Kurt Johnson NHRA Pre Race: KJ Will Rely on Hard Work, Not Luck to Win in Vegas

Contact:

     Jon G. Knapp

     TMG Sports Marketing

     (704) 662-3121

     jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

KJ Will Rely on Hard Work, Not Luck to Win in Vegas

ACDelco Cobalt crew tests during short week to prepare for 

SummitRacing.com Nationals

 

Sugar Hill, Ga., April 5, 2006 - Racers by nature are a very
superstitious lot.  From the local weekend warrior to the highest
professional series, competitors will unfailingly follow certain
routines in order to preserve their luck or extend a winning streak.
From wearing of particular articles of clothing to using the same
sequence when strapping into their race car, great care is taken to
maintain the positive atmosphere.

 

Entering this weekend's SummitRacing.com Nationals in Las Vegas, NV,
however, Kurt Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt Racing team prefer to take
a more pragmatic approach.  Even though some of the events surrounding
their on-track efforts in the early stages of the 2006 season would have
others searching for a four-leaf clover or rabbit's foot, this
tightly-knit crew focuses instead on testing and checking every
component to ensure they will be at their best when arriving in Glitter
Gulch.  

 

"I felt sick after we had our problems in Houston, but this ACDelco
Cobalt crew regrouped and had a good test to get ready for our race in
Las Vegas," said Johnson.  "I felt like we made big gains last weekend,
straightening the car out and turning our program around.  We certainly
could have won in Texas, but had a freak thing happen to us during
eliminations, so we're just going to put it behind us and do everything
we can to make sure it doesn't happen again."

 

One factor undoubtedly aiding the team's outlook heading into this race
is their performance during the most recent NHRA national event at The
Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  After three runner-up finishes in
their previous 10 visits to the Nevada quarter-mile, Johnson & Co. put
it all together last October, qualifying second, powering through two
former champions and a promising young driver in the early rounds,
before culminating with an exciting and popular holeshot victory in the
final round against arch-rival Greg Anderson, rewarding their primary
sponsor with a win at their event.  

 

"We're excited to be heading back to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway," stated Johnson.  "We have a combination that won the last
time we were there, and been to four final rounds overall.   We've also
gotten our ACDelco Cobalt back under control, so we should be back in
the top four positions in qualifying, and going rounds on Sunday.   

 

"We like racing in Las Vegas.  After all, it is the city of
entertainment.  We are always pumped when we go there, and have a great
time on and off the track.  We see the last few races as simply building
our odds for this weekend, and now it's time to cash in."

 

Quick Notes on Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering

The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals:

 

Kurt is a High Roller on The Strip:  This will be KJ's 12 career
appearance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has one
win (last October) in four final round appearances, and a  16-9
elimination round record for a .640 win percentage.

 

KJ's Qualifying Stats in Las Vegas:  In his 10 previous career starts at
LVMS, Kurt has one No. 1 qualifying performance, five starts in the top
three spots, with an average starting position of seventh.

 

One year ago:  Kurt qualified fifteenth with an elapsed time of 6.884
seconds and a top speed of 201.10 mph, and advanced to the
quarter-finals.

 

Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.663 sec., Dallas, TX, 10/7/05

 

Career best top speed:  207.72 mph, Pomona, CA, 2/12/06

 

Event Schedule:

Friday, April 7:                 Two qualifying sessions at 3:00 & 6:00
p.m.

            Saturday, April 8:             Two qualifying sessions at
12:00 noon & 3:00 p.m.

            Sunday, April 9:                Pre-race ceremonies starting
at 10:00 a.m.

                                                     First Round of
Eliminations at 11:00 a.m.

Television Coverage:

            Qualifying:

                        Saturday, April 8:    8:00 - 10:00 p.m.

            Eliminations:

                        Sunday, April 9:      7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

            NHRA2Day:

                        Sunday, April 9:      11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon

 

(All times Eastern.  Please check your local listings for exact
broadcast times in your area.)

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