NHRA: Warren Report: Dallas Edition
17 October 1999
THE WARREN REPORT: DALLAS/HOUSTON EDITION
Warren Johnson GM Goodwrench Service Plus News & Notes
NEXT RACES:
O'Reilly Fall Nationals, October 22-24, Dallas, Texas
Matco Tools SuperNationals, October 29-31, Houston, Texas
TEXAS TWO-STEP
The long and winding road that has taken NHRA teams from sea to shining
sea and back again now turns toward Texas. The O'Reilly Fall Nationals in
Dallas on October 22-24 and the Matco Tools SuperNationals in Houston on
October 29-31 are the final back-to-back events on the 1999 schedule. After
a two-week respite, the season will conclude in Pomona, Calif., on November
11-14.
Warren Johnson would like to wrap up his fifth Pro Stock championship
in the Lone Star State - the sooner the better. W.J. has dominated the last
two races at Dallas' Texas Motorplex, where he qualified No. 1 and won
both events. He defeated Jim Yates in the final round of last season's
Fall Nationals and beat Mike Edwards in April's Castrol Nationals at the
Motorplex.
Billy Meyer built the Texas Motorplex, but the Johnson family
has virtually owned the place since 1993 - the Johnsons have been
represented in nine straight final rounds at the Texas supertrack. In 15
NHRA national events in Dallas, Johnson has notched four wins and five
runner-up finishes. The Professor has qualified at the top of the Pro Stock
class ten times on the all-concrete quarter-mile.
"After our early exits in Topeka and Memphis, we intend to pick up
the pace again," said Johnson. "I don't see that as an insurmountable
problem at a track where we've enjoyed considerable success in the past.
"We're going to the Motorplex with our usual game plan, our 'Old
Reliable' black Firebird, and a trailer full of fresh engines. We've
finally patched together all of the pieces we had left after the West Coast
swing, and we're shifting into development mode for next year.
"We're back to our typical 26-hours-a-day, nine-days-a-week
regimen," Warren reported.
HOUSTON HOMECOMING
Houston Raceway Park was the site of what many regard as the greatest
Pro Stock race of all time - the final-round burndown between Warren
Johnson and arch rival Scott Geoffrion in 1994. Johnson notched one of his
three career victories at HRP on that enchanted evening. He also posted
wins at the fast sea-level track in 1990 (over Bruce Allen) and 1998 (over
Mike Thomas).
"The swings in the weather make Houston one of the most problematic
tracks on the circuit," Warren reports. "When the air is cool, the track is
dynamite - but if the weather turns warm, it can be a handful.
"The track was resurfaced a couple of years ago to eliminate some of
the bumps," W.J. recalls. "That was a definite improvement for the Pro
Stock cars."
PERSONAL BESTS
The Johnson family's string of 21 consecutive No. 1 qualifying positions
was snapped at Heartland Park Topeka when Richie Stevens took the top spot
at the Advance Auto Parts Nationals. The last time that Warren or Kurt
missed the Pro Stock "pole" was one year ago in Topeka when Mark Osborne
was the top qualifier. W.J. had to settle for the No. 2 spot for the fourth
time this year, bringing his average qualifying position in 1999 to 1.74.
"I'm disappointed that Stevens broke our perfect record this season,
but looking at the bright side, at least we qualified!" Johnson joked.
One week later, Warren started a new streak when he qualified his
GM Goodwrench Service Plus Pontiac in the No. 1 spot at the
rain-shortened AutoZone Nationals in Memphis at 6.917 seconds. With that
performance, Warren equaled his career-best qualifying record of 14 Pro
Stock poles in one year - a mark he also achieved in his 1993 and 1995
championship seasons. W.J. has qualified No. 1 in Pro Stock 116 times.
MAGIC NUMBER
Johnson's magic number is now 277. If he leaves Dallas with a lead of
277 points or more, he will have mathematically clinched the Pro Stock
crown. He currently leads his son Kurt by 180 points and third-ranked Jeg
Coughlin, Jr. by 276 markers.
A driver can earn a maximum of 138 points at a national event - but
to reach that total, he must qualify No. 1, win the race, and set the
national elapsed time record. That's a tall order even for a driver of
Warren Johnson's stature. W.J. has averaged 79.6 points per race this
season - and that's the best record in the Pro Stock division.
SPEEDING TICKETS
"Professor" Johnson conducted a seminar in speed at the Advance Auto
Parts Nationals where he set the track speed record at 200.08 mph - the
first 200 mph Pro Stock run recorded at Heartland Park and the 61st of
Johnson's career.
Warren has now topped 200 mph at 12 of the 19 tracks that host
NHRA national events. Which circuits have yet to yield a 200 mph pass?
Phoenix, Chicago, Columbus, Madison, Denver, Brainerd, and Indianapolis.
Virginia Motorsports Park stands out as the fastest track for Pro
Stocks; it has been the site of 20 runs at over 200 mph. On the other end
of the scale, Memphis Motorsports Park has seen only one 200 mph pass.
W.J. was on top of the speed charts in both Topeka and Memphis,
notching his 18th and 19th Top Speeds of the season. Johnson has been the
fastest man in Pro Stock 170 times in his career - more than any other
driver in NHRA history.
TOP SECRET TESTING
Many racers switch to testing mode in the waning days of a season, but
not Warren Johnson. He's keeping his R&D program for Y2K under tight wraps.
"We won't run any of our new stuff in public," Warren declares.
"We'll test our new projects in private to keep them away from prying eyes.
We don't want to show our hand too early and give our rivals a chance to
catch up before the new season begins."
Warren Johnson Texas Motorplex Results
Year Qual. Result
1986 2 Runner-up (to Glidden)
1987 2 Second Round
1988 Not NHRA event
1989 1 Winner (over Morgan)
1990 2 First Round
1991 1 Runner-up (to Morgan)
1992 1 Semi-final
1993 1 Runner-up (to K. Johnson)
1994 1 Runner-up (to Geoffrion)
1995 1 Semi-final
1996 2 First Round
1997 Spring 1 Winner (over Geoffrion)
1997 Fall 8 Runner-up (to Yates)
1998 Spring 1 First Round
1998 Fall 1 Winner (over Yates)
1999 Spring 1 Winner (over Edwards)
Warren Johnson Houston Raceway Park Results
Year Qual. Result
1988 2 Runner-up (to Glidden)
1989 5 Second Round
1990 2 Winner (over Allen)
1991 1 First Round
1992 6 First Round
1993 1 Second Round
1994 3 Winner (over Geoffrion)
1995 1 Second Round
1996 1 First Round
1997 Spring 1 First Round
1997 Fall 2 Second Round
1998 Spring 1 Winner (over Thomas)
1998 Fall 2 Second Round
1999 Spring 1 Semi-final
LAST RACE:
AutoZone Nationals, Memphis, Tenn., October 10, 1999
Qualifying: Warren Johnson qualified No. 1 at 6.917/199.70
Eliminations:
First Round: Larry Nance defeated Warren Johnson
Final Round: Mike Edwards defeated Richie Stevens
Low ET: Warren Johnson, 6.917 seconds
Top Speed: Warren Johnson, 199.70 mph
POINTS RACE:
(After 19 of 22 events)
Driver Wins Points
1. Warren Johnson 6 1,512
2. Kurt Johnson 3 1,332
3. Jeg Coughlin, Jr. 4 1,236
4. Jim Yates 2 1,087
5. Richie Stevens 1 1,004