BAZEMORE POSTS FOUR CONSISTENT LAPS TO QUALIFY NO. 6 IN POMONA
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
P0MONA, Calif. (Feb. 11, 2006) - Whit Bazemore kicked off the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series by posting four consistent qualifying passes at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway, placing him solidly in No. 6 in the quickest Funny Car field in NHRA history.
With new crew chief Brian Corradi at the helm of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus R/T Funny Car team, Bazemore made clean runs consisting of a 4.851/323.35, a 4.786/302.14, a 4.856/267.69 and finally a 4.763/325.92.
"We're really happy," he said. "The consistency is actually better than it looks because we had two parts failures; one this morning and one yesterday way down track that even in our 4.78 we didn't go (under full power) to the finish line.
"When you look at all our runs and, once we got our parts situation squared away, what they really represent is a very consistent and what seems to be a very tunable race car. That bodes well for race day."
Bazemore faces Bob Gilbertson in first round of eliminations on Sunday. All three DSR Funny Cars are on one side of the ladder, while all three John Force Racing cars are on the other side.
WJ Steps Up, Starts Third in Pomona
Contact Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Warren Johnson entered the final day of qualifying at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in the unenviable position of having to secure his position in Sunday's final eliminations field. Further complicating his assignment were the speed-robbing warmer temperatures that enveloped the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Saturday.
Undaunted, W.J. powered his GM Performance Parts GTO through the quarter-mile on his morning attempt in 6.680 seconds with a top speed of 207.43 mph, which was quickest for the session, and good enough to earn the third starting position.
"We had a good day today, coming through when we needed to. We went back to the same type of set-up that we had used here in the past, and our GM Performance Parts GTO responded beautifully. I don't think there was a lot left in this morning's run, maybe a hundredth or so at best.
"We experimented a little on this afternoon's run because we felt there wouldn't be any improvement, taking advantage of running in the right lane. It tends to go to heck in the afternoon, so we wanted to get some data on it in case we accidentally get stuck there tomorrow.
"We're optimistic about our chances for tomorrow. We know this engine will need some maintenance after this race, but it's given us good feedback so far this weekend, especially considering it had never been down the track before Thursday. We're certainly pleased with its performance and expect to extract even more tomorrow."
KJ Will Roll Off 11th in Pomona
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
Kurt Johnson completed a solid qualifying effort at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals on Saturday, with his 6.707-second, 207.50 mph pass (the fastest Pro Stock top speed to this point in the weekend) in the morning session earning the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team the 11th starting position.
Entering Sunday's final eliminations, KJ will be looking to take full advantage of the power available in his race car, as he and his crew work to better their times in the early part of the run and better match their unparalleled top end speed.
"We started well on Thursday, but seem to be chasing the racetrack from that point on. Although we never made what I would consider a good run, we kept working on it and got it to the point that we qualified, which is all that mattered until tomorrow. We're within a couple hundredths, but with the speed our ACDelco Cobalt is running, we feel we can be on top.
"We know where we want to go, and what to not do. We hadn't raced under these conditions yet this year, so we simply have to adapt. Fortunately, we start with a clean slate tomorrow, and it's up to us to take full advantage of the opportunity."
Force #1 with Quickest Ever Funny Car Run, Schumacher and Anderson Other Top Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals
John Force runs a quickest-ever Funny Car pass of 4.664 @ 329.91 to qualify #1, Tony Schumacher goes to the top of Top Fuel with his 4.490 @ 317.34 and Greg Anderson leads the Pro Stockers with his 6.665 @ 207.43.
The Funny Car field is the quickest in history and Gary Scelzi has top speed of the event so far at 332.51 in his Funny Car.
Georgia Notes:
Bob Vandergriff, Jr. just missed qualifying in his return to Top Fuel with a 17th best 4.659.
Whit Bazemore is off to a solid start in Funny Car with a 4.763 @ 325.92 that was good for the #6 position.
WJ is #3 (6.680 @ 207.43) and KJ is #11 (6.707 @ 207.50) in Pro Stock.
