KJ Powers to Second Starting Position in Pomona

Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

On the basis of a career-best elapsed time and a new Pomona Raceway top speed record, Kurt Johnson qualified his ACDelco Cavalier second for Sunday's final eliminations of the Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals in Pomona, CA. After suffering a problem on his first attempt on Thursday, KJ entered Saturday's action looking to gain access in the sixteen-car field.

With clouds threatening to curtail any on-track activity, Johnson quickly dismissed any concerns in the first session by recording a solid 6.741-second run. Having guaranteed a starting spot, he then came back in the final qualifying session to blast through the quarter-mile in 6.708-seconds, lowering his personal best e.t. by one hundredth of a second, despite running in the less-preferred right lane.

In addition, his 206.35 mph top speed reset the Pomona Raceway top speed record, giving the second-generation racer his starting position

"We had planned to be little conservative on our set-up this morning," said Johnson. "But conservative is not my middle name, so I made a big suspension change this morning knowing we had to get our ACDelco Cavalier hooked up after overpowering the racetrack on Thursday. We just worked together, came up with a plan and made it stick, running that 6.74, which was our first run down the track with this engine combination.

"We came back in the afternoon and got after the jetting on the second run, picking up over one mile an hour and making it happy. The clutch was actually a little soft. We just want to get a good baseline for this piece, the GEN III (DRCE 3) stuff and get it to where we can make calls looking at our paperwork, looking at the track, the air and what the car likes. This engine has a different fuel curve, as well as other differences, so we've definitely experienced a bit of a learning curve this weekend.

"We're pretty pleased. We struggled in the latter part of last year, qualifying in the 11 to 16 range, and just hanging on. When we left here at the end of the year, I decided we had to change everything. There wasn't one thing I liked. The only thing we knew is that we had a good car, so we worked on the motor stuff all winter.

"Hopefully we can start on a good note and score some points, but for now, we're going to take it one run at a time."

WJ Starts Sixth at the Winternationals

Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Warren Johnson completed a solid qualifying effort in the first stop on his "School's Out" tour, scoring a 6.725-second, 204.32 mph run on his final qualifying attempt to capture the sixth starting position at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA.

After posting a solid 6.733-second elapsed time on his first attempt on Thursday, "The Professor" continued to acquaint himself with his new race car, learning its characteristics, with the pass that earned his strong starting spot at the POWERade Drag Racing season opener marking only third full pass on this particular vehicle.

"Considering we've only made three full runs on this GM Performance Parts Grand Am, we're pretty happy. We had no idea coming into this race as to what it was going to do, and so far, it has tossed us a bone we can work from. For example, we made one run this morning where we were a little too aggressive and it shook the tires, so we learned the high side of the envelope, made the necessary adjustments and made a decent pass this afternoon. It's all part of the process of dealing with a new race car.

"Between our two cars (WJ's and his son Kurt), we're trying two different cylinder head combinations. As of right now, the one in his ACDelco Cavalier looks as though it runs better in the race car than on the dyno, so it's given us a direction to go in. I'd say by Gainesville, we should be in pretty nice shape, but for now, we're going to concentrate on doing as much as we can with our current configuration.

'I'm not sure how much of an impact lane choice is going to have tomorrow. The right lane came around this afternoon after everyone complained, which suggests they treated it differently. Although Kurt was able to make a good run over there, it all depends on how well it holds up through eliminations. It's just one of several unknowns we'll face, and we'll just have to deal with them better than our competition."

BAZEMORE RACES TO NO. 8 IN FINAL QUALIFYING AT POMONA; FACES NEW TEAMMATE CAPPS IN FIRST ROUND

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 12, 2004) - Whit Bazemore poured it on the final of only three qualifying sessions (Friday qualifying was cancelled because of rain) for the CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals today, clocking a 4.785-second lap at 320.97 mph to place himself and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car into No. 8 in the field of 16.

With the Don Schumacher Racing brain trust of crew chiefs Ed "Ace" McCulloch, Dan Olson, Lee Beard and Mike Neff at full throttle at the start of a new season, this final session delivered positive results for all three Funny Car teams.

