WJ's Wrap Sheet - Bandimere Speedway Edition
(Note: The following is sent as a supplement to the Warren Johnson
Denver Pre Race release sent earlier today, and serves to provide a look
back on WJ's career at Bandimere Speedway. We do have pictures
available upon request in JPEG format of WJ's 1983 & 1984 Hurst/Olds
Cutlasses (as well as a shot of the team in their first winner's circle
in 1984), as well as WJ's 2003 GM Performance Parts Grand Am from his
most recent win on the mountain. We thank you for your interest and
support of Warren Johnson and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.)
Contact:
Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Ph: (704) 662-3121
jgknapp@tmgsports.net
WJ's Wrap Sheet - Bandimere Speedway Edition
1. WJ's First Bandimere Race - 1983
Race Car: 1983 Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile Cutlass
Performance: WJ Qualified Third, 8.227 seconds, 171.10 mph
Defeated Bubba Corzine
Lost to Bob Glidden
In Warren's Words:
"I had raced in Denver and Pueblo back in the late 70's, so racing at
altitude was really nothing new. My career was still in its embryonic
stages, so I had very little in the way of instrumentation. In fact,
about the only tuning tool I had was a spark plug light, so we may have
been a little crude, but we still got the job done. If I remember
correctly, there were quite a few cars trying to make the eight-car
field, so to qualify third and make it to the semifinals was quite an
accomplishment."
Notes of the time:
* This was the 53rd NHRA Pro Stock national event of WJ's career,
and seventh of the 1983 season.
* This was the first year that WJ campaigned the larger bodied
Oldsmobile Cutlass, which he nicknamed the "Flying Boxcar".
* Bob Glidden was the No. 1 qualifier with an 8.149-second elapsed
time, while Bob Ingles anchored the eight-car Pro Stock field with an
8.394-second time.
* The field consisted of WJ's Oldsmobile Cutlass, Pontiac Firebirds
and Trans Ams, Chevy Camaros, a Dodge Charger and Glidden's Ford
Thunderbird.
* In the Pro Stock final, Glidden defeated veteran Lee Shepherd in
the Reher-Morrison Camaro.
* Winners in the other professional categories that weekend
included Jody Smart over Danny Dannell in Top Fuel and Frank Hawley over
current IHRA crew chief Tom Anderson in Funny Car
2. WJ's First Bandimere Win - 1984
Race Car: 1984 Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile Cutlass
Performance: WJ Qualified First, 8.021 seconds, 172.74 mph
Defeated Gene Fasching, Butch Leal, Bob Glidden
and Lee Shepherd
In Warren's Words:
"The primary thing I remember from that race was that we had several GM
engineers on hand. We were still racing the boxy Cutlass, while many of
my competitors had the sleeker Camaros, Firebirds and the like.
However, any aerodynamic advantage they might have had was diminished in
the thin air in Denver. I know Shepherd and his team had spent a
tremendous amount of time with their Camaro in the wind tunnel trying to
match Glidden's T-Bird, but they still couldn't match the speed of the
"Boxcar." Needless to say, it was a very satisfying win."
Notes of the time:
* This win was the seventh of Warren's Pro Stock career, and came
in the 11th final round of his career.
* Ironically, W.J. defeated Pro Stock stalwart Lee Shepherd in the
final, who was appearing in his fifth consecutive Bandimere final round.
* Of Warren's seven national event wins to that point in his
career, five had come from his defeating Shepherd in the final.
* This was Johnson's third win in 1984, as he would finish with
five national event wins and a runner-up finish in that year's Winston
championship standings.
* This was WJ's ninth No. 1 qualifying performance of his career,
with the 8.021-second elapsed time resetting the Bandimere Speedway
track record.
* Local Super Comp racer Judy Lilly was the 16th qualifier with an
8.457-second elapsed time.
* WJ recorded the quickest time in all rounds that weekend and the
top speed in every round but one.
* This was the first time that the Funny Car and Pro Stock classes
featured sixteen-car fields at Bandimere, with the top half running the
bottom half in the first round of eliminations (i.e., #1 vs. #9, #2 vs.
#10, etc.)
* The thin air in Denver worked in "The Professor's" favor, as it
reduced the aerodynamic advantage the sleeker Firebirds, Camaros and
Thunderbirds had over his boxy Cutlass.
