Warren Report: Brainerd Edition NHRA Nationals
For Release: August 15, 2002
Contact: Rick Voegelin
TMG Sports Marketing
rickvoegelin@compuserve.com
831-761-2201
THE WARREN REPORT: Warren Johnson GM Performance Parts News & Notes for
the Rugged Liner NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn., Aug. 16-18
JOHNSON READY TO UNRAVEL MINNESOTA MYSTERY
No one has ever confused Brainerd, Minn., with Bermuda, but the two places
do have an eerie similarity. For Pro Stock driver Warren Johnson,
Brainerd International Raceway, the site of this weekend's Rugged Liner
NHRA Nationals, is as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle.
"Nothing makes sense up there," said the Professor of Pro Stock.
"The performance numbers just aren't as fast as they should be.
"The track e.t. record is 6.96 and the speed record is only 198.96 mph,"
said Johnson, who set those marks at last year's event. "Those are way out
of whack for a track that's only 1,200 feet above sea level."
While W.J. may be puzzled by the elapsed times and speeds at BIR, he is
quite familiar with the facility's quirks. Johnson grew up in Minnesota,
and he has competed in all 20 NHRA national events held at Brainerd
International Raceway. He scored four of his 88 career victories at BIR,
winning in 1984, 1993, 1995 and 1996. He has qualified in the No. 1 spot
four times, including last year's event.
"The drag strip is used relatively infrequently, so its surface isn't
as sticky as some of the other tracks on the circuit," Johnson suggested.
"The coefficient of friction isn't high enough to allow the Pro Stock cars
to perform at their best. The fuel cars have an abundance of downforce, so
they aren't affected to the same degree as the Pro Stocks."
The Rugged Liner Nationals marks Johnson's annual return to the land of
his forefathers. He grew up on a farm in Minnesota's Iron Range, where long
days in the fields forged his famous work ethic. The daily routine of
repairing equipment gave Johnson a hands-on education in mechanics, while
driving on frozen roads in the long winters taught him the fundamentals of
car control. These skills have served him well in his racing career.
Johnson's homecoming follows his first DNQ in 15 years of racing.
After qualifying at 303 consecutive national events, W.J. missed the field
at the Fram-Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. W.J.'s 6.848-second
qualifying time fell short of the 6.836 bump spot and left him 21st on the
list.
"If we look at it realistically, it's not a big deal," said Johnson.
"The streak's over and that's all there is to it. It just means that I can
start on another one.
"I never intended to set a qualifying record," he explained. "The streak
was just a byproduct of trying to make the race on Sunday. If you qualify,
you get to race - if you don't qualify, you go home. The primary objective
at every race is to qualify, and I didn't. We'll just move on and get ready
for the next event."
Now the next event is at hand, and Johnson is ready to continue his quest
for a seventh NHRA championship at the mysterious Brainerd Triangle.
WARREN JOHNSON'S BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY RECORD
Year Qual. Result
1982 3 Second Round
1983 4 Semifinal
1984 3 Winner (over Shepherd)
1985 3 Semifinal
1986 3 First Round
1987 7 Semifinal
1988 2 Semifinal
1989 16 First Round
1990 3 Semifinal
1991 1 Second Round
1992 2 Semifinal
1993 2 Winner (over Morgan)
1994 2 Second Round
1995 2 Winner (over Yates)
1996 2 Winner (over Schmidt)
1997 1 Semifinal
1998 2 Semifinal
1999 1 Runner-up (to J. Coughlin)
2000 15 First Round
2001 1 Semifinal
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E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 15-Aug-2002
