Kurt Chronicles: Indy Edition

THE KURT CHRONICLES: Kurt Johnson ACDelco News & Notes for the Mac Tools
U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Aug. 30-Sept. 2


U.S. NATIONALS IS KEY TO JOHNSON'S SEASON

One race does not a season make, but a victory at the Mac Tools
U.S. Nationals, the premier event of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series,
could redeem Kurt Johnson's entire year. After emerging from a midseason
slump, Johnson's performance is peaking at the right time for drag racing's
biggest race.

Johnson has twice tasted victory at the U.S. Nationals. He knows there
is nothing sweeter than standing in the winner's circle at Indianapolis
Raceway Park.

"Indy is still special, and it will always be special," said Johnson.
"There are more fans, more cars and more prize money at Indy. That's all
the motivation I need to get ready for the U.S. Nationals. Winning Indy for
the third time would be the highlight of my season."

Johnson won the U.S. Nationals in 1996 and 1997, following four
consecutive Indy victories by his father in 1992-95. Warren was also
runner-up in 1998 and won again in 1999 to complete a remarkable streak of
eight straight final-round appearances by the Johnson clan.

Johnson intends to continue this family tradition. He tested his
ACDelco Cavalier at IRP last week to hone his combination for the marathon
five-day event.

"We started with a 6.93 and worked our way down to a 6.88," he reported.
"We have a setup that we know will go down the track, so now we're working
on finding a little more power.

"The track was better than we expected, and when we got the gearing right
the race car came to life," Kurt continued. "The last time I tested before
the U.S. Nationals was in 1996 and we won two years in a row, so I'm hoping
that pattern holds."

In previous years, the cool conditions that typically prevailed during
the first qualifying session on Friday night often set the Pro Stock field.
This year's schedule calls for evening sessions on both Friday and
Saturday, plus an early session on Sunday morning. These three prime-time
sessions will add to the drama of Indy qualifying.

"The schedule will be good for the fans because the e.t.s will keep
dropping as the weekend goes on," K.J. predicted. "I just want to be at the
top of the list on Sunday night."

Johnson comes into the U.S. Nationals ranked eighth in the
POWERade championship standings. While the Pro Stock title is beyond his
reach, he has set his sights on a top-five finish.

"A top-five is realistically what we're aiming for now," Johnson conceded.
"If we can keep winning rounds and get a win or two along the way, we'll
not only achieve our goal, but also get a good head start on next year.

"Preparation is everything, and we're definitely well prepared for Indy,"
he noted. "We should be able to hit it hard from the first run on Friday,
and continue to gather information with every pass. We'll be ready to race
on Labor Day."

KURT JOHNSON'S U.S. NATIONALS RECORD
Year  Qual.  Result
1993    4    Semifinal
1994    9    First Round
1995    4    Semifinal
1996    5    Winner (over Smith)
1997    1    Winner (over Gaines)
1998    2    Second Round
1999   16    First Round
2000    3    Semifinal
2001   13    First Round

               


  E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 25-Aug-2002