NHRA: Warren Johnson Aims to Hit Season Midpoint with St. Louis Win
Contact: Jon G. Knapp TMG Sports Marketing Phone: (704) 662-3121 jgknapp@tmgsports.net Warren Johnson Aims to Hit Season Midpoint with St. Louis Win GM Performance Parts crew looks for third Sears Craftsman Nationals win SUGAR HILL, GA., June 23, 2003 - The 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season will reach its midpoint with the running of next weekend's Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis, MO. As he prepared his GM Performance Parts Grand Am to compete at Gateway International Raceway, Pro Stock standout Warren Johnson took time to look back on his accomplishments during the first 11 races. Virtually every competitor would gladly accept Johnson's record of two wins, two No. 1 qualifying performances and a third-place standing in championship race. However, after six championships and 90 national event wins, the man known as "The Professor of Pro Stock" grades his performance on a slightly steeper scale. "Overall, I would give our team a C for the first half," stated Johnson. "Obviously, missing the show in Joliet was the low point, with the two wins in Pomona and Atlanta being the other side of the pendulum. "We have to improve on our ability to get down the race track consistently, including qualifying. We made progress in that area in Columbus, where we qualified fourth and were among the quickest cars in eliminations. In addition, we are looking at ways to further increase our performance during the second half. "So far we've been cautious dealing with this new GM Performance Parts Grand Am, as we don't have a complete book on exactly what its characteristics are. We haven't gone for the throat yet, but even with a somewhat conservative approach, it appears to be a pretty fast car. We're certainly going in the right direction." This final race of the first half is unlike any other on the schedule, as all on-track action will occur in the late afternoon and evening. However, with over 27 years of Pro Stock racing experience, W.J. is prepared to take the challenges of this unique event in stride, and with two wins in six previous appearances, he is well versed on what it takes to succeed at the track located in the shadows of the famous Gateway Arch in St. Louis. "Although it's certainly unusual for our series, having a night race shouldn't really affect our game plan," detailed Johnson. "We've had qualifying sessions on Friday nights and early Saturday mornings at previous events this season where the conditions were quite similar to what we'll encounter in St. Louis, so we have an idea what we'll be facing. "Unless the humidity gets extremely high, racing at night should certainly help the race track, as we'll be running on a much cooler surface than what we encounter during the day. Of course, with its relatively low elevation and being located so close to the Mississippi, the dew point could get to the stage where the track could be relatively tricky later in the evening. "The surface at Gateway International Raceway has been pretty good, although the starting line has been a little slippery in the last few years, especially in 2001. However, keep in mind that I learned to race on marginal tracks, unlike many of my competitors. That experience was invaluable, as it taught me how to get down the track under less than ideal conditions. "The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter when you race. You always have to be ready, and I guarantee this GM Performance Parts Racing team will be on their game when they pull in the gates in Madison." Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering the Sears Craftsman Nationals: * WJ is "The Man" in Madison: This will be Warren's seventh NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Gateway International Raceway, where he has won twice (including the inaugural event in 1997), while compiling an 11-4 elimination round record. * Gateway Qualifying Stats: In his six previous races in Madison, Warren has been the No. 1 qualifier twice (1998 and 2001), and has only qualified outside the top half of the field once, with an overall qualifying average of 4.5. * One year ago: WJ qualified fifth for last year's race in Madison with an elapsed time of 6.893 seconds and a top speed of 200.44 mph, but was upset in the first round. * Winning Streak: With his win in Atlanta, Warren Johnson has now won at least two races in 18 of the past 22 years. In addition, his current streak of winning at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years is the longest in NHRA history. * POWERade Points standings: After the eleventh of 23 events, WJ stands third in the 2003 POWERade points standings with 721 points, 285 behind current leader Greg Anderson, and trails second place Kurt Johnson by 221 markers. * No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 90 national event victories are the most ever in the history of the Pro Stock division and place him second on the all-time NHRA win list. His most recent win came at the 2003 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Ga. * Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003 * Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003 Event schedule: Qualifying: Friday, June 27: Two sessions at 5:15 & 8:15 p.m. Saturday, June 28: Two sessions at 5:15 & 8:15 p.m. Eliminations: Sunday, June 29: Pre-race ceremonies - 3:30 p.m. First round of eliminations - 4:30 p.m. TV Schedule: Qualifying Highlights: Saturday, June 28: 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 midnight (ESPN2) Early Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, June 29: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ESPN) Final Eliminations Coverage: Sunday, June 29: 9:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ESPN2) NHRA2Day: Sunday, June 29: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2) (Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for updated air times.) # # #