"It's good," said Bazemore. "We struggled, all three cars struggled in the second session. So, for the last run to happen the way it did for all of us was really good. It's a real positive move. You don't want to go into Sunday not having made a good clean run down the race track. The .78 is a good run considering where we came from earlier in the weekend (5.055/305.77 and 5.041/312.21 in the first two rounds).

Teammates Gary Scelzi (4.768/328.70) and Ron Capps (4.785/317.72) qualified sixth and ninth, respectively, in their final attempts.

"It's the first race of the year," added Bazemore, who faces his new teammate Capps in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. "It's important to do well tomorrow. It's a shame we have to run our teammate, but Don Schumacher has a lot of cars, so we were bound to run into him sooner or later.

"The Matco Tools team is going to go out and do the very best we can. We're looking forward to a good day. Lee (Beard, crew chief) has a good start, a good baseline and we'll be all right."

Schumacher Leads Quickest Top Fuel Field in History at the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals; T. Pedregon & Yates Also #1

Tony Schumacher runs a best of 4.447 @ 334.65 to lead the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history. Seven cars were in the 4.40s and Andrew Cowin was the 16th qualifier at 4.597 @ 271.35.

Tony Pedregon joins John Force as only the second Funny Car driver in the 4.60s with his #1 qualifying 4.681 @ 323.35. Unfortunately, Pedregon went into the soggy sandtrap and his team will have a long night preparing the car for tomorrows competition. Bazemore qualified #8 with a 4.785 @ 320.97.

Jim Yates jumped into the #1 positon in Pro Stock with his quickest ever run. Yates' 6.699 @ 205.10 did the trick. Kurt Johnson secured the #2 spot with his 6.708 @ 206.35 and WJ captured the #6 position at 6.725 @ 204.32. The Greg Stanfield/Whisnant/PiranaZ partnership was successful as Greg qualified #14 at 6.753 @ 205.07. Barry Grant came up a little short with a 19th best 6.805 @ 202.12 and "The Girl", Erica Enders finished as 18th quickest at 6.786 @ 202.67.
NHRA Recap

WJ Opens Pomona Qualifying in 2nd

Courtesy Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Warren Johnson had very little time to test his new GM Performance Parts Grand Am during the POWERade Drag Racing off-season, having received the chassis at his shop in Sugar Hill, GA only a week and a half before the season-opening Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals. In fact, as the crew had not even installed the parachutes before arriving in Pomona, WJ's first full-power pass in his new car would come during Thursday's first qualifying session at Pomona Raceway.

However, it seemed to matter little, as "The Professor" opened his "School's Out" tour with an impressive 6.733-second, 192.91-mph pass, placing him in the second position following the first of four timed passes.

"Quite obviously, we're pleased with the result, especially as it was the first full pass on this race car. It's an excellent starting point, and gives us something to build on. We were a little puzzled at first by our top speed, considering we were fourth fastest to the eighth mile and dropped to sixteenth.

"However, in light of the problems they had with the clocks during the fuel session, it's obvious there was an issue during Pro Stock as well. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the data and see if we can get this GM Performance Parts Grand Am to the top of the page. But for now, we're happy."

Schumacher, Force and Edwards Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals

NHRA kicked off their 2005 season in Pomona, CA Thursday and Tony Schumacher leads the pack in Top Fuel with a 4.487 at 321.04 mph. John Force set a new track Funny Car ET record with his #1 qualifying 4.697 at 329.26 mph and Mike Edwards is tops in Pro Stock with a 6.732 at 205.13 mph.

Warren Johnson narrowly missed the #1 spot in Pro Stock, qualifying #2 with a 6.733. This is WJ's last year driving and it looks as though his "School's Out" Retirement Tour will be a lot better than his 2004 season. Kurt Johnson had troubles on his run and limped through the quarter mile with an off pace pass that did not get in the top 16. Greg Stanfield who is being sponsored by Mark and Gina Whisnant's PiranaZ clothing line is #12 at 6.805 @ 205.01. Barry Grant nailed down the #13 position with a 6.805 @ 199.85 pass. Erica Enders is hanging onto the 16th position with her 6.852 @ 193.93mph run. Greg Anderson had problems and did not make his scheduled run.

