NHRA: Johnson hopes to keep momentum going at Prolong Super Lubricants Northwest Nationals
26 July 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
KENT, Wash. - What does a driver do when he ends a yearlong winless streak? You guessed it: Get ready to win another one.
Kurt Johnson, who made a Pro Stock victory parade recently at Denver's Bandimere Speedway, can't wait to copy that performance at a track where he's had quite a bit of success in the past. Last year at Seattle International Raceway, Johnson claimed a win, his last since ending the drought in Denver.
He defeated Jim Yates that day, continuing what would become one of his finest performances during the grueling three-race West Coast swing.
If his performance at Banidmere Speedway is any indication, Johnson could post even better results this season during the trio of races that makes stops in Colorado, Washington and Northern California over a four week span. He hopes a repeat victory at the Prolong Super Lubricants Northwest Nationals presented by NAPA Auto Parts, July 28-30, will continue his recent momentum as he climbs to the front of the NHRA Winston point standings. The $1.6 million race is the 14th of 23 events in the $45 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.
"Last year we got more points than anyone (during the western swing) and I'm going to try to duplicate that performance," said Johnson, 37, from Lawrenceville, Ga. "Maybe it just takes me half a year to get going."
Johnson is especially excited about returning to SIR, a track where he's had plenty of success over the years. In addition to winning here last year, Johnson also claimed a victory here in '93 and posted runner-up efforts in '98 and '96.
While he has a great grip on the track, he says his success there is partly because of the great grip his AC Delco Chevrolet Camaro's tires get when his car launches from the starting pad.
"Seattle's starting line is phenomenal," said Johnson, who sits fourth in the Winston point standings, 326 behind series leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. "I don't know why it's so good -- maybe there is something about the tree pollen in Washington that makes the track sticky. Whatever the reason, it's probably the best concrete we'll see all season."
While the first 300 feet of the track has bite, the back-end of the track can bite a driver if he's not careful.
"The back-half of Seattle is a bumpy ride," Johnson added. "That could be an advantage for me because my new double-rail chassis seems to ride over bumps really well. The stiff frame works the shock absorbers. We have worked hard on our shock absorber program and understand what it takes to make a drag racing shock work properly."
He says since making a few necessary chassis and engine changes, he feels certain he'll see positive results in the second half of the season. "My Camaro has been working better since we went to a stiffer chassis," Johnson said. "We've also found some horsepower on the dyno. I think we can get back in the game. We have definitely picked up some power. Now it's a matter of taking advantage of what we've found on the dyno and applying it to the racetrack. With a more consistent chassis setup and more power under the hood, I think we can get back to the head of the pack."
If he's to do that, he'll need to take advantage of head-to-head meetings with points leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. Johnson is also worried about red-hot Ron Krisher, winner of events in Chicago and St. Louis.
"Everyone has been talking about Jeg Coughlin's yellow car that is leading the points race, but it's Ron Krisher's black car that is really running fast," Johnson said. "Krisher is the one to catch right now, and I feel confident that we can gain on him."
KRISHER IN A GROOVE: While Jeg Coughlin Jr. dominated the first half of the NHRA Pro Stock season, another Ohio resident is moving into the spotlight as the season hits its backstretch run. Ron Krisher, from Warren, Ohio, has picked up the pace in his Eagle One Pontiac Firebird, momentarily silencing Coughlin's winning ways.
Krisher earned victories in Chicago and St. Louis and posted a runner-up finish in Columbus, Ohio. He was the No.1 qualifier at all three of those events. Krisher, who hired veteran driver Mike Edwards as his crew chief during the off-season, says his team is going to be hard to beat during the final 12 races.
"I have the best team out there in my opinion," said Krisher. "Some people may have a different opinion, but my opinion is that I have all the best guys. They get me down the racetrack and have made me a better driver. They are a terrific group of people and obviously on race day they're awesome."
Krisher trails Coughlin by 189 points in the Winston standings. He hopes to keep slicing away at Coughlin's lead, until eventually, he moves into first place.
"We hope to be able to close the gap in the points standings with Jeg," Krisher said. "But I have to tell you, he is an awesome driver and that team does a terrific job too, so it won't be easy."
PAWUK GAINING MOMENTUM: Mark Pawuk feels like he has been set free. During the last few seasons the Summit Racing Pontiac Firebird driver was stuck in a dead-end rut, winless since the 1995 season. Sure, he was qualifying, but not producing the kind of results he knew his team was capable of.
In 2000, Pawuk and his team have ditched the pesky gremlins that have haunted their efforts for the last few seasons. He's winning races again and feeling better than ever.
After posting a runner-up finish at Phoenix early in the season, Pawuk felt he was on to something. He posted a semifinal finish at Las Vegas, further solidifying his thoughts. He finally won his dream race - at Columbus, Ohio - and things have never been better. Just for good measure, Pawuk claimed runner-up honors at the recent Winston Showdown, NHRA's all-star event.
"I consider the first half of this season awesome," said Pawuk. "It's the best season I've had since I've been a professional up to this point. The highlight of the first half was obviously winning the Pontiac Excitement Nationals presented by Summit Racing (Columbus, Ohio) -- also going to the semifinals at the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas."
Pawuk hopes his strong season continues with a solid effort at SIR. He has a strong track record at this event: winning here in 1992 and posting runner-up finishes here in '93 and '90.
"We would like to keep the momentum going through the remainder of the year," said Pawuk, currently fourth in the Winston point standings. "We would like to finish as the top three or four car of the year and win a couple of more races -- get into more finals and keep our consistency. There are a lot of good cars out there and it's going to be tough to do. But we feel we have one of the best Pro Stock drag racing teams out there, and we're all focused to work even harder to make that happen during the second half of the year."
Text provided by Anthony Vestal
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