NHRA Recap
Todd, Force and Anderson Lead Day Two Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals
Rookie J.R. Todd Leads Top Fuel qualifying with a 4.508 @ 321.65, John Force steps up to a 4.712 @ 327.35 to keep the #1 spot in Funny Car and Greg Anderson is back on top of Pro Stock with a 6.665 @ 207.43.
Georgia notes:
Bob Vandergriff, Jr. improves to a 4.732 @ 287.90 but falls out of the qualified field in Top Fuel. He is currently #18.
Whit Bazemore improves to a 4.786 that puts him in the #5 spot in Funny Car.
In Pro Stock, Kurt Johnson slips to #16 (6.760 @ 205.60) and Warren Johnson is now in the #18 position with his 6.767 @ 204.88.
NHRA Recap
KJ Speeds to Third in Pomona on Thursday
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
The NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series opened its 2006 season with a solitary qualifying session for the Carquest Auto Parts Nationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Kurt Johnson, who finished his 2005 campaign with a win and a semi-final finish in the last two races, continued to run well, with his 6.760-second, 205.60 mph run (the fastest top speed of the day in Pro Stock) slotting the ACDelco Cobalt in the third position with three attempts remaining.
Making his performance even more impressive was the fact that Johnson had experienced some difficulty shifting into third gear on his run, leaving him very optimistic about his chances.
"I was surprised that it ran as well as it did, because it was not a perfect pass. It started spinning the tires in second gear, and I may have relaxed going into third, because first it popped out of gear, and then dead-headed going back into third. On top of that, when it caught it blew the tires off, so when I pulled off at the top end, I figured it had gone around a 6.79 or 6.80. When the time slip showed a 6.76, I was pretty pleased. This ACDelco Cobalt is ready to run."
WJ Opens Pomona Qualifying in Eighth
Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.
The 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season got underway on Thursday with a single qualifying session at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona with Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team looking to get the year off to a fast start. Running in the left hand lane, WJ opened with a solid 6.767-second, 204.88 mph pass, good enough for the eighth position. With three attempts remaining over the next two days, "The Professor" was confident of improving his starting spot for Sunday’s final eliminations.
"Although right now we're in the middle of the pack, I'’m not really that disappointed with how we ran. I adjusted the carburetors based on what it did in the burnout last week in Vegas, and they obviously didn't like it, because when I hit the throttle on the starting line the engine actually sneezed, pulling the engine down 1,000 rpm in low gear, which kills the elapsed time. Without that, we probably could have gone 6.74 or even a 6.73.
"It's all part of the learning process. Fortunately, we know what adjustments we need to make to fix that problem, and it's only Thursday, so we'll be good to go. I guess I'll give this GM Performance Parts GTO a couple of aspirin to cure its cold, and it will be fine in the morning."
Millican, Force and Line Lead Pro Qualifying After One Session at the NHRA POWERade CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals
Clay Millican leads Top Fuel with a 4.528 @ 312.86, John Force is #1 in Funny Car with his 4.742 @ 326.63 and Jason Line is tops in Pro Stock with a 6.743 @ 205.10. Qualifying continues Friday.
Georgia Notes:
Bob Vandergriff, Jr. returns to Top Fuel with UPS sponsorship, but his first qualifying attempt is a smokey 6.718 @ 125.44 that leaves him in the #15 position.
Whit Bazemore is #10 in Funny Car with a 4.851 @ 323.35.
Kurt Johnson is #3 in Pro Stock with a 6.760 @ 205.60 (Top Speed) and Warren Johnson is in the #8 spot with a 6.767 @ 204.88.
NHRA News and Results
Bob Vandergriff, Jr. Signs 3 Year Top Fuel Sponsorship Agreement with UPS
Warren Johnson Looks to Celebrate His 50th Pomona Race with A Winternationals Win
Contact: Jon G. KnappTMG Sports MarketingGM Performance Parts GTO team looks for strong start to 2006 NHRA season
Sugar Hill, Ga., February 6, 2006- In his 32 years in the NHRA's Pro Stock category, GM Performance Parts GTO racer Warren Johnson has accomplished it all. He has won more races than anyone in the history of this most competitive division (95), scored six championships, and rewritten the record books.
