NHRA Warren Johnson Qualifying Wrap Up (CORRECTION): WJ Builds Drama, Starts Tenth in Memphis

Contact:  Jon Knapp   

TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

 Ph: (704) 662-3121

jgknapp@tmgsports.net 

 

WJ Builds Drama, Starts Tenth in Memphis

 

Event:  19th Annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals

Day/Date: Saturday, August 19, 2006

Location:  Memphis Motorsports Park, Millington, TN

 

Entering the final qualifying session of the O'Reilly Mid-South
Nationals, Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team
faced a tough assignment.  Sitting outside the starting field of
sixteen, not only would he have to run quicker than the 6.837-second
time posted by current sixteenth place Erica Enders, but he would have
to do so in the heat of the Memphis afternoon, where temperatures had
exceeded 100 degrees, with an equally oppressive humidity. 

 

In addition, he would have to solve whatever issues had plagued his race
car in the first two sessions at Memphis Motorsports Park, where it
inexplicably shut off immediately after launching.  Undaunted, the
Johnson-led crew worked through the heat between rounds, looking for the
combination that would get them in the field.

 

Fortunately, their efforts were rewarded when Johnson's car launched
hard and rocketed straight down the track, tripping the finish line
timers in 6.780 seconds with a top speed of 203.55 mph, earning the
tenth starting position.  

 

Despite the strong performance under the trying conditions, The
Professor was not quite ready to declare the problem solved as he
prepared for Sunday's final eliminations.

 

"I had been listening to reports about how unhealthy the American
population had become, so I decided to conduct my own blood pressure
check," joked Johnson afterwards.  "However, we still have to get to the
root cause of whatever caused our dilemma in the first place.  Since it
first cropped up in Brainerd, we had been making incremental changes,
and thought we had it handled at the shop.  That proved to be a negative
assumption because it continued through the first two runs this weekend.

 

"However, with our backs against the wall prior to this last run, we
changed everything on this GM Performance Parts GTO but the paint job.
We knew we had the chassis straightened after Seattle, and felt this was
an engine related issue because it flat shut off when you let the clutch
out.  

 

"I really didn't worry about it when we went up for the run, because
once I let the clutch out, the car has to do its job.  Fortunately, we
were able to make a fair run and get ourselves in the show.  Of course,
we left a little on the table because we weren't sure where the tune up
was going to be.  Now that we can see what was happening, we can tune it
up a little better for tomorrow.

 

"We have a box of parts to analyze, and even scarier than that, the
problem may still be in the car, and it might just happened to make a
good run.  In any case, we're not going to fret or be overly optimistic.
We'll just take whatever it gives us and make the best of it."

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