Whit Bazemore is currently #8 in Funny Car (5.055 @ 305.77).

There were problems with the timing equipment that gave several racers low speeds or no times. Repairs were attempted, but part of qualifying was completed using only the "good" lane and scheduled sportsman qualifying (later in the evening) was cancelled.

NHRA Recap

Bazemore Eager to Get 2005 POWERade Drag Racing Season Started

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2005) - Whit Bazemore is eager to get the 2005 POWERade Drag Racing Series started with this weekend's season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Pomona Raceway.

The two-time U.S. Nationals champion who has won 17 Funny Car events in his 16-year drag-racing career is still looking for his first win at Pomona Raceway and with successful pre-season testing under his and crew chief Lee Beard's belts in the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car he's ready to attack a new season. Winning the first event of 2005 would definitely kick-start his chase for his first Funny Car championship.

"The testing went well and a win at the Winternationals would be a tremendous way to start the year," he said. "It's a race that has eluded me. Real success at Pomona has been very hard for me to achieve. I'm not sure why that is. We were runner-up a couple of times, once at the 50th Anniversary race and the World Finals, both in 2001." Both finishes came from the No. 1 qualifying position.

"It's important to have a good first race, and the Matco Tools Dodge team is
prepared as best as we can be. We'll come to Pomona, do what we know how to do and make things happen. I'm excited about it and ready to go. I can't wait, actually," he smiled.

It's a new season, but the challenges haven't changed, said the Indianapolis resident and avid cyclist. "They are the same as always. You have to tune the car for the conditions and get a good baseline established early in the weekend and then hopefully qualify in the top five, if not better, and then make the right calls on race day and drive perfectly. It's the same every weekend.

"We're looking at the big picture," he added. "It's a long year, but it's important to have good results at every race, and to challenge for a championship we have to minimize the number of bad races."


WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:

* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Qualified No. 2 at 2004 Winternationals, lost second round to Tommy
Johnson Jr.
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph,
both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest
and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an
exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997 and
'99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the top 10
since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with
wife Michelle, a semi-pro cyclist
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing

KJ Ready to Shift from Park to Warp Drive in Pomona

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

New Off-season Strategy has ACDelco Crew Aiming for Second Winternationals Win

Sugar Hill, Ga., February 7, 2005 - This winter, Kurt Johnson did something with his ACDelco Cavalier that many auto enthusiasts do with their rides each year. After returning to the team's Sugar Hill headquarters following the final race of the 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season, the crew brought the car inside and parked it. Over the next two and a half months, they went over it from head-to-tail, checking and replacing worn parts with new ones, getting it ready for the season ahead. Other than having the nose sent out for repainting, it never left the facility.

Although this is a normal procedure for someone trying to protect their prized sports car from the harsh winter elements, it is far from the usual routine for a race team, which typically allots several weeks during the off-season at racetracks in Florida for testing and fine-tuning.

However, when the ACDelco crew rolls to the line in Pomona for this Thursday for their first qualifying attempt at the season-opening Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals, it will mark only the second time since last November that they will have been to a race track. Despite this seemingly unconventional approach, K.J. is confident of his chances for a successful start to the season.

"Going into the off-season, we weren't really concerned about our ACDelco Cavalier," explained Johnson. "We had made some good runs with it in the latter part of the season, and since we're using the same car to start the year, it wasn't an issue.

"We knew we needed to roll up our sleeves and find some more horsepower. Therefore, we spent quite a bit of time in the dyno room, burning fuel and valve springs, and although we'll find out for sure when the scoreboard lights up in Pomona, I think we'll be in pretty good shape."

Coming off his ninth consecutive Top Five finish in the POWERade Pro Stock points standings, and riding a best-in-class ten year streak of at least one national event win per season, there are few who could question Johnson's strategy. Tipping the scales further in his favor is his strong record at Pomona Raceway, site of this weekend's event. With four wins in seven final round appearances, the second-generation racer seems poised to make another strong start in pursuit of the championship.

"With the new starting line, everyone will be in the same boat, scrambling to find the right combination to get a good launch," said Johnson. "Fortunately, between myself and my father (six-time champion Warren Johnson), we have extensive notes, and there is bound to be another track we have raced on in the past with similar conditions to those we'll encounter this weekend.

