlin),but you really have to wait and see what the track is going to be likeand what the conditions are like before you start talking strategy. Itreally doesn't bother me who I have to race, because in that race youexpect all three of those rounds to be tough if you're fortunate enoughto make it to the final. I've raced Jeg many times before. He's a gooddriver, so you know what you're up against going in.
Q: Where does the K&N Filters SuperNationals rank on yourlist of NHRA national events?
Johnson: It's one of my favorite events because the track isalways good and the conditions are usually just right to go fast. It'san important event for the Pro Stock teams because of the (King DemonCrown) and the fans there are really into it and supportive of ProStock. I've had some success there over the years by winning the (KingDemon Crown) and I was runner-up there in 1993. I've been the No. 1qualifier there a couple of times (1994 and 1998). It's the track whereI ran the first six (second run). There's some memories there. Still, itis a place that I have not won a race. I would really like to win thatone.
Q: What is the toughest part of running a race team?
Johnson: It's always tough to keep good, loyal employees. It'sreally hard to find the right people. Let's just say there's a few teamsout there now that are competitive that got their start in Sugar Hill,Ga. There has been a lot of educating going on over the years at ourshop.
Q: These days not only do you need to have a fast car,but you need to have fast reflexes too. How much do you work on yourreaction times?
Johnson: I work on it a lot. It's a very important part of racepreparation. You have to work on the race car, but you also have tofocus on driver preparation too. Obviously there are some drivers outthere who can work on cutting good lights more than others, becausethey aren't required to work on the car. I have to spend a lot of mytime working on the car, but I still get in some work on the practicetree. There was a time when you could win all day long on Sunday byposting .030-.040 reaction times. I got beat in Atlanta with an .035light and Greg Anderson got beat with a .036. Those are good lights thatyou would take all day long if you could get them. The category hasbecome so competitive that you can't depend on those kind of reactiontimes anymore. You are seeing all these .010-.020 lights and it's reallycut-throat. You have to go in there with the mindset of trying to cut anear-perfect light just to make sure you don't get beat with a holeshot.We're definitely planning to tighten it up in that area for the rest ofthe season.
Q: Who is your biggest rival?
Johnson: I consider anybody that's in the other lane as mybiggest rival at the time. They can all put a .010 light on you. In myopinion, there are no easy races, they're all tough.
Q: How would you rate yourself as a driver these days?
Johnson: I haven't tore anything up lately and I believe mysponsor still loves me. I feel like I've developed into a pretty decentdriver with some hard work and learning from mistakes, but that goesback to all of the experiences I've had in the last 10 years. In thisgame, you can't beat experience.
Q: How important is your streak of winning one race everyseason since you turned pro?
Johnson: It's a nice record to have. It shows consistency andthat you're serious about what you do. I was glad to win at Pomona lastyear to keep the streak going. Let's just say that was an important win.
Q: Other than winning a championship, you've done justabout everything that defines a great career. What stands out to you asyour biggest achievement?
Johnson: Those are all important achievements to me, but winninga championship is the ultimate goal. It's what you work hard and put inall the hours for. I hope I am getting a little closer to that goal.Hey, I am out front right now and I am not planning on looking back.
-nhra-
