Kurt & Warren Johnson Father's Day interview (2024)

Kurt Johnson -- ACDelco Cobalt
Warren Johnson -- GM Performance Parts GXP

Father's Day Q&A

Sugar Hill, Ga., June 13, 2008 -- In the world of father and son ordaughter racing teams, NHRA superstars Warren and Kurt Johnson arethe standard by which all others are measured. In the sixteen yearssince Kurt first joined his father on the quarter-mile at the 1993Winternationals in Pomona, CA, the Georgia-based tandem have combined tobe a formidable force, with 134 wins in 220 final rounds between them.In addition, their many accomplishments include the first father-and-sonfinal round and 1-2 championship finish in NHRA history.

Entering next weekend's Lucas Oil Supernationals in Englishtown, NJ, theJohnsons continue their commitment to competitive excellence. Kurt'sACDelco Cobalt Racing team leads the Pro Stock championship standingsfollowing their second win of 2008 while WJ's GM Performance Parts GXPcrew sits in the tenth position coming off their best showing of theseason. As the POWERade Drag Racing Series takes time off for Father'sDay weekend, the talented tandem took time to answer a few questionsabout 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'reboth part of the racing operation. We each have our own share of theresponsibilities, and, looking at the results, we seem to have come upwith a pretty good package.

"For example, he's got his ACDelco Cobalt working pretty consistentlyright now, and has done a great job of driving this year, which has puthim in the points lead. He has taken the opportunity I have given him tolearn and pretty much capitalized on it."

KJ: "It's good to have his experience to call on. Whether we're talkingabout the tune-up, or looking at the starting line, he understandsevery aspect of the game, and you can't beat the amount of knowledge hebrings 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 asa teammate."

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

WJ: "Kurt has been able to take my work ethic and use it to advance hispart of the program a lot further than if he was just another employeewho didn't understand how I think. We really don't even have to talk,because each one knows what they have to do. That saves a lot of timeon any project, because I know exactly what I need to accomplish whilehe can get his part done, allowing the whole thing to come togetherquickly. Because we think the same way, we can get a lot done withouttalking about it."

KJ: "Without a doubt, his pocketbook! (laughs) In all seriousness,however, Dad gave me the opportunity to race for a living, providing mewith all the resources I needed. As I have moved further 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 time we race each other is special and a win-winsituation but as a father it's just great to see him take what I havedone and in some cases perfect it better than I have."

KJ: "It's hard to pinpoint just one. We've had so many good timestogether, as well as others that were not so great. The best part ofracing together is that things are never the same, they're constantlychanging. Therefore, I guess you could say our best memory is still tocome."

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

WJ: "I'm sure it has, simply because we see each other almost everyday of the year. Whether you look at it as father and son, co-workersor business partners, working alongside each other as we do certainlystrengthens all facets of our relationship."

KJ: "The way we run our operation, whether it's at our shop in SugarHill or at the racetrack, we constantly rely on each other to get thejob done, and so far it has worked out pretty well. The key is that werespect each other's abilities. There's no doubt that the interaction wehave had in our lives due to racing and working together has made ourrelationship stronger."

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

WJ: "It's like racing my own equipment, because I know exactly whathe has, and built half of it. Anyway you look at it, it's a win-winsituation, because one of our cars is going to go to the next round.Naturally, we hope it happens in the final, because that would be thebest possible scenario. Having said that, when he's in the other lane,he's just another competitor, someone standing between me and thewinner's circle, and I never like to lose."

KJ: "As Dad said, it's like running your own car. You know he has thepotential to run as well if not better than I do, and he always gets onthe wheel when he races me, so there's a little extra pressure when weface 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 andmake sure it's my ACDelco Cobalt going to the next round."

Q: Looking at your head-to-head meetings, WJ leads 42-21 overall, but KJhas won the last three encounters -- is the tide turning?

WJ: "Looking at the scorecard, I still do hold the upper hand. But, asI said before, he has his whole combination working really well rightnow, while we're still searching for a few things on my GM PerformanceParts GXP that we know will increase its performance. Once we do that,it should get pretty interesting. He's doing well at the moment, but I'mnot about to concede."

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

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

WJ: "Once I sent him to the Bondurant school to learn car controlafter his early on-track experiences, he's been able to perfect hisperformance in the back half of the track, so I can't say either oneof us is better. I think Kurt is a little bit better on the lightsright now, but then again, let's give him another 25 years and see whathappens. As I say, you're never as good as you were. (laughs)"

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

Q: Kurt has three children, Conner, Erin and Jarrett -- would youlike to see any of them follow in your footsteps and become the thirdgeneration of the Johnson racing legacy?

WJ: "Only if it makes good business sense to them, and they want to doit. I can't complain about the life I've made in racing. It's somethingI enjoy doing, and I've made an acceptable living at it, but whateverthey 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. Wetold him he could do whatever he wanted, as long as he did it right.As a result, the morning after he graduated he was on a plane with meheaded to Georgia to race full time. He chose racing, and he's done wellat it."

KJ: "If it makes them happy, and they can be financially successfuldoing it, but I'm not going to push them either way. This sport costs alot of money, and you definitely can't use your own to do it. I know wewouldn'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 schoolto see if I could drive and Dad's fielding a second car after winningthe championship to convince me that I wanted to race. It took somedoing, but so far it's worked out. We'll just have to wait and see whatthey want to do. 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 atthe shop, just like I do on any other holiday."

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

-credit: j2r

Kurt & Warren Johnson Father's Day interview (2024)
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