"It will be a challenge, but hopefully the combination of our database and team experience will give us an advantage in negotiating the new surface successfully. We're not cocky, but we are confident of making the right calls.

"Naturally, our primary goal heading in to the season is to win the championship. For that, we will have to win quite a few races. I think the category will be much more competitive this year than it was in 2004, because everyone in the pit area has gone to work and caught up. Fortunately, I think the long hours we put in over the winter are going to pay off, and our ACDelco Racing team is going to be right near the top."

Notes on Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cavalier Racing team entering the
Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals:

* KJ's Winternationals Past: This will be Kurt's 13th appearance at the Winternationals. In his 12 previous starts, he has one win in two final round appearances, with a 20-11 elimination round record for a .645 win percentage. In addition, he has an average starting position of 6.17 at the NHRA's traditional season-opener.

* Kurt Overall Pomona Raceway Record: In 24 previous appearances at Pomona Raceway, Kurt has four wins in seven final round appearances and a 42-19 elimination round record.

* One year ago: Kurt qualified second with an elapsed time of 6.749 seconds at 204.57 mph, and advanced to the second round.

* Most recent Winternationals win: 2001, when he qualified fifth and defeated Mark Osborne, Mike Edwards, Bruce Allen and Darrell Alderman to give the all-new Chevrolet Cavalier in its very first Pro Stock race.

Current Georgia NHRA Record Holders

Heading into the 2005 season, the Georgia racers that currently hold NHRA National Records are listed below.

On September 11, 2004 Don Eberly (Brunswick, GA) set the F/AA quarter- mile standard at 8.21 in his 2003 Chevy Cavalier. The record was set at Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, GA.
NHRA Competition Eliminator Records

December 11, 2004 found two more Georgia drag racers setting records at Montgomery, Alabama. In addition to the quarter-mile records, these racers also set the NHRA 1/8 mile National Records.

Painter Stevenson (Flowery Branch, GA) set the G/SA 1/4 mile record at 11.09 @ 117.90 mph in his 1969 Chevy Nova. His new 1/8 mile mark is 6.95 @ 95.88 mph.

Brandon Wood (Thomasville, GA) set the F/FIA 1/4 mile record at 11.48 @ 113.15 mph in his 1985 Chevy Camaro. Brandon's new 1/8 mile standard is 7.19 @ 92.44 mph.
NHRA Stock Eliminator Records

Congratulations to these racers for a job well done!

WJ's Wrap Sheet - Winternationals Edition

1. WJ's First Winternationals - 1976
Race Car: 1976 Chevrolet Camaro (a car he nicknamed "The Incredible Hulk")
Performance: WJ Qualified #2 8.79 seconds Defeated Lee Edwards Lost to Wayne Gapp

In Warren's Words: "Ironically, the only reason I even participated in that year's Winternationals was because I had competed in an AHRA event in Phoenix the week before, so I figured since I was already on the West Coast, I would see what the NHRA race was like. Although I don't remember a lot about that particular race, I do recall being surprised at qualifying second.

"There was a tremendous variety of race cars in Pro Stock back then, because it was based on a pound to cubic inch ratio, which left it wide open. Whatever your engine of choice was to work on, you could fit it in to anything with the same nameplate. That made it pretty interesting, because we had small- and big-block Chevys and Fords, along with a few Chrysler products and even that AMC. Although we are somewhat limited now with the 500 cubic-inch engine rule, I think it would certainly help to for us have a bigger variety of body styles out there today."

Notes of the time:

* The '76 Winternationals field was the quickest in the history of Pro Stock, led by Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins' 8.77-second effort and anchored by 16th qualifier Kevin Rotty's 9.06-second pass.

* The Pro Stock field was comprised of Chevrolet Camaros, Monzas and Vegas, Ford Pintos, Mavericks and Mustang IIs, Plymouth Dusters and Dodge Darts, and even an AMC Hornet.

* The field contained some of the all-time greats in Pro Stock, including Jenkins, Bob Glidden, "Dyno" Don Nicholson, Wayne Gapp, Lee Edwards and Dick Landy. Gapps' ride was the legendary Gapp & Roush "Tijuana Taxi", which was co-owned by current NASCAR team owner Jack Roush.

