NHRA Kurt Johnson Saturday Update: KJ Captures the No. 1 Qualifying Position in Englishtown

Contact:  Jon Knapp   

TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

 Ph: (704) 662-3121

jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

KJ Captures the No. 1 Qualifying Position in Englishtown

 

Event:  36th Annual NHRA SuperNationals 

Day/Date: Saturday, June 18, 2005

Location:  Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey

 

On the strength of a 6.675 second, 206.10 mph run made during Friday's
second qualifying session, Kurt Johnson qualified his ACDelco Cobalt in
the No. 1 position for Sunday's final eliminations of the NHRA
SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.  It was the 24th "pole position" of
Johnson's career, third at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park and first of
the 2005 POWERade Drag Racing season.  Johnson's most recent No. 1
qualifying performance had come at the 2003 U.S. Nationals in
Indianapolis, IN.

 

Although Saturday's weather conditions precluded any real challenges for
Johnson's top spot, the second-generation racer continued to impress on
his final attempts.  In the morning session, he set top speed of the
event with his 206.48 mph clocking, and concluded his qualifying
performance by recording the quickest pass of the day in the heat of the
afternoon, blasting through the quarter-mile in 6.690-seconds at 206.39
mph.

 

"Our goal coming into this race was to keep our car consistent, and so
far, the ACDelco Cobalt has been flawless.  You always want to find that
sweet spot where you have to make minimal changes to make the car go
down the racetrack whether the track temperature is 85 degrees or 120
degrees, and I believe we've found it.  We keep throwing stuff at it,
and it keeps getting sweeter.  I think we really have something here.  

 

"It particularly likes the left lane.  The track here in Englishtown is
a little bumpy.  It has some new concrete that needs to be ground,
especially in the right hand lane, where there is a large bump at about
75 feet.   As a result, the left lane is two to three hundredths quicker
for the Pro Stock cars.  

 

"Just like any other Sunday, the key to winning tomorrow will be letting
the clutch out before the other guy.  The driver and the car have to be
perfect as much as possible, because it's rare that they are perfect
together and one usually has to make up for the other.  Therefore, we're
just going to go out tomorrow and try to be perfect.  If we can do that,
I think we have the horse to ride."

 

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