NHRA Pre Race: KJ Aims to Seal Solid 2004 with Pomona
Win
ACDelco Racing team comes to Pomona Raceway looking for fourth Finals
win
Sugar Hill, Ga., November 8, 2004 - The 2004 NHRA season will come to a
close this weekend with the running of the Auto Club of Southern
California Finals in Pomona, CA. As he has throughout his 12-year Pro
Stock career, ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson will be putting the
final touches on a successful campaign, with one win in four final round
appearances, and a Top Five finish in the POWERade championship
standings.
Naturally, it is a showing that almost every racer in the pit area would
be thrilled to have accomplished. However, for the highly competitive
Johnson, unless the championship trophy is headed for the team's
headquarters in Sugar Hill, GA, there is always room for improvement.
"Although the entire ACDelco crew is certainly proud of our performance
this season, we all feel it could have been better," stated Johnson.
"We started off the year in fine fashion, winning in Phoenix and
seemingly ready to challenge for the championship. In the long run,
things unfortunately did not work in our favor. I'm sure a lot of cars
would be happy finishing in the Top Five, but we're not, which tells you
how high we set our goals.
"But through it all, this team never gave up, putting forth a
championship effort every day of the week. We spent many hours
searching for ways to make our ACDelco Cavalier better, and even though
it may not necessarily show it, we've learned a tremendous amount
throughout the year that should only make us stronger."
The traditional drag racing finale offers participants one last
opportunity to add to their season's stats, and Johnson and his veteran
crew have their sights set on delivering a strong performance. With
three wins in five final round appearances at this event, the
second-generation racer is quite familiar with the benefits of ending
the year in the Pomona Raceway winner's circle.
"It some respects, it's been a long year, and although we're ready to
put it behind us, we know our work is not yet done," said Johnson. "We
still have one more shot to put our ACDelco Cavalier in the winner's
circle, and we are going to do everything we can to make it happen.
"We should be in good shape. Although we hurt our primary race engine
during our last qualifying run in Las Vegas, which hurt us in
eliminations, we will have it back up to speed when we get to
California. Our car also seems capable of handling whatever we throw at
it, so I'm confident we'll be in the hunt.
"We have a busy few months ahead of us, but before we turn our full
attention to 2005, we have a little unfinished business to take care of
in 2004. We've won the Finals three times in the past, and short of
capturing the championship, winning the final race in Pomona is the best
way to go into the off-season. It's like getting an early Christmas
present for the entire team, and we would certainly like to play Santa
Claus."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Auto Club of Southern California Finals:
* KJ and the ACDelco Racing team Ontario, CA Appearance: Kurt
Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team will be making an appearance from
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10 at Mark Christopher
Chevrolet, 2131 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario, CA. For more
information, please call (909) 390-2900.
*
* KJ is a Prime Performer in Pomona: This will be Kurt's 24th
appearance at Pomona Raceway, where he has four wins in seven Final
round appearances, with a 5.95 average starting position and a 42-18
elimination round record for a .700 win percentage
* Kurt Bats .300 at the Finals: In his 10 starts (in 11 races) at
the Auto Club of Southern California Finals, KJ has three wins in five
final round appearances, with a 22-7 elimination round record for a .759
winning percentage.
* One year ago: Kurt qualified 6th and advanced to the final
round.
* Winning percentage: Kurt's .645 elimination round winning
percentage (372-207) ranks 10th among all active NHRA professional
drivers.
* National event wins: Kurt's 28 national event victories ties him
for 15th on the all-time NHRA professional win list, and tie him for
fifth on the all-time Pro Stock win list. Kurt's most recent win came
at this year's Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.716 seconds, Englishtown, NJ. 2003
* Career best top speed: 206.61 mph, Englishtown, NJ. 2003
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Thursday & Friday, November 11 & 12:
A single session at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 13:
Two sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, November 14:
Pre-race ceremonies and driver's
introduction start at 10:00 a.m.,
followed by the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Coverage:
Saturday, November 13:
10:00 - 12:00 midnight (ESPN2)
Final Eliminations Coverage:
Sunday, November 14: 6:00
- 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHRA2Day:
Sunday, November 14:
12:00 noon - 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
(Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for
updated air times, as they are subject to change.)