* Current team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme was the winner in Funny Car at this race, defeating current crew chief Ed "The Ace" McCulloch. Prudhomme was also the No. 1 qualifier with a time of 6.02 seconds.

* In Top Fuel, current NHRA Graham Light was the No. 9 qualifier at 5.97 seconds, but was unable to make it to the line for the first round of eliminations.

2. WJ's First Winternationals Final Round - 1985
Race Car: 1985 Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile Calais
Performance: WJ Qualified #4, 7.658 seconds, 180.50 mph Defeated Joe Lepone, Rickie Smith, Butch Leal Lost to Bob Glidden

In Warren's Words: "That Calais was a pretty interesting car. It was short, high and narrow - not the optimum combination for a race car. It was a decent car, but not very aerodynamic by any stretch of the imagination. However, after driving the big Hurst/Olds Cutlasses from 1982 to 1984, which we nicknamed the "Flying Boxcars", it was at least a step in the right direction in that it was smaller, as evidenced by our being able to make it to the final round in its first race."

Notes of the time:

* Rival Bob Glidden set the Pro Stock elapsed time and top speed records at this event, covering the quarter-mile in 7.530 seconds at 186.87 mph.

* The Pro Stock field was filled with Oldsmobile Calais, Pontiac Firebird and Trans Ams, Chevrolet Camaros, a Ford Thunderbird and a Mercury Topaz.

* Kenny Bernstein campaigned a Ford Tempo in Funny Car, with John Force racing in a Corvette.

* Among the stars of the day in Top Fuel were Joe Amato, Don Garlits and current Larry Dixon crew chief Dick LaHaie.

3. WJ's First Winternationals Win - 1987
Race Car: 1986 GM Goodwrench Performance Parts Oldsmobile Firenza
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 7.437 seconds, 188.20 Defeated Kenny Delco, Gordie Rivera, Larry Morgan & Butch Leal

In Warren's Words: "Our performance in this race was a testament to the aerodynamic improvements we had been able to achieve with our race cars. We had also had some time to work on the 500 cubic-inch engine format. The DRCE engine was starting to come around pretty significantly, just as Glidden had his Boss 429 working pretty well.

"Over all, the entire category was getting comfortable with the stabilization of the rules, combining the 500 cubic-inch engines with the 2,350-pound minimum weight. Fortunately, we had done our homework during the off-season, and were able to capitalize on it with a win."

Notes of the time:

* WJ's became the first driver in Pro Stock history to run all four rounds of eliminations in the 7.4-second range at this event, posting elapsed times of 7.432, 7.463, 7.403 and 7.436 en route to victory, with the 7.403-second pass setting a new Pomona Raceway track record.

* WJ competed in his 1986 Firenza, as his new 1987 model was not yet completed

* Bob Glidden's Thunderbird was the lone non-General Motors entry in the field, with the other 15 spots taken by Camaros, Trans Ams and Oldsmobile Firenzas.

* The Pro Stock field was the quickest in the category's history, led by Glidden's 7.425-second run and anchored by Larry Morgan's 7.574-second pass.

* Other notable entries in Pro Stock included Darrell Alderman (in a Camaro), Bruce Allen and Mark Pawuk

* Other winners at this event included Don Garlits in Top Fuel, who posted a 5.298-second pass in the final, and Kenny Bernstein in Funny Car, who set a new national record in his controversial Buick LeSabre "Batmobile" at 5.482 seconds.

4. WJ's Most Recent Winternationals Win - 2003
Race Car: 2003 GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am
Performance: WJ Qualified #2, 6.775 seconds, 204.54 mph.Defeated Troy Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Darrell Alderman, Allen Johnson

In Warren's Words: "It was the first official race with the LED lights, and everyone had been complaining about them. I simply studied them during the pre-season test session in Las Vegas, as well as during some of the sportsman racing during the weekend, comparing them to the old-style bulbs, and seeing how they reacted. This allowed me to get a handle on their effect, which ultimately worked in my favor."

