NHRA Pre-Race: The Professor is Poised to be the Best in Bristol
The Professor is Poised to be the Best in Bristol GM Performance Parts Grand Am driver ready to repeat as Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals champion Sugar Hill, Ga., April 21, 2003 - Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing team return to Bristol Dragway this weekend as the defending champions of the Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals. After qualifying seventh a year ago, "The Professor" disposed of fellow drivers Gene Wilson, George Marnell and V. Gaines before capping his day with a thrilling holeshot victory over Ron Krisher in the final to earn his first national event title at one of the premier facilities on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing circuit. "Our win last year was one of those days where everything fell into place" recalled Johnson. "Although we weren't running all that well by our standards, our GM Performance Parts Grand Am's performance was certainly competitive, and I probably had one of my better days of driving. Between the two, we were able to eke out a win." Last year's success earned Johnson the unique distinction of being the only professional driver to have reached the winner's circle in both Bristol Dragway renditions, having scored multiple wins at the older facility in the 1970's and 80's prior to its total transformation to its current state-of-the-art configuration in the late 1990's. "Trying to compare Bristol Dragway as it exists today, to the track we raced on in the '70's and '80's is like trying to describe the difference between day and night," stated Johnson. "Just as he has with his track in Las Vegas, Bruton Smith has elevated the bar as to what a modern-day drag racing facility should be. "Spectators receive all the proper amenities, from elevators in the towers and suites to great views from everywhere in the grandstand. The racers are treated in a similar manner. Any problems are quickly addressed and rectified. For example, there were a few issues in the beginning with the race track, but those have been corrected to where I don't think you can find a finer racing surface." Coming off his national record-setting performance in Houston, Johnson seems poised to score his second win of 2003. However, much like a year ago, the highly competitive nature of the Pro Stock division leaves no room for error, with a near-perfect performance necessary for the GM Performance Parts crew to repeat as the winners in Thunder Valley. "We've been working on all facets of our racing operation since last year, knowing full well that Pro Stock would be even more competitive in 2003," detailed Johnson. "You need look no further than what happened in Houston two weeks ago, where we lost by two 10/1000ths of a second. When it's that close, every piece of the puzzle needs to be in place. "We've obviously made some progress in the performance department, and we continue to work on the driving aspect. Although we are far from dominating, we're at the point that if we pay attention to what we're doing, and I do my job as far as driving is concerned, our GM Performance Parts Grand Am should certainly be able to win." Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering the Mac Tools Thunder Valley Nationals: * WJ's NHRA Bristol Career: This will be Warren's third NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Bristol Dragway, where he has one win (in 2002). In addition, he will be looking to improve upon his previous best qualifying effort of second, which he achieved at the inaugural event in 2001. * But wait, there's more...: Warren Johnson also competed at the old Bristol Dragway in the 1970's and 1980's as part of the IHRA series, where he scored six wins in seven final round appearances. * One year ago: WJ qualified seventh for last year's race in Bristol with an elapsed time of 6.887 seconds and a top speed of 201.10 mph, and defeated Gene Wilson, George Marnell and V. Gaines in the earlier rounds before capturing the 88th national event win of his career with a holeshot victory over Ron Krisher in the final. * National Record Holder: Warren reset the NHRA Pro Stock national elapsed time record with his 6.720-second pass in Houston two weeks ago, bettering the previous mark by three hundredths of a second. This marks the 10th time in his career that WJ has held the record. * Winning Streak: With his win at the 2003 Winternationals, Warren Johnson extended his streak of winning at least one race a year to 22 years, the longest in NHRA history. * POWERade Points standings: After the fifth of 23 events, WJ arrives in Bristol in third place in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 360 points, 77 behind leader Kurt Johnson and 59 behind second place Greg Anderson. Warren finished fourth in 2002, his twenty-first consecutive Top Five finish. * Flying the Stars and Stripes: At the request of their sponsors, Kurt and his father Warren Johnson have replaced the Chevrolet and Pontiac logos on the roofs of their race cars with the American flag to honor America and show their support for the troops. * No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 89 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him 2nd on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came at the 2003 Winternationals in Pomona, CA. * Career best elapsed time: 6.720 seconds, Houston 2003 (The quickest pass in NHRA Pro Stock history.) * Career best top speed: 205.16 mph, Houston 2003 (The fourth fastest pass in NHRA Pro Stock history.) Event schedule: Qualifying: Friday, April 25: Two sessions at 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26: Two sessions at 12:30 & 3:30 p.m. Eliminations: Sunday, April 27: Pre-race ceremonies & driver introductions begin at 11 a.m., followed by the first round of eliminations at 12:00 noon TV Schedule: Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, April 26: 10:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ESPN2) Early Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, April 27: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2) Final Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, April 27: 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. (ESPN2) NHRA2Day: Sunday, April 27: 9:30 - 10:00 a.m. (ESPN2) (Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for updated air times.)