However, past history means little to 'The Professor". Entering his 33rd season with the "factory hot rods", his intense drive and commitment remain unfettered, and he heads to Pomona, California for this weekend's Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals with the same goal as he has had for the last thirty-two years - winning. Although off season testing seems to indicate that he is indeed primed for another championship run, the pragmatic Johnson shuns any predictions, preferring instead to focus on his work and let his actions speak for themselves.
"I think we are in much better shape than we were going into last season," stated Johnson. "We had a relatively decent off season, making steady progress, including two tests that told us we were heading in the right direction. What we have to do now is take what we’ve learned and use it to our benefit on race day.
"Basically, we have to keep our noses to the grindstone, and do what we can to find even more horsepower. We’re optimistic about our chances for the championship, but we can’t back off for a minute. To take home the title, we have to be consistently fast in every department, from the race car to the driving, so we have to stay focused on our GM Performance Parts GTO's performance, keeping it where it needs to be."
A key component in Johnson's overall success has been his long-term winning relationship with the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, site of this weekend's event. This will mark his 50th appearance at the venerable racetrack, where he has 9 wins in 18 final round appearances, which is tied with Gainesville Raceway for his most at any individual stop on the NHRA circuit. In the Winternationals alone, he has five wins in eleven final round appearances. WJ has been particularly effective over the last three years, with one win in three final round appearances, and an unmatched 10-2 elimination round record at the NHRA season-opener.
"Our success in Pomona is more a testament to our overall program than an actual affinity for a particular track," said Johnson. "For the most part, we have been pretty steady over the years, and we approach the first race of the year as just a continuation of the last of the year before. It is a competitive philosophy that has served us well.
"Of course, we will look to go in with a little added performance, as we know other teams will have had the same mindset during the off season. Hopefully, when all the cards are on the table, we will show that we were able to pick our GM Performance Parts GTO’s performance up just a little more than our competition’s. We'll have to see what happens, but I believe we will be just fine."
Quick Notes on Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO team entering
The Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals:
WJ is the Gold Standard in Pomona: This will be Warren's 50th career race at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, and 27th Winternationals. In the season-opening event alone, he has scored five wins in 11 final round appearances, as well as a 58-20 Winternationals elimination round record for a .744 round win percentage. WJ's most recent win in Pomona came in the 2003 Winternationals, where he defeated Allen Johnson in the final.
The Professor Has Started at the Head of the Winternationals Class for over 25 years: In his previous 25 Winternationals starts, WJ has five No. 1 qualifying performances, and an average starting position of 4.17. During that time, he has only one start outside the top half of the field.
Streaking in Pomona: Warren has appeared in the final round in the last three Winternationals, winning in 2003, while scoring runner-up finishes in 2004 & 2005.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.679 seconds, Gainesville, FL, 3/20/05
Career best top speed: 207.50 mph, Englishtown, NJ, 6/19/05
Kurt Johnson Begins His Quest for NHRA Gold in Pomona
Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports MarketingACDelco Cobalt Racing team starts Championship Chase at Winternationals
Sugar Hill, Ga., February 6, 2006 - This weekend, athletes from around the world will converge in Torino, Italy to participate in the XX Winter Olympic Games. Over the next two weeks, they will compete in events ranging from downhill skiing to ice hockey, with each contestant looking to take home the ultimate symbol of amateur athletic achievement - an Olympic gold medal.
At the same time, almost 6,500 miles away from the Italian Alps, Kurt Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt Racing team will begin their pursuit of drag racing’s greatest prize, the NHRA POWERade Championship. Unlike their Olympic counterparts 14-day contest, KJ & crew will compete at 23 races across the country over the next nine months, starting with the Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals this weekend in Pomona, CA, doing everything they can to end the season with more points than everyone else.