Notes of the time:

* WJ recorded five passes in excess of 204 mph, and reset the Pro Stock national top speed record with his 204.91-mph pass in the first round of eliminations.

* WJ also reset the Pomona Raceway elapsed time track record with his 6.764-second pass in the semifinals.

* This was the first race where the LED bulbs were used on the starting line "Christmas Tree", with WJ adapting quite well, as evidenced by his .003 reaction time in the final round against Allen Johnson.

* The Pro Stock field consisted of Pontiac Grand Ams, Chevy Cavaliers and Dodge Neons.

* Winners in other categories included Larry Dixon in Top Fuel and Tony Pedregon in Funny Car.

5. WJ's Winternationals In A Nutshell - In Warren's Words:

"The Winternationals are important, because you can't win all the races in a year without the first one. It's usually an interesting race, because everyone has been honing their set-ups during the winter, and have new parts to run.

"Personally, it's hard to pick out one year that stands out from the others, simply because it's our first foray into the racing world after 80 plus days of working non-stop in the shop getting ready for the season, making you fairly oblivious to your surroundings. With the workload we handle leading up to the start of the year, you're usually happy just to survive the weekend.

"Pomona Raceway has always been a challenging track. With a four-foot drop from the starting line to the finish line, it's all downhill, and the atmospheric conditions are usually among the best we face all season, making it pretty quick. In the early 80's, before they resurfaced the starting line, you would have to make wholesale changes to the four-link set-up for that race because the cars would instantly shoot to the left. However, since they have been taking better care of the racing surface, it's become a pretty good racetrack, although the shutdown area is still pretty rough."

WJ's Winternationals Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
25 24 5 10 5 3.92 55 19 .743

WJ's Pomona Raceway Overall Box Score
Races Starts Wins Finals #1 Avg. Qual. W L Pct.
47 45 9 16 12 3.73 93 35 .727

Following an Atypical Offseason, WJ is Ready to Charge into 2005

Courtesy Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

GM Performance Parts Team Looks for Strong Start to "School's Out" tour

Sugar Hill, Ga., February 7, 2005 - Throughout his illustrious career, Warren Johnson has been known for his testing regimen. On any given weekend, if the GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am was not competing at a national event, there was a good chance the team would be at another racetrack making countless passes fine-tuning their set-ups in the never-ending search for speed. It has been an effective technique, powering him to 92 national event wins and six NHRA Pro Stock championships.

However, in the 86 days between the end of the 2004 POWERade season and the first day of qualifying at next weekend's Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals, Johnson will have only made a few shakedown runs in the days leading up to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season opener. Even though there was a simple reason for this lack on on-track activity, "The Professor" made sure to use the time in a very efficient manner.

"Our testing schedule this year was initially dictated by the availability of our new GM Performance Parts Grand Am, which was delayed by the snowstorms in the Midwest and did not arrive at our shop until late January," explained Johnson. "However, not having a fresh race car to test actually proved beneficial to our engine program.

"The extra time allowed me to really concentrate on the driveline, which I believe has us in better shape engine-wise heading into the Winternationals than we have been in several years.

"Johnson was also quick to dispel any concerns about entering the season with an unproven race car.

"We're not really concerned about the lack of runs on this particular chassis," said Johnson. "We're pretty confident that we can hit it pretty close right off the bat, so it shouldn't take a lot of runs to get it dialed in. In fact, we may only use a day at the track in Atlanta to get everything buttoned up before heading west.

"Heading into his 34th year in Pro Stock competition, Johnson's competitive fire burns even hotter, as he looks to put an atypical 2004 season behind him and regain the championship form for which he is so well known. Even the announcement of the "The Professor's School's Out" tour, marking 2005 as his final full season on the NHRA circuit, has not slowed his meticulous preparation. After all, there is still work to be done, and goals to be reached.

"At this point, we're not even thinking about this being my last full season," stated Johnson. "We have a full year to deal with that. We are also not going to waste time worrying about last year. I've never been able to move forward by looking backwards.

"Our approach is quite simple. As of right now, everyone's scorecard reads the same. The Winternationals mark the start of a new season, and we want to get off to a good start. Our objective, as it has been from the start, is to win every race we enter and bring the championship back to Sugar Hill, and we can take a big step in that direction this weekend."

