NHRA Pre Race: Warren Johnson Is Ready to Take Care of Business in Houston

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
									TMG Sports Marketing 
									Phone: (704) 662-3121
									jgknapp@tmgsports.net
Warren Johnson Is Ready to Take Care of Business in Houston
GM Performance Parts team preps for repeat of Pro Stock Super Bowl win

SUGAR HILL, GA., April 12, 2004 - Throughout his illustrious career, Warren Johnson has maintained a business-like approach to his participation in the NHRA's POWERade Drag Racing Series.  Nearly every one of the GM Performance Parts driver's class-leading 92 wins have been met with quiet celebration, while defeats are viewed as a normal, albeit unwelcome aspect of racing.  It is an outlook that has served him well for over 30 years in the highly competitive Pro Stock division.  

After opening with a strong runner-up performance in the season-opening event in Pomona and a semi-final run in Phoenix, the six-time champion endured uncharacteristic showings in the next two races, qualifying well, but scoring only one elimination round win.  As expected, Johnson has taken a straightforward approach to this weekend's O'Reilly Spring Nationals, not dwelling on the completed events, focusing instead on the challenges that lie ahead, an outlook that should take no one by surprise.

"Although our results in the last two races are certainly not what we would have liked, it's not a source of concern," stated Johnson.  "For example, we tested some new components in Gainesville, to see how they would measure up against our standard pieces.  Although they were pretty close, it did require a completely different set of adjustments, which threw us a bit of a curve in eliminations.  Still, the information gathered will prove very useful down the road.

"At the last race in Las Vegas we ran fairly well in qualifying, but overloaded it in the first round and had excessive wheel speed, which ended our weekend.  Those problems are easily fixed, and overall I'd say we're fairly satisfied with the performance of our GM Performance Parts Grand Am.  Of course, we're looking to pick it up even further this weekend in Houston."

"The Professor" has already experienced success at Houston Raceway Park in 2004, having won the pre-season Pontiac Pro Stock Super Bowl.  Although he sees little from that performance that will translate into this weekend's event, he is quietly confident of duplicating the results.

"Our win here in February is essentially a moot point, due to the different atmospheric and track conditions we will encounter," detailed Johnson.  "The racing surface will be completely different, as more than likely, the temperatures will be much higher, and the differences in track preparation between the NHRA and the local staff will significantly change the coefficient of friction.  Even so, we're very familiar with the facility's basic characteristics and are still anticipating a strong showing."

Johnson's optimistic outlook for this race is well founded, as his record in Baytown is unmatched among the "factory hot rods", with five wins in twenty previous appearances, giving him an unparalleled perspective on the Lone Star State quarter-mile.

"For the most part, our races in Houston have enjoyed tremendous weather, which, coupled with its relative proximity to sea level, translates into a racing surface that doesn't get that hot and offers tremendous traction.  Over the years, this combination has produced some outstanding performances and great racing.

"There were a few instances in the past where a few bumps developed down track, but now that they have resurfaced it, I expect it to be as fast as it's ever been.  However, as always, we'll all be drawing from the same deck, so the GM Performance Parts crew will just have to do a better job than our competition of adapting our Grand Am to what is thrown at us.  My final advice is that if you want to be around on Sunday, bring your "A" game."

In Warren's Words:

On trying to keep pace with the competition  -

"We won't waste any time worrying about what anyone else is doing, simply because we have no control over it.  It's more a matter of our keeping pace with our own program, making sure we maximize our performance in any way we can.  If we're a little short on performance here or there, we try to address those areas as rapidly as we can."  

On how his program has changed since the start of the 2004 POWERade season - 

"Since the start of the season, we've been making incremental gains in power.  Of course, that's a given in this category.  We are concentrating on getting that increased power to the ground on a more consistent basis, which we address on a daily basis.  

"We test as often as possible to eliminate chassis configurations that don't add to our performance.  It's a matter of working on things that make you run quicker, maintaining those areas you're solid in, while strengthening those areas that need improvement.  In the long run, you should make progress." 

Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team entering 
The O'Reilly Spring Nationals:

	*	WJ is the Top Hand in Houston: This will be Warren's 21st NHRA Pro Stock national event appearance at Houston Raceway Park, where he has five wins (the most by any Pro Stock driver) in six final round appearances, and a 26-11 elimination round record for a .673 win percentage.  WJ's most recent win in Houston came in 2001.

	*	Warren's Qualifying Stats in Houston: In his 20 previous starts at Firebird Raceway, WJ has only two qualifying performances lower than third, with an outstanding 2.75 average starting position, with eight No. 1 qualifying positions. 

	*	One year ago: WJ captured the 128th No. 1 qualifying position of his career, and eighth at Houston Raceway Park with an elapsed time of 6.720 seconds with a top speed of 205.16 mph, and advanced to the quarterfinals.

	*	HRP Track Record Holder:  WJ holds the Houston Raceway Park elapsed time track record at 6.720 seconds, which he established in qualifying one year ago.  At the time, it was the quickest pass in Pro Stock history.

	*	Winning Streak: Warren Johnson is looking to extend a streak where has won at least one race a year for 22 consecutive years, which is the longest in NHRA history.
 
	*	No. 1 in National event wins: WJ's 92 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 last year at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA.

	*	Career best elapsed time:  6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003

	*	Career best top speed:  205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003			

Event schedule:
	Qualifying: 	Friday, April 16: 	 	Two sessions at 3:30 & 6:30 p.m.
		      	Saturday, April 17:		Two sessions at 11:00 a.m.& 2:00 p.m.
	Eliminations:	Sunday, April 18: 
			Pre-race ceremonies and driver's introduction start at 10:00 a.m., 
				followed by the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
TV Schedule:
	Qualifying Highlights:
		Saturday, April 17:  		10:00 p.m.  -  Midnight (ESPN2)
	Final Eliminations Coverage:
		Sunday, April 18:  		5:00 -7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
	NHRA2Day:
		Sunday, April 18:      		11:00 noon - 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
 (Note: All TV times are Eastern.  Please check your local listings for updated air times.)
# # #