NHRA Warren Johnson Race Wrap Up: WJ's Short Game Costs Him in Pomona

Contact:  Jon Knapp   

TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

 Ph: (704) 662-3121

jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

WJ's Short Game Costs Him in Pomona

 

Event:  46th Annual Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals

Day/Date: Sunday, February 12, 2006

Location:  Pomona Raceway, Pomona, CA

 

After qualifying third for Sunday's final eliminations of the Carquest
Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts
GTO Racing team looked to score their sixth win at the traditional NHRA
season-opener.  Things went according to plan in the first round, when
Johnson used a stout 6.709-second, 206.51 mph pass to defeat rival Allen
Johnson.  

 

In the second round, WJ squared off against Mike Edwards, known as one
of the better "leavers" in the highly competitive Pro Stock division.
Knowing he would need a strong light and a solid run in order to advance
to the semi-finals, "The Professor" bolted from the line with a
lightning-fast .017 reaction time.  However, the afternoon sun had taken
its toll on the  surface at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and his
race car spun its tires momentarily before charging down track, and the
momentary lapse proved costly, as WJ's 6.725-second, 206.51 mph run fell
seventh thousandths of a second shy of overtaking Edwards' 6.723-second,
206.45 mph pass.

 

"We were okay in the first eleven inches, and outran him from the
60-foot mark to the finish line, but that 59 feet one inch in the middle
cost us.  My reaction time was fine, but we just had too much wheel
speed and sat at the starting line too long.  We were a hundredth off in
the first sixty feet, and made all but six thousandths up by the finish
line.  

 

"The track was a little warmer and probably not as good, and we didn't
compensate enough for it in the first 60 feet.  We made our normal
changes for it, but we were giving the track a lot more credit than it
was due, because even though we backed the car down, we were still not
in our tune-up's comfort zone.  Basically, we need to adjust our tuning
approach to the surface, because it has deteriorated over the last few
years.  Of course, you have to keep in mind that these are probably the
warmest temperatures we have ever had at the Winternationals.

 

"Even though our day wasn't as long as we wanted, we're still pleased
with the performance of our GM Performance Parts GTO.  With every race,
it keeps coming around.  Besides, I prefer to see this as an omen.  I've
been to the finals here in each of the last three years, and
historically the Winternationals winner has not won the title, so I
guess we're looking good for this year's championship."

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