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NHRA: Kurt Chronicles: Las Vegas Edition

2 April 2000

KURT COURTS LADY LUCK IN LAS VEGAS

Kurt Johnson is ready for a change of pace and a change of place. The
driver of the ACDelco Pro Stock Camaro could use a smile from Lady Luck,
perhaps the only personality who is more popular than Elvis in Las Vegas.
Kurt hopes that the inaugural SummitRacing.com Nationals on April 7-9 at
the new drag strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will signal a change in his
racing fortunes.

    "We'll have a new fan base and a brand-new race track in Las Vegas,"
Kurt comments. "Knowing how the Speedway Motorsports group operates,
everything is going to be clean and fresh. Vegas would be a great place to
get on a roll."

    Kurt has two round wins to his credit after the first three races of
the 23-event Winston Drag Racing Series. He's eighth in the points
standings and just one round away from a place in the Top Five - a
respectable showing in view of the run of bad luck he has experienced this
season.

    Johnson encountered the guardrail at the season-opening
Winternationals when his opponent's out-of-control race car crossed into
his lane. In the second race of the season in Phoenix, he qualified in the
No. 1 spot and set the Firebird Raceway track records, but lost in the
opening round of eliminations with handling problems. At the preceding
event in Gainesville, Fla., he won the first round on a holeshot but bowed
out in the second round when his car went every way but straight.

    If a race car can have a personality, then Kurt's Camaro is a
certifiable schizophrenic. "This car has been behaving like Jekyl and
Hyde," Kurt confides. "One run it sets a track record and then on the next
pass it won't go through first gear without shaking the tires.

     "After the problems we had in Gainesville, we added some tubing
to stiffen the chassis," Kurt reports. "Then when we went to Atlanta
Dragway for a test session, the car just about hit the guardrail. I was
absolutely frustrated, so we changed the suspension, changed the weight
distribution, and changed the springs - and the car went perfectly straight
to the finish line!

    "We made two more good runs at Atlanta, so things are definitely
looking up for the ACDelco team," Kurt adds.

    Although Johnson has not seen the new drag strip at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway, he has a good idea of what to expect. "I understand the Las
Vegas track was shotpeened and prepared just as was done at Atlanta
Dragway," he reveals. "I think we will be a step ahead of the game because
we've already run on a similar surface. The altitude and air density will
be like what we saw last year in Bristol, Tenn., so we'll start with the
same carburetor tuning and gearing that we used at the Winston Showdown.

    "By the time we get to Las Vegas, our engine program should be at
full speed," Kurt adds. "We have parts and pieces in stock, so the next few
days will tell the story."

    Although K.J. is excited by the prospect of drag racing in Las Vegas,
he doesn't plan to spend much time in the town's famous gaming halls and
casinos. "I've been to Las Vegas several times with ACDelco for the SEMA
Show," he reports. "I enjoy seeing the sights in Vegas, but I've got a job
to do. I think the team and I will spend our time at the race track."

    And perhaps Lady Luck will finally smile on Kurt Johnson and his
hard-luck ACDelco Camaro in Las Vegas.

LAST RACE:
Mac Tools Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla., March 19, 2000
Qualifying: Kurt Johnson qualified No. 12 at 6.927/198.99 mph.
Eliminations:
First Round: Kurt Johnson defeated Mark Pawuk 
Second Round: Ron Krisher defeated Kurt Johnson 

POINTS RACE:
(After 3 of 23 events)
Driver               Wins    Points
1. Jeg Coughlin Jr.    2      290
2. Warren Johnson      1      264
3. Ron Krisher         0      180
4. Troy Coughlin       0      163
5. Mark Pawuk          0      162
8. Kurt Johnson        0      143