Warren Johnson NHRA Pre Race: The Professor Works to have All
Systems "Go" in Houston
GM Performance Parts GTO team set to defend crown at O'Reilly Spring
Nationals
Sugar Hill, Ga., March 29, 2006 - After a one week hiatus, the NHRA's
POWERade Drag Racing Series returns to action this weekend with the
running of the O'Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston, TX. Warren Johnson
and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team enter this event as the
defending champions, and head to the Lone Star State ready to repeat
their winning performance. However, in order to do so, they must take a
page from one of Houston's most famous residents - the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, and have a
safe and effective launch.
In the first three races, the incremental numbers and top speeds have
shown that Johnson's GM Performance Parts GTO has been among the very
best in the final eighth of a mile. However, in the early stages of the
run, the team has battled to effectively transfer the 1,400 horsepower
produced by their DRCE 3 engine to the race track. After extensive
analysis and testing, "The Professor" believes he has a handle on the
situation and hopes to have all systems "go" for liftoff at Houston
Raceway Park.
"This weekend I guess we will be among many people in the Houston area
looking to launch as quickly as possible," quipped Johnson. "Our GM
Performance Parts GTO's numbers in the back half of the runs have been
fine - in fact, they are usually among the best in the class, along with
(son) Kurt's. However, we have quite honestly struggled to get off the
starting line.
"What has been most perplexing about our current situation is that it is
obviously not an impossible task, because several of our competitors
have already done it. It's hard to say that we have to back down on
our horsepower, because that goes against one of the golden rules of
racing. You don't back down on power, you just learn how to use it more
effectively, which is what we have been working on. If we can get the
performance in the first 60 to 330 feet, we can set sail from there."
As with any assignment, Johnson has attacked this latest challenge on
multiple fronts. In the ten days since the last race, he has pored over
his notes from the last four years, comparing the performance of
previous race cars with his current model, looking for any indication of
the cause of this current condition. A checklist with possible
solutions was then created, followed by testing in both Gainesville and
Atlanta to gauge their effectiveness. Although not quite ready to clear
the tower, the six-time champion is cautiously optimistic that, at the
very least, the countdown has resumed.
"Our test the day after Gainesville was effectively an extension of what
we had done for the first round on Sunday, namely trying to get the car
to go straight at the start," stated Johnson. "We confirmed that we had
worked ourselves into an unfavorable condition as far as the chassis was
concerned, and started working our way out of it. Our approach seemed
to be working its way back to where we were as much as two years ago,
because once you go off on a tangent, it's sometimes hard to back track.
I believe we are now in a position where we will at least be competitive
in the early part of the run.
"The changes you can make are dictated by what a particular track can
take. Of course, you can't hang your hat on one particular set-up
because the tracks vary so much, especially now that the NHRA is
struggling to find the ideal surface preparation for the new tire the
Fuel cars are using. That compounds our problems even further because
you don't know what kind of racetrack you will have until you get there.
The bottom line is that we have to come up with a set-up that is as
forgiving as possible.
"For example, last year we had a set-up for Houston Raceway Park that
went down the track on every run, and helped us to get to the winner's
circle. Although we will rely on those notes heavily, as well as what
we did on Sunday in Gainesville, we will still have to adapt them to
whatever kind of conditions we are given. Fortunately, I have raced on
just about every type of surface over the years, so we should be in good
shape. It's just a matter of taking care of the details. We're
definitely optimistic heading into Baytown."
Quick Notes on Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO team
entering
the O'Reilly Spring NHRA Nationals:
WJ is at the Head of the Class in Houston: This will be Warren's 23rd
career race at Houston Raceway Park. In his previous 22 starts, he has
6 wins in 7 final round appearances, which is the most in Pro Stock, and
a strong 39-16 elimination round record for an impressive .709 win
percentage
Warren's Qualifying Stats in Baytown: In 22 Houston Raceway Park
starts, WJ has nine No. 1 qualifying performances, and a strong average
starting position of 2.68. During that time, he has only one start
outside the top half of the field and 18 starts in the top three
positions.
One year ago - Defending Champion: Warren was the No. 1 qualifier with
an elapsed time of 6.696 seconds and a top speed of 205.63 mph, and
defeated Richie Stevens, Greg Stanfield, Dave Connolly and Jason Line en
route to the 93rd NHRA national event win of his career.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.50 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/19/05
Event Schedule:
Friday, March 31: Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 1: Two qualifying sessions at
11:30 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 2: Pre-race ceremonies starting
at 10:00 a.m.
First Round of
Eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage:
Qualifying:
Saturday, April 1: 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Eliminations:
Sunday, April 2: 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
NHRA2Day:
Sunday, April 2: 6:30 - 7:00 p.m.
(All times Eastern. Please check your local listings for exact
broadcast times in your area.)
