NHRA: Kurt Chronicles: U.S. Nationals Edition
1 September 1999
Kurt Johnson ACDelco News & Notes for the NHRA U.S. Nationals
NEXT RACE:
U.S. Nationals, September 3-6, Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: TNN, Sept. 6, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Eastern - check local listings.
RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL RACER
They say you can't go home again - but for nearly a quarter of a century,
Kurt Johnson's "home" on Labor Day weekend has been Indianapolis Raceway
Park. Kurt and his father Warren will return to IRP to compete in the U.S.
Nationals for the 24th time on September 3-6.
Kurt Johnson made his first pilgrimage to Indianapolis, the Mecca
of American motorsports, as a wide-eyed 8-year-old. He'll return to the
most hallowed ground in drag racing as a seasoned 36-year-old pro.
Kurt first stood in the U.S. Nationals winner's circle in 1984 after
his father defeated Bob Glidden in the final round. Since then, the first
family of Pro Stock has virtually staked out Indianapolis Raceway Park as
its private reserve. Warren and Kurt teamed up to win the Pro Stock crown
at Indy six consecutive years in 1992-97.
Warren won four straight U.S. Nationals titles in 1992-95, but his
streak came to an abrupt end in 1996 when his car broke a wheelie bar in
the first round of eliminations. That's when Kurt stepped up to continue
the family tradition, defeating Rickie Smith in the final to claim his
first U.S. Nationals crown. The following year he beat V. Gaines to capture
the family's unprecedented sixth consecutive U.S. Nationals crown.
"I've spent Labor Day in Indianapolis for as long as I can remember,
so winning the Nationals was a dream come true," Kurt recalled. "It's the
biggest event in drag racing. Everyone works all season for this race, and
everybody's at their peak."
Life has changed dramatically for Kurt since his first journey to
Indy. After serving an apprenticeship as parts washer, machinist, and crew
chief for his father, Kurt began his own driving career in 1993. He's won
races in Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, and other stops on the NHRA tour
- but his two victories at IRP stand out as special.
"I was kicking myself after I lost in the second round last year in
Indy," Kurt admitted. "I'd won the Nationals two years in a row, so I knew
how to win the 'Big One.'
"Last year we were just a little off on our clutch setup, and the car
was spinning the tires on the starting line," he continued. "This year
we're going back to Indy with a car that won in Seattle and should have won
in Sonoma. Those tracks are as different as two drag strips can be, so
we're not going to think about making radical changes for Indy. We'll fine
tune the shocks, the clutch, the gear ratio, and the starting line rpm.
"The key to winning at Indianapolis Raceway Park is reading the
race track," Kurt explained. "Then you have to make the right adjustments."
KURT JOHNSON U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS
Year Qualified Result
1993 4 Semi Final
1994 9 First Round
1995 4 Semi Final
1996 5 Winner (over Smith)
1997 1 Winner (over Gaines)
1998 2 Second Round
WESTERN ROUND-UP
Kurt tallied 291 championship points on the three-race "Western Swing"
through Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma, Calif. - the highest total posted by
any Pro Stock driver. In the process, he maintained his hold on second
place in the Winston standings and trimmed father Warren's lead from 179 to
101 points at the conclusion of the Swing.
"I came out of the Western Swing with a win, a runner-up, and a
semi-final finish - that's not a bad average," Kurt commented.
K.J. decisively broke an eight-race victory drought by scoring his
third win of the season and the 15th of his career in the Prolong Super
Lubricants Northwest Nationals at Seattle International Raceway on August
1. Kurt was relentless at SIR, the site of his first Pro Stock victory as a
rookie racer in 1993. His ACDelco Camaro ran the quickest elapsed time of
the event, set the SIR track record at 6.876 seconds, and topped 200 mph
six times - twice in qualifying and in all four rounds of eliminations.
Kurt's final-round victory over Jim Yates, 6.923 to 6.962, denied Yates the
$50,000 Winston "No Bull" bonus.
THE GRAPES OF RACE
Kurt qualified No. 1 for the fourth time this season and advanced to the
final round for the fifth time in 1999 at the Autolite Nationals in Sonoma,
Calif., on August 8. He finished as runner-up to Jim Yates, a reversal of
the results at the preceding race in Seattle.
Kurt set the Sears Point Raceway elapsed time track record at
6.898 seconds and recorded his first 200 mph pass at the track in the
California wine country. "The air was good enough for the car to run
200mph, but the traction wasn't," K.J. observed. "I was surprised to see
200 on the time slip because we had to run with the spoiler just about
standing straight up to keep the tires from spinning at mid-track."
In the final round, Johnson and Yates left the starting line
side-by-side, but K.J.'s Camaro encountered traction problems and slowed to
an 11-second e.t.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS IN BRAINERD
Kurt Johnson had every reason to be optimistic at the start of eliminations
at the Colonel's Truck Accessories NHRA Nationals at Brainerd
(Minnesota) International Raceway on August 22. His ACDelco Camaro had been
flawless in four qualifying sessions, recording a string of 6-second
elapsed times and putting Kurt in the No. 2 spot on the qualifying list.
But the inconsistency that has been the hallmark of Kurt's season returned
on race day, relegating K.J. to a semi-final round finish in his home
state.
Coming into this event, BIR had never yielded a 6-second run in Pro
Stock. Kurt ran four consecutive sixes in qualifying, posting times of
6.979, 6.963, 6.998, and 6.998.
"We were having the smoothest weekend we've had in a long time,"
Kurt noted. "We made four absolutely perfect runs in qualifying."
Kurt defeated Steve Schmidt and Ron Krisher in the opening stanzas
to advance to the semi-final round for the tenth time in 15 races. He lost
to Jeg Coughlin, Jr. in the third round, slowing to a 7.16-second e.t.
after his car got out of the groove.
"We've got some ideas to stiffen up the chassis to keep it going in
a straight line," Kurt revealed. "We just have to do some more testing.
That's all there is to it."
LAST RACE:
Colonel's Truck Accessories NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn., August 22
Qualifying: Kurt Johnson qualified No. 2 at 6.963/197.45 mph.
Eliminations:
First Round: Kurt Johnson (6.982/196.73) defeated Steve Schmidt
(7.141/193.43)
Second Round: Kurt Johnson (7.075/195.11) defeated Ron Krisher
(7.155/191.19)
Semi-Final: Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (7.098/193.88) defeated Kurt
Johnson (7.163/193.68)
Final Round: Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (7.063/194.60) defeated Warren
Johnson (7.167/179.95)
Low ET: Warren Johnson, 6.955 seconds (track record)
Top Speed: Warren Johnson, 197.59 mph (track record)
POINTS RACE:
(After 15 of 22 events)
Driver Wins Points
1. Warren Johnson 5 1,221
2. Kurt Johnson 3 1,099
3. Jim Yates 2 919
4. Jeg Coughlin, Jr. 3 901
5. Richie Stevens 1 766
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