NHRA: Kurt Chronicles: St. Louis Edition
20 June 1999
THE KURT CHRONICLES: ST. LOUIS EDITION
THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS
One year ago, Kurt Johnson arrived at Gateway International Raceway
in Madison, Ill., for the Sears Craftsman Nationals with a brand-new race
car and a ten-race winless streak. He left with his first victory of the
season and the first Pro Stock trophy won by a Camaro driver in a decade.
Now K.J. is hoping that his return to the track just across
the Mississippi River from St. Louis will again jump-start his season. Kurt
is struggling to break out of a slump that has left him without a round win
since the Pennzoil Nationals in Richmond, Va., on May 2. The Sears
Craftsman Nationals will be run for the first time at night, with final
eliminations scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 26.
"Going to Gateway as the defending champion is a confidence booster,"
Kurt commented. "The racing should be better with the cooler temperatures
we'll have at night. Last year I tested my new ACDelco Camaro in Madison
after dark, so we have some basic information on the setup. Gateway is
definitely a fast race track at night, with plenty of traction. I qualified
No. 1 at Route 66 Raceway on Friday night, so I'm optimistic that I can
repeat when we go back to St. Louis."
THIS TOO SHALL PASS
Kurt endured another "character building" race at the 35th annual
Pontiac Excitement Nationals at National Trail Raceway on June 13. K.J.
qualified his ACDelco Camaro in the 12th spot, and then suffered a
first-round loss to Mike Trumble when he encountered handling problems.
"I think we made some big strides in Columbus even though I lost in
the first round," Kurt declared. "The tires didn't shake, which is the
problem we've been fighting since Richmond. This time the car made a right
turn as soon as I let out the clutch. I was fighting it all the way down
the track, and it was fighting back.
"Before we went to Columbus, the rear tires were absolutely locked up
at the starting line - and when they're locked up, the car has a tendency
to steer to the left. Now that we have the tires freed up, we need to
change the chassis preload to compensate.
"We made some drastic changes in the rear springs and shock
absorbers," Kurt revealed. "The problem was that the rear tires were so
distorted at the starting line that they couldn't recover.
"After the race in Columbus, my guys took the car to R.J. Race Cars
to have some more tubing added to stiffen the chassis," Kurt reported.
"We're basically back to the setup we ran last year when I was runner-up in
Seattle.
"And if all else fails, I still have the car I raced at the beginning
of last season!"
THE SECOND SEASON
The Sears Craftsman Nationals marks the midpoint of the 1999 season. Here
is Kurt Johnson's critique of the first half of his year:
"We started out with an A+ grade after making three final rounds in
the first four races and setting the national e.t. record in Richmond,"
he reports. "Now we're down to a C-.
"This year has been like two different seasons. It's been a roller
coaster ride, but it can only get better from here.
"There are a lot of races left, and if we start winning rounds
again, we'll be in good shape at end of season. I look at this year like a
NASCAR race: You have to be a contender in the first 20 laps and the last
20 laps. We definitely intend to be around for the last 20 laps!"
KURT JOHNSON SEARS CRAFTSMAN NATIONALS RESULTS
Year Qualified Result
1997 3 Semi Final
1998 2 Winner (over Jeg Coughlin,.Jr.)
LAST RACE:
Pontiac Excitement Nationals, Columbus, Ohio, June 13, 1999
Qualifying: Kurt Johnson qualified No. 12 at 7.075 196.70 mph.
Eliminations:
First Round: Mike Trumble defeated Kurt Johnson
Final Round: Warren Johnson (7.008/197.57) defeated Jeg Coughlin,
Jr. (7.061/197.97)
Low ET: Warren Johnson, 6.995 seconds (track record)
Top Speed: Warren Johnson, 198.15 mph (track record)
POINTS RACE:
(After 10 of 22 events)
Driver Wins Points
1. Warren Johnson 5 878
2. Kurt Johnson 2 693
3. Richie Stevens 1 569
4. Jim Yates 0 532
5. Jeg Coughlin 1 528