NHRA: The Kurt Chronicles: U.S. Nationals Edition
27 August 2000
THE KURT CHRONICLES: Kurt Johnson ACDelco News & Notes for the NHRA
U.S. Nationals
NEXT RACE:
NHRA U.S. Nationals
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, September 1-4
TV: TNN, Sept. 4, 4-6 p.m. (ET)
WHEN YOU'RE HOT . . .
Kurt Johnson is the hottest Pro Stock driver on the NHRA circuit, and
he's ready to turn up the heat at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on
September 1-4. With three victories in the last four races, Johnson has
shown the consistency and the performance that he will need to add a third
U.S. Nationals trophy to his collection.
"I've raced in Indy on Labor Day since I was a little kid," said
the 37-year-old second-generation racer. "It's the one to win.
"I won the U.S. Nationals two years a row (in 1996 and 1997), but
since then we've stumbled in Indy," Kurt conceded. "I think my ACDelco team
has finally put together a package now that's capable of winning. We're on
a roll, and we need to carry that momentum for the rest of the season."
K.J. has dominated the second half of the 23-race season. His victories
in Denver, Sonoma, Calif., and Brainerd, Minn., catapulted him past his
father Warren and Ron Krisher to second place in the championship
standings. Since the midseason break, he's won 14 out of a possible 16
rounds of eliminations. He defeated points leader Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the
pair's last two head-to-head meetings in Sonoma and Brainerd.
The turning point for Johnson was the development of a stiffer,
stronger chassis under the skin of his ACDelco Camaro. "We're still
learning about this car and chassis combination," Johnson explained. "If we
can improve our 60-foot times one or two hundredths without hurting the
performance on the rest of the track, we'll be looking good.
"We've learned that we can't be afraid to make big changes," he noted.
"We have to chase the track and weather conditions. This is not the time to
be timid."
INDY MEMORIES
Like the swallows that return to Capistrano every year, Kurt's drag
racing odyssey invariably takes him back to Indianapolis on Labor Day. He
first accompanied his father Warren to the U.S. Nationals in 1971, and he
competed for the first time at IRP in 1993 as a Pro Stock rookie.
"The U.S. Nationals that stands out in my memory is 1984," he
recalled. "That was the first time that Dad won Indy, and he had to beat
Bob Glidden in the final to do it. It was great to finally win one in
Glidden's back yard.
"Of course, I'll always remember my first Indy win in 1996,"
Kurt continued. "That was a tough day at the office because I had to race
Chuck Harris, Tom Martino, Jim Yates, and Rickie Smith. The final was
decided by two thousandths of a second at the finish line. That was a big,
big win."
If the past is a road map to the future, then Johnson is on a course
for the U.S. Nationals winner's circle. When he won in Brainerd in 1997, he
went on to win in Indy two weeks later. Kurt is hoping that particular
piece of motorsports history repeats itself on Labor Day in Indianapolis.
KURT JOHNSON NHRA 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
1999 16 First Round
LAST RACE:
Colonel's Truck Accessories NHRA Nationals, August 20, Brainerd, Minn.
Qualified: No. 2 at 6.951/197.57
Finished: Winner; defeated Jeg Coughlin Jr. in final round.
POINTS RACE:
(After 15 of 23 events)
Driver Wins Points
1. Jeg Coughlin Jr. 6 1,290
2. Kurt Johnson 3 1,010
3. Ron Krisher 2 1,007
4. Warren Johnson 1 927
5. Troy Coughlin 0 805