NHRA Warren Johnson Qualifying Wrap Up: WJ Steps Up on his Last Run, Slides into 15th in Memphis

Contact:  Jon Knapp   

TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

 Ph: (704) 662-3121

jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

WJ Steps Up on his Last Run, Slides into 15th in Memphis  

 

Event:  20th Annual O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals

Day/Date: Saturday, September 15, 2007

Location:  Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tennessee

 

GM Performance Parts GTO racer Warren Johnson faced a difficult
assignment heading into Saturday's final qualifying session of the
O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, TN.  Sitting in the 18th
position after tire shake had slowed them in the morning run, he would
have to earn his position in Sunday's final eliminations field running
in the less-preferred right hand lane with atmospheric conditions that
were slightly worse than they had been earlier.

 

Realizing it would take a nearly perfect run to accomplish his goal,
Johnson and his Terry Adams-led crew made major changes to their race
car, looking to find the right combination for the tricky Memphis track.
Fortunately, their mount responded with its best run of qualifying,
covering the quarter-mile in 6.654-seconds with a top speed of 207.30
mph to claim the 15th position, becoming the only car to insert
themselves in the sixteen-car field in that final session.  Although
naturally relieved to have made the show, Johnson acknowledged that the
team still had work to do prior to Sunday's first round.

 

"The way I see it, we screwed up our first three attempts, and got it
half right on that last run.  We just weren't getting a hold of the
track as smoothly as we wanted.  It would appear to be over-clutched for
an instant, with the tires not able to keep up, and then all of a
sudden, it would break loose.  We just had to get it all adapted
together, and it came around on that last run.  In retrospect, it's
something we should have started in Indy, but, as we all know, hindsight
is at least 20/20, and actually closer to 20/10.

 

"We definitely have some work to do, fine-tuning the set-up for
tomorrow, but we'll get that done in time for the first round.  We
accomplished our first objective, getting a place to start from.  Now we
have to see if we can strike from here."

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