NHRA Kurt Johnson Qualifying Wrap Up: KJ Will Start Second in Bristol

Contact:  Jon Knapp   

TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

 Ph: (704) 662-3121

jgknapp@tmgsports.net

 

 KJ Will Start Second in Bristol

 

Event:  Eighth Annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Day/Date: May 17, 2008

Location:  Bristol Dragway, Bristol, TN

 

ACDelco Cobalt racer Kurt Johnson entered the second day of qualifying
at the O'Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals looking to maintain the fast
pace he had established on Friday in order to secure a top starting spot
for Sunday's final eliminations.  Despite the slightly higher
temperatures, he was able better his time from the previous day, posting
a quick 6.685-second elapsed time with a top speed of 206.29 mph.  This
was one of only two runs recorded in the 6.6-second range on Saturday,
good enough to place KJ second on the starting grid.  

 

Ironically, the other fast time was posted by his father and teammate
Warren Johnson, whose 6.674-second clocking just nipped his son for the
No. 1 position.  Even so, having scored his best Bristol Dragway
starting position, Johnson was optimistic about his chances for race
day.

 

"Even though we made a pretty decent run with our ACDelco Cobalt this
morning and put up another 6.68, we were just a shade off, opening the
door for Dad, who was just able to get around us.  Still, it's not as
bad when it's your teammate ahead of you, and we're pretty pleased with
qualifying second.

 

"Knowing we wouldn't get bumped out, we tried a few things for the
afternoon session, and even though it was a couple hundredths off what
it should have been, it still gave us valuable tuning information for
tomorrow.  We're pretty sure we know what we need to do with the tune-up
to get down either lane, and I know what I need to do behind the wheel,
so we're going to come out swinging, doing what we can to duplicate what
we did in St. Louis a couple weeks ago."

 

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