NHRA Warren Johnson Saturday Update: WJ Will Start Eighth in Joliet

 

Event:  Fifth Annual Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals 

Day/Date: Saturday, October 1, 2005

Location:  Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, IL

 

Qualifying for the Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals featured two days
with completely different atmospheric conditions, with Saturday's warmer
temperatures precluding any changes in the Pro Stock starting line-up.  

 

Therefore, having secured the eighth starting position in Sunday's
starting field with his 6.684-second, 206.99 mph pass on Friday evening,
Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team used his
final two attempts on Saturday to try new components in his GTO, as well
as working on fine-tuning his warm weather tune-up for race day.  

 

"Obviously, we weren't overly pleased with our set-up in the cooler
temperatures on Friday, because we qualified eighth.  However, we made
several changes for today, and made two pretty good runs with set-ups
that were quite different.  The second pass this afternoon could have
been a little quicker, but it got off a little to the left.  Otherwise,
it should have run about a .69 or a .70 flat.

 

"We still need track time with this GM Performance Parts GTO, because we
haven't any test runs on it, and it's starting to hurt us.
Unfortunately, every time we've tried to test in the past with this car
it's rained, so we'll be staying here on Monday to make as many runs as
we can.  However, our first assignment starts with the first round
tomorrow, and we'll use what we learned today.  It's certainly not our
favorite starting spot, but we should be in good shape."