Despite Recent Power Surge, Kurt Johnson
Remains Grounded Heading into Atlanta
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Phone: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Despite Recent Power Surge, Kurt Johnson Remains
Grounded Heading into Atlanta
ACDelco Cavalier driver goes for third consecutive 2003 win at home race
Sugar Hill, Ga., April 28, 2003 - If the sport of NHRA Pro Stock Racing were
graded on a curve, Kurt Johnson would be the one breaking it. In arguably
the most competitive class in all of motorsports, Johnson's ACDelco Cavalier
has been nearly perfect for the last four races, compiling three wins in four
final round appearances and surging to the lead in the POWERade Championship
standings.
The normally reticent Johnson acknowledges the magnitude of this
accomplishment, and defers much of the credit to his sponsors, crew and the
entire Warren Johnson Enterprises operation in Sugar Hill, GA. In addition,
he quickly points out that any perceived advantage can be fleeting, and cites
the need to remain focused on the challenge ahead.
"Things couldn't be going better for the ACDelco Racing team than they are
right now," explained Johnson. "Our Cavalier continues to run down the race
track like it's on rails, and everyone on the crew and in the shop is working
well together. We're having fun and everything is clicking.
"However, just as that vacuum leak before the final in Bristol showed us,
things can change in a hurry. Therefore, our primary goal is to stay on top
of things as much as we can, and hopefully maintain this high performance
level. Before we can even think about winning the race, much less going for
three in a row, we will concentrate on qualifying, which, given the
competition, is an accomplishment in itself."
This weekend, Johnson's quest for a third consecutive win will take him to
Atlanta Dragway and the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented
by Pontiac. Located in Commerce, GA, this venerable facility has long served
as the Johnson's primary testing outlet, as it is a short drive from the
team's headquarters. However, Johnson dispels the notion that he and is
father have an edge in races held there.
"Our home track advantage is not as big as people may think," stated Johnson.
"Certainly with our shop in Sugar Hill just a few miles away, we test there
quite frequently, and our extensive experience gives us a better feel for
Atlanta Dragway's intricacies and tendencies, but our primary benefit is
having all those fans in the stands cheering for the home team.
"The racing surface for this weekend's event will be quite dissimilar from
what we use to fine-tune our ACDelco Cavalier. When we test, the conditions
are tailor-made for our cars. We're running in our rubber and the surface is
manicured the way we like it. During a national event, however, we're
sharing the track with hundreds of cars and the surface preparation is
completely different.
"I can't say we try any harder at Atlanta than at other tracks, because we
want to win them all. Certainly, our win there in 1996 was a high point, and
if we're fortunate enough to put our ACDelco Cavalier in the winner's circle
again this weekend, the main difference between here and winning anywhere
else will be the size of the party."
Facts on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Racing Team entering the
Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals presented by Pontiac:
- KJ at Atlanta: This will be Kurt's eleventh appearance at Atlanta
Dragway, where he has one win (in 1996) in three final round appearances.
Overall, he has a 16-9 elimination round record. In addition, he has only
qualified outside the top half of the field once, with a best effort of
second in 2000, and an average starting position of 5.9.
- One Year Ago: KJ qualified sixth in Atlanta with an elapsed time of
6.848 seconds and a top speed of 200.38 mph, and advanced to the
quarterfinals.
- Looking for the Triple Crown: Having won the previous two races in
Houston and Bristol, Kurt will be looking to score three consecutive wins for
the first time in his career. He will also be looking to win for the fourth
time in the last five races.
- Traveling in Elite Company: Kurt's 26 national event victories ties him
with legendary Pro Stock driver Lee Shepherd for 15th on the all-time NHRA
professional win list, and fifth in the Pro Stock Career Victories. Kurt's
most recent win came at last week's Mac Tools NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
in Bristol, TN.
- 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.
- POWERade Points standings: After the fifth of 23 events, Kurt leads the
2003 POWERade point standings by 95 over second place Greg Anderson, and 113
ahead of his father, Warren Johnson, who is in third. Kurt finished sixth in
2002, his tenth consecutive Top 10 finish.
- Winning percentage: Kurt's .639 elimination round winning percentage
(315-178) ranks 11th among all active NHRA professional drivers.
- Career best elapsed time: 6.726 seconds, Houston, TX 2003 (The second
quickest elapsed time in NHRA Pro Stock history.)
- Career best top speed: 205.57 mph, Houston, TX. 2003 (The fastest top
speed in NHRA Pro Stock history.)
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Friday, May 2: Two sessions at 3:45 & 6:45 p.m.
Saturday, May 3: Two sessions at 10:00 a.m. & 2:15
p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, May 4:
Pre-race ceremonies & driver introductions
begin at 10 a.m., followed by the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
TV Schedule:
Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, May 3: 9:30 - 11:30 p.m.
(ESPN2)
Early Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, May 4: 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
(ESPN2)
NHRA2Day: Sunday, May 4: 11:30 - 12:00 noon
(ESPN2)
(Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for
updated air times.)
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