* The field consisted of WJ's Olds Cutlass, Chevy Camaros, Pontiac
Firebirds and Trans Ams a Dodge Charger, a Mercury Cougar and Capri
(driven by current Pro Mod team owner Roy Hill) and Glidden's Ford
Thunderbird.
* In other categories that weekend, the Top Fuel final featured a
pair of current team owners with Connie Kalitta setting the track top
speed record at 255.68 mph to defeat Joe Amato, while Raymond Beadle,
behind the wheel of the legendary Blue Max Mustang Funny Car, defeated
Frank Hawley to win in Funny Car.
3. WJ's Most Recent Bandimere Win - 2003
Race Car: 2003 GM Performance Parts Grand Am
Performance: WJ Qualified Ninth, 7.265 seconds, 190.67 mph
Defeated George Marnell, Greg Anderson, Mike Edwards
and Jeg Coughlin
In Warren's Words:
"We had gone up and tested in Denver prior to the race, and after not
running as well as we would have liked in qualifying we made some
aggressive tuning changes for Sunday based off what we had learned.
Fortunately, we were able to pick up our performance by several
hundredths, which made the difference between winning and losing.
"Of course, many people may also remember our last qualifying pass,
where a water hose came off and prevented us from making the run. I was
highly critical of our effort in a television interview right after it
happened, but I believe we more than made up for it on race day."
Notes of the time:
* This win was the 91st of WJ's career.
* This was Warren's fourth win in nine final round appearances at
Bandimere Speedway.
* This was also the 141st national event final round of WJ's
career.
* This was also WJ's third win in 2003, of a total of four he would
score that year.
* This was WJ's first win from the ninth starting position.
* Greg Anderson was the No. 1 qualifier with a 7.205-second elapsed
time, but was eliminated by WJ in the second round.
* Current David Connolly crew chief Terry Adams was the 16th and
final qualifier with a 7.293-second e.t.
* The Pro Stock line-up included Pontiac Grand Ams and a solitary
Firebird, Chevrolet Cavaliers, Dodge Stratus and Neons, and a Ford
Escort ZX2.
* Other winners that weekend included Larry Dixon who defeated Doug
Kalitta in the Top Fuel final, and John Force, who won his first race of
the year by edging Cruz Pedregon in the Funny Car final.
4. WJ's Bandimere Speedway in a Nutshell -
"The Bandimeres and their staff should be the poster children for track
management. Without a doubt there is not another track on the entire
NHRA circuit that is run more aggressively than Bandimere Speedway.
They get the whole community involved, with everyone within a 100 mile
radius knowing of the track and its events. From their tremendous 'Race
to Read' program, to their work with local law enforcement, to working
with area auto dealers, they have something going on there six days a
week.
"As a result of their efforts, they also have the funds to keep updating
the facility. I remember when I first went there, the pits were down at
the bottom of the hill where parking is now, almost everything was
gravel with only the racetrack being paved, and the spectator seating
was no where near what it is today.
"If I remember correctly, they moved half a million cubic yards of dirt
to renovate that facility, and from a spectator standpoint, it's one of
the best in the country with not a bad seat in the house. Conversely,
as a competitor, you can walk up and get a bird's-eye view of what's
going on at any time. They do an impeccable job of maintaining the
racing surface, making sure both lanes are as equal, and the parking for
racers and fans is as good as it can be.
"Even though we don't run as fast as we may do elsewhere, the quality of
competition is still good. I can honestly not remember one instance
where the track was the deciding factor. Basically, Bandimere is
somewhere you enjoy going to every year."
WJ's Bandimere Speedway Box Score -
Races
Starts
Wins
Finals
#1
Avg. Qual.
W
L
Pct.
21
21
4
9
4
4.24
47
17
.734
WJ's Bandimere Did You Know? -
* WJ's four Bandimere Speedway wins are the most among active Pro
Stock drivers.
* Warren set his first NHRA Pro Stock national record in Denver
when he recorded a top speed of 156.66 mph at Dragway Denver in May of
1976, at the Division 5 Winston World Championship Series season opener.
Ironically, WJ's actual speed was 148.28, but when corrected for the
altitude (as was done at the time) produced the record. WJ did go on to
win the event, defeating Lee Shepherd in the final.
* WJ won another Colorado Division 5 race in 1976, winning the
Winston World Championship Series event at Pueblo Motorsports Park.
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