NHRA Kurt Johnson Pre Race: KJ Looks to Make His Points in
Reading
Cobalt crew primed to return to winning form at Toyo Tires
Nationals
Sugar Hill, Ga., September 12, 2005 - As the 2005 NHRA POWERade Drag
Racing season enters its final five races, the attention has shifted to
the championship races in the four professional categories. ACDelco
Cobalt pilot Kurt Johnson, who has put on a tremendous surge during the
mid- to late summer races, finds himself in the thick of the Pro Stock
title fight, sitting in the second position entering this weekend's Toyo
Tires Nationals in Reading, PA.
However, with the number of remaining races dwindling, Johnson knows he
must maximize every points scoring opportunity as he looks to close in
on the top spot, and this Real Car Guy arrives in Pennsylvania with a
very basic game plan.
"We're going to Reading looking to win the race," stated Johnson.
"We've been working on a few things since Indianapolis, made a few runs
on a questionable track in Atlanta, and, depending on the weather, will
try to get in one more day of testing before heading up to Maple Grove.
In any case, we'll be ready for the first qualifying session on Friday.
"I've spent some time going over my notes, seeing where we need to be
with the tune-up in our ACDelco Cobalt. With the season winding down,
those POWERade points are everything. We need to be spot on in every
aspect of the team, so we can start scoring more points than everyone
else again.
Fortunately, this weekend the tightly-knit ACDelco crew will be racing
at a track where they have done well in the past. In only ten previous
starts, KJ has already amassed three wins at Maple Grove Raceway, which
is second behind his father Warren Johnson for the most by a Pro Stock
competitor. Entering this crucial stretch of three races on consecutive
weekends, the team is determined to get off to a good start by scoring
their fourth win of 2005.
"Reading is just as good as any track for us to get on another hot
streak," said Johnson. "We've won there three times, but not since
2000, so I'd say our ACDelco Cobalt is due. It's a really decent
surface for our Pro Stock cars to run on. The only time we have a
problem is when there's dew on the track, but with the times we're
scheduled to run this weekend, it shouldn't be an issue. In addition,
you can hear the echo of the race cars in the trees, making Maple Grove
a pretty cool place to race.
"But no matter where we are racing, we have to get our program back on
track, which I'm confident we'll do this weekend. These next three
races will play a significant role in deciding this year's championship.
Basically, we need to close the gap and take the fight all the way to
the end of the year. After all, we only need to lead by one point after
Pomona, and we're looking to start moving in that direction this
weekend."
Notes on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering
the Toyo Tires Nationals:
* KJ Races Well in Reading: This will be Kurt's 13th appearance
at Maple Grove Raceway, where he has three wins in 1993, 1998 & 2000,
and has a 17-7 elimination round record in his ten previous starts in
Pennsylvania.
* One year ago: Kurt qualified sixteenth with an elapsed time of
6.757 seconds and a top speed of 203.86 mph, but fell in the first
round.
* Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.665 sec., Seattle, WA, 7/22/05
* Career best top speed: 207.15 mph, Seattle, WA, 7/22/05
Event Schedule:
Friday, September 16 - Two qualifying
sessions at 2:00 & 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 17 - Two qualifying
sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 18 - Pre-race
ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by
the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Schedule:
Qualifying: Saturday, September 17 -
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, September 18 -
4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
NHRA2Day: Sunday, September 18 -
11:30 a.m. - 12 noon
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is
subject to change.)
