NHRA Pre Race: Warren Johnson Hopes to Go Straight to Repeat
History in Reading
GM Performance Parts team researching tuning notes to repeat their 2003
win
SUGAR HILL, GA., October 6, 2004 - One year ago, heavy rain forced the
NHRA to postpone the Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA, pushing final
eliminations into October. Upon the POWERade Drag Racing Series' return
to Maple Grove Raceway, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts
Racing team took full advantage of the opportunity, charging from their
14th place starting position to defeat an all-star cast and score an
impressive win, the 92nd of Johnson's illustrious career.
Ironically, the stage has been set for Johnson and his talented crew to
reprise their 2003 performance under similar conditions. One month ago,
the original race date was plagued by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan,
forcing officials to once again reschedule the event for this weekend.
However, before he can entertain thoughts of reaching the Reading
winner's circle for a fifth time, Johnson knows his race car will need
to consistently reach a high level of performance. With cool
temperatures forecast, the potential for horsepower will be plentiful,
and success will depend on effectively transferring this increased power
to the racing surface.
Therefore, Johnson and his crew have spent the few days since the last
event in Chicago reviewing their own history, searching for the key to
extract every ounce from their GM Performance Parts Grand Am. Their
first priority will be making sure each pass down the quarter-mile is a
straight one.
"Lately, our car has developed a nasty habit of pulling to the left
under optimum conditions, similar to what it did at the very beginning
of the year when we first used the bead-lock wheels," said Johnson.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't repeat this behavior on every run, making it
harder to diagnose. Therefore, we've gone through every pass we've made
this year, analyzing the data and trying to find a common thread that
will help maximize our performance in this situation.
"The car is made of carbon-fiber and tubing, so I don't think it has a
mind of its own, although sometimes it seems to. Therefore, it's
something in the set-up. We've recorded everything that has been
changed in the chassis, so we will go over it thoroughly and come with a
combination to use this weekend in Reading.
"Obviously, the solution is there - it's just up to us to find it. It's
a problem we've solved before, and I'm confident this GM Performance
Parts Grand Am team will do it again in the very near future. After
all, we overcame a rain delay, a tough Pro Stock field and even a power
outage prior to the finals in order to win in Reading a year ago, so
we're definitely up to the task of defending our title."
Facts on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Racing Team
entering
The Lucas Oil Nationals:
* WJ Reigns in Reading: This will be Warren's 20th NHRA Pro Stock
national event appearance at Maple Grove Raceway, where he has four wins
(the most by any Pro Stock driver) in nine final round appearances, and
a 38-10 elimination round record for a .792 win percentage.
* Warren Starts Strong at the 'Grove: In his nineteen previous
starts in Reading, WJ has six No. 1 qualifying positions, with an
average starting position of 2.95, and only four starts outside the top
three spots.
* One year ago - Defending Champion: WJ qualified 14th with an
elapsed time of 6.792 seconds with a top speed of 203.80 mph, and
defeated Jeg Coughlin, Jim Yates, Larry Morgan and Troy Coughlin en
route to the 92nd win of his career.
* 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 at Maple
Grove Raceway one year ago at the 2003 Lucas Oil Nationals.
* Career best elapsed time: 6.715 seconds, Englishtown 2003
* Career best top speed: 205.69 mph, Englishtown 2003
Event schedule:
Qualifying: Friday, October 8: Two
sessions at 1:30 & 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 9:
Two sessions at 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, October 10:
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:
Final Eliminations Coverage:
Sunday, October 17:
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHRA2Day:
Sunday, October 10:
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon (ESPN2)
(Note: All TV times are Eastern. Please check your local listings for
updated air times, as they are subject to change.)
# # #
