NHRA Warren Johnson Pre Race: The Professor Turns Boy Scout for Crucial Stretch Starting in Topeka

Contact:

     Jon G. Knapp

     TMG Sports Marketing

     (704) 662-3121

     jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

The Professor Turns Boy Scout for Crucial Stretch Starting in Topeka 

GM Performance Parts GTO crew spends unexpected hiatus working to be
prepared

 

Sugar Hill, Ga., May 30, 2007 - By the time the POWERade Drag Racing
Series reconvenes in Topeka, KS this weekend for the O'Reilly Summer
Nationals, it will have been over a month since the racers faced each
other in national event competition following the unexpected
postponement of the Bristol race two weeks ago.   Now facing an arduous
stretch of eight races in nine weeks, teams employed different
strategies during the break, including some taking impromptu vacations
in order to recharge their batteries for the fight ahead.

 

Not surprisingly, Hall of Fame drag racer Warren Johnson and his GM
Performance Parts Pontiac Racing team opted to use the time
productively, shifting their strategies slightly from simple pre-race
preparations to put additional emphasis on being ready for the long
haul.

 

"This upcoming stretch of races will be quite an ordeal for all the race
teams, so we put plans in motion to help us endure it and succeed," said
Johnson.  "Therefore, over the last few weeks, we turned our attention
towards building a larger inventory of parts for both my GM Performance
Parts GTO and (son) Kurt's ACDelco Cobalt.  We've also tried to squeeze
in a little testing since time will be extremely limited once we get
started in Topeka.

 

"Our goal is to be as ready as we can be to deal with any eventuality
that comes up over the next two and a half months.  It's a crucial part
of the season that has now been compacted, and we can only hope that
Mother Nature will give us her full cooperation.  For now, we're just a
bunch of Boy Scouts - being prepared for whatever gets thrown at us."

 

Located just outside of the city of Topeka, Heartland Park Topeka is a
multipurpose motorsports facility capable of hosting virtually any
racing event, from heart-stopping acceleration on its quarter-mile and
mud-slinging powerslides on its dirt tracks to high-speed precision on
its 2.5-mile road course.  A member of drag racing's premier circuit
since 1989, HPT has witnessed its share of historic straight-line
events, including the first four-second and 300-mph NHRA Nitro Funny Car
runs.  

 

Since the first race there eighteen years ago, Warren Johnson has been
an integral part of the action in the Sunflower State, becoming the
first No. 1 NHRA Pro Stock qualifier in the track's history.  This
weekend marks his 24th appearance at HPT, where he leads all Pro Stock
competitors with five wins and seven No. 1 qualifying positions, an
enviable record he would like to improve upon.

 

"The owner has been putting a tremendous amount of money into the
facility since he purchased the track in 2003, and though the
improvements were primarily centered around the road course, we have
also indirectly benefited," said Johnson.  "But, overall, it's been a
pretty decent place to race over the years.  We typically don't run a
lot of speed there because of the elevation and the warmer temperatures
we have there, but the conditions are the same for everyone, so it's up
to us to get after it as best as we can.  

 

"The last time we raced, our GM Performance Parts GTO's performance was
certainly headed in the right direction, and we're looking to maintain
that forward momentum in Topeka this weekend."

 

Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team 

By the Numbers - O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals edition:

 

4.609 - WJ's average starting position in his 23 HTP starts

 

5 -  Heartland Park Topeka wins by Warren Johnson, the most among Pro
Stock drivers, with his most recent coming in 1998.

 

6 - Final round appearances for WJ at the Kansas quarter-mile

 

6.587 - WJ's career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded in
Gainesville, FL

 

7 - No. 1 qualifying performances by WJ in Topeka, most recently in
2001.

 

18 - Top half starts by WJ at Heartland Park Topeka. 

 

26 - Consecutive seasons in which Warren Johnson has made at least one
final round appearance, dating back to 1982.

 

38 - Elimination round wins by WJ in Topeka, versus 18 losses for a .679
winning percentage

 

209.69 -  WJ's career best top speed, set in Gainesville, FL

 

Event Schedule:

            Friday, June 1:               Two qualifying sessions at
4:30 & 7:30 p.m.

            Saturday, June 2:           Two qualifying sessions at 11:30
a.m. & 2:00 p.m.

            Sunday, June 3:              Pre-race ceremonies starting at
10:00 a.m.

                                                    First Round of
Eliminations at 11:00 a.m

Television Coverage:

            Qualifying:

                        Saturday, June 2:            5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

            Eliminations:

                        Sunday, June 3:              4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

            NHRA RaceDay:

                        Sunday, June 3:              11:00  - 11:30 a.m.

 

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