Notes on Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts Grand Am racing team entering the Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals:

* WJ is a Winternationals Wonder: This will be WJ's 26th appearance at the Winternationals. In his 24 previous starts, he has five wins in 10 final round appearances, with a 55-19 elimination round record for a .743 win percentage. In addition, he has five No. 1 qualifying performances, and an 3.92 average starting position.

* Pomona Raceway is a WJ Favorite: In 47 previous appearances at Pomona Raceway, WJ has nine wins in 16 final round appearances, a 93-35 elimination round record and 12 No. 1 qualifying performances, each of which is the most at any individual racetrack during his Pro Stock career.

* One year ago: Warren qualified sixth with an elapsed time of 6.770 seconds at 204.54 mph, and powered to the 143rd final round of his career.

* Most recent Winternationals win: 2003, when he qualified second and defeated Troy Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Darrell Alderman and Allen Johnson en route to his 89th career win.

* WJ's Competitive Variety: This weekend, Warren Johnson will be racing a brand-new GM Performance Parts Pontiac Grand Am. Since making his Winternationals debut in a Chevrolet Camaro in 1976, WJ has driven over 10 different GM models in Pro Stock competition, including Chevrolet Camaros, Oldsmobile Starfires, Cutlasses, Cutlass Calais, Cutlass Supreme, Firenzas and Pontiac Firebirds, Trans Ams and Grand Ams.

Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, February 10 & 11 - Single qualifying sessions at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 12 - Two qualifying sessions at 12:00 noon & 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 13 - Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by the first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.

Television Schedule:
Qualifying: Saturday, February 12 - 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. (Repeat) Sunday, February 13 - 3:30 - 5:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, February 13 - 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. (Repeat) Monday, February 14 - 2:30 - 4:30 a.m.
NHRA2Day: Sunday, February 13 - 11:30 a.m. - 12 noon(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is subject to change.)

Allen, Payne, Saye, Van Poppel, Stillings, Barker, Furr, Griggs and Barker Win at Bradenton

The first 2005 NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil points race was held this weekend in Bradeton, FL. The winners were:

Top Alcohol Dragster: Artie Allen - Jacksonville, FL 5.682 @ 251.25
RU- Guy Kelly - Wadley, Ala. 5.445 @ 260.86 FOUL

Top Alcohol Funny Car: Jay Payne - Claremont, CA 5.739 @ 250.06
RU- Mark Billington, Apopka, Fl. 5.902 @ 244.96

Comp: Mike Saye - Johnston, SC - H/A 8.818 @ 151.33
RU: Michael Hardee - Wilmington, NC - E/SMA 8.796 @ 151.41

Super Stock: Brian Van Poppel - Perry Hall, MD - SS/JA 11.210 @ 116.67
RU: Jimbo Fields - Gallatin, TN - SS/IA 10.078 @ 127.24

Stock: Scott Stillings - Indianapolis, Ind. - B/SA 10.991 @ 114.14
RU: Mickey Whaley - Kinston, NC - D/SA 10.956 @ 113.47

Super Comp: Jeffrey Barker - Warner Robins, GA - 8.922 @ 183.63
RU: Ray Miller - Spring Hill, FL - 8.907 @ 157.59

Super Gas: Steve Furr - Harrisburg, NC - 9.909 @ 151.26
RU: Sherman Adcock Jr. - Columbus, GA - 9.888 @ 152.90

Super Street: Mike Griggs - Ocala, FL - 10.906 @ 132.93
RU: Michael Ruff - Orlando, FL - 10.908 @ 134.06

Top Sportsman: Jerry Barker - Byron, GA - 7.184 @ 190.92
RU: Jerry Duke, Jr. - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 7.310 @ 183.52

Details

NHRA / IHRA National and Divisional Event Schedules

The 2005 drag racing season has started! Here are links to the national and divisional NHRA/IHRA races.


NHRA 2005 National event schedule
NHRA 2005 Divisional event schedule
IHRA 2005 National event schedule
IHRA 2005 Divisional event schedule

NHRA Southeast Division Lucas Oil Series Opening Race at Bradenton February 4-6, 2005

Schedule