NHRA Warren Johnson Saturday Joliet Update: Saving his best for last, WJ powers to the No. 1 position in Chicago

 

Saving his best for last, WJ powers to the No. 1 position in Chicago

 

Event:  8th Annual Carquest Auto Parts Nationals 

Day/Date: Saturday, June 11, 2005

Location:  Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois

 

After slotting in the third position during Friday's qualifying sessions
for the Carquest Auto Parts Nationals, Warren Johnson and the GM
Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team began working on a way to improve
their position during Saturday's final two attempts.  Given the high
temperatures and humidity facing the racers at Route 66 Raceway, there
was some doubt as to whether he could realistically accomplish his goal.

 

However, Johnson showed his intentions during his first run on Saturday,
recording the second quickest pass of the round at 6.773 seconds with a
top speed of 203.71 mph, which further secured his third-place standing.
Returning for his fourth and final attempt, Johnson faced conditions
that had worsened slightly since his prior run.  Responding to the
challenge, he powered through the quarter-mile in 6.762-seconds at
204.08 mph, edging his son Kurt for the top spot by seven thousandths of
a second, a performance that even somewhat surprised "The Professor".

 

"We had expected to run at least as well as we had in the morning
session, given that we were using a new engine in our GM Performance
Parts Pontiac with only one prior pass on it, which came earlier today.
We had made some adjustments to the tune-up because it was off a little
bit on that first lap, but we honestly didn't feel it would run as well
as it did, given the increased heat and humidity.  I guess we don't know
as much about this as we think we do!

 

"As I've said in the past, we've spent a year developing this new DRCE
III engine, and its really starting to pay off.  It's a result of a lot
of hard work by the entire team, both here at the track and back at our
shop in Sugar Hill.  We knew it had potential, it was just a matter of
extracting it.  Fortunately, today everything worked in our favor.

 

"If the forecast holds and the weather remains the same, we should have
a good baseline for tomorrow.  However, we will still have to make the
right calls and adjustments for whatever the track and the weather
throws at us.  After all, our work here has just begun."

 

Fast Facts on Warren Johnson's No. 1 qualifying performance in Joliet:

 

*	This is the 135th No. 1 qualifying performance of WJ's career,
which is more than any other driver in NHRA history.
*	This is Warren's second No. 1 qualifying performance at Route 66
Raceway, as he was the No. 1 qualifier at the inaugural event here in
1998.
*	This is the 34th time in their respective careers that Warren
and Kurt have qualified 1-2, second time this season, and second time at
Route 66 Raceway.
*	This is WJ's fifth No. 1 qualifying performance of the 2005
season, which is the most in the Pro Stock category.