NHRA Kurt Johnson Pre Race: KJ & Crew Work to Make Brainerd
the First of Eight Great Races
Sugar Hill, Ga., August 9, 2005 - There are eight races left in the 2005
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season. Entering this weekend's Lucas Oil
Nationals in Brainerd, MN, Kurt Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt Racing
team sit third in the championship standings, 94 points out of the lead,
putting them in a better position than they have been in five years.
With two wins and three final round appearances in the last four races,
they have already made up a tremendous amount of ground on the leaders,
cutting the deficit by more than half. However, the Johnson crew knows
their work is far from done, and arrive at Brainerd International
Raceway focused on capturing their third win of the year.
"Ideally, you like to pick up about twenty points per race on your
opponents," said Johnson. "However, through a combination of hard work
and good luck, this ACDelco Cobalt crew has been able to better that
average significantly over the last few races.
"For example, we were fortunate to have the four teams ahead of us at
the time go out in the first round in Seattle. However, we still had to
do our part to capitalize on it, and the team and car responded to the
challenge, winning the race. Our job now is to make sure we stay ahead
of schedule for the rest of the year."
After three consecutive weekends of racing, the world's best
quarter-milers were able to enjoy a little time back at their shops,
performing much-needed maintenance as well as a little research and
development, all part of the never-ending search for speed. For
Johnson and his tight-knit crew, it was also an opportunity to set their
strategy for the races ahead.
"The little time we had between races allows us to settle down and put a
plan together for the next five or six weeks," detailed Johnson. "You
start by looking at the results from the last few weeks to see what
needs to happen in the future in order to stay ahead in this program.
We also try to squeeze in a little r&d whenever possible. You always
have a multitude of projects running at the same time.
"It's all part of being ready for the next four races, which is our
planning schedule. After that, we'll plan for the final four events.
Everyone is working hard right now both at the track and in the shop
including my guys and Dad's crew - it's a total team effort. It's all
part of making sure we have fresh pieces in the system, so both my
ACDelco Cobalt and his GM Performance Parts GTO can effectively
challenge for the championship - it would be interesting if we could end
the year with the two of us in a tie at the top."
Despite a record of success at Brainerd International Raceway, Johnson
knows there will be no room for error this weekend. Embroiled in a
six-second, 200-mph dogfight, it often comes down to the driver, and
this second-generation racer is ready for the challenge.
"In Pro Stock, it often comes down to who lets the clutch out first on
Sunday," stated Johnson. "We know our ACDelco Cobalt is capable of
making good, consistent runs, but so are our competitors. You need the
entire package - car, crew and driver all have to do their jobs, and
that is what we concentrate on doing every week.
"Hopefully, we can start by making a good hit right off the bat and get
ourselves solidly in the show. Of course, we'll have our sights set on
winning the pole, because as close as the competition is this year,
qualifying points could come into play at the end of the year. After
that, we'll focus on going rounds on Sunday, trying to get our third win
and keep moving forward. The plan is in place - it's up to us to
execute it."
Notes on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering
the Lucas Oil Nationals:
* Brainerd has been good for KJ: This will be Kurt's 13th
appearance at Brainerd International Raceway, where he has two wins in
1997 & 2000 in three final round appearances, and a 22-10 elimination
round record in his 12 previous starts. In addition, Kurt has one No. 1
qualifying performance in Minnesota in 2003, and only two starts outside
the top half of the field, with an average starting position of 5.0.
* One year ago: Kurt qualified thirteenth with an elapsed time of
6.789 seconds and a top speed of 202.73 mph, and advanced to the
quarter-finals.
* Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.665 sec., Seattle, WA 7/23/05
* Career best top speed: 207.15 mph, Seattle, WA 7/23/05
Event Schedule:
Friday, August 12 - Two qualifying sessions
at 2:30 & 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 13 - Two qualifying sessions at
10:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 14 - Pre-race ceremonies begin
at 10:00 a.m. followed by
the first
round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Schedule:
Qualifying: Saturday, August 13 -
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
(Repeat) Sunday, August 14 -
12:30 - 2:30 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, August 14 -
7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
(Repeat) Monday, August 15 -
2:30 - 4:30 a.m.
NHRA2Day: Sunday, August 14 -
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is
subject to change.)