Four times in his stellar career, he has come close, finishing second as he did a year ago. Heading into his 14th year on the Pro Stock circuit, Johnson detailed what he needs to accomplish in order to ascend that final step, as well as assessing his chances for success.
"The entire ACDelco Cobalt crew is pretty excited heading into the 2006 season," said Johnson. "Naturally, our top priority is winning the POWERade championship, so it’s important to get off to a good start and maintain that pace throughout the year. We always want to win the race, but first, we have to make sure that we consistently win rounds every time out.
"Last year, I said it would take six to eight wins to win the championship, and we won four. That was the difference. The same is true this year, and to do it, we'll need the whole package. It will take the car, crew, as well as the driver all doing their jobs at a consistently high level, as well as a little luck. We have everything in place, and it’s up to us to bring it home."
Armed with a fast race car and a dedicated, hard-working crew, Johnson’s odds for this weekend are improved even further by his past record at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Following a productive off-season, which included two impressive test sessions, he is confident of adding to his total of one win in two final round appearances at the Winternationals.
"We're starting the season with the same ACDelco Cobalt that we won and made it to the semis with in the last two races," stated Johnson. "We have a good notebook on it, so we're looking to pick up where we left off, qualifying in the top half and going deep into eliminations.
"We're also going back to Pomona, where we ran well in November. We have made some changes to the race car, which should help on that surface in particular, have a little more power in the engine compartment, as well as a great crew. We've hit all the bases in the off-season so things should be good. We're ready to race." Quick Notes on Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team entering
The Carquest Auto Parts Winternationals:
Kurt Knows How to Win the Winternationals: This will be KJ's 14th Winternationals, where he has one win (in 2001) in two final round appearances, and a 22-12 elimination round record for a .647 win percentage.
KJ Overall at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona: This will be Kurt's 27th race at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, where he has four wins in seven final round appearances, and a 46-21 elimination round record for a .687 round-win percentage.
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Record Holder: Kurt holds the track top speed record at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona at 207.62 mph, which he set in qualifying at the 2005 Auto Club of Southern California Finals last November.
One year ago: Kurt qualified second with an elapsed time of 6.706 seconds and a top speed of 206.35 mph, and advanced to the semi-finals.
Career Best Elapsed Time: 6.663 sec., Dallas, TX, 10/7/05
Career best top speed: 207.62 mph, Pomona, CA, 11/5/05
Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, February 9-10: Single qualifying session at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 11: Two qualifying sessions at 11: 30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 12: Pre-race ceremonies starting at 10:00 a.m.
First Round of Eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Coverage:Qualifying:
Saturday, February 11: 10:00 p.m. -12:00 midnight
Eliminations:Sunday, February 12: 7:30 - 10:30 p.m.
NHRA2Day:
Sunday, February 12: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
SOUTH GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS PARK TO HOLD NOSTALGIA EVENT
South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Georgia, will hold the Southern Nostalgia Shootout on October 27, 28, and 29, 2006. Patterned after the highly successful National Hot Rod Reunion and California Hot Rod Reunion, the event will feature exhibitions, racing, a swap meet, car corral, and car show. The event is limited to pre-1976 vehicles. Headlining the event is Big Daddy Don Garlits, the number one drag racer of all time. Don will bring one of his restored fuelers to smoke in the south Georgia track. Garlits will also participate in a cackle event on Saturday evening.
Several racing classes are planned, including Nostalgia Comp for open wheel vehicles, Gassers, Nostalgia Super Stock, and a Baddest of the Bad category for ultimate bragging rights. If entries permit, we also plan an inliner/flathead class.
The car show will feature hot rod, street rod, rat rod, custom, muscle car, pre-1976 truck, special interest, and classic fifties categories.
Early participants include funny car winner Al Hoffman, Denny Fenstermaker with Roger Gates’ restored front-engined fueler, Bunky Bobo with his Hemi Hurricane A/G Willys which won a Best of the Best award at the National Hot Rod Reunion last year, and David Shaffer with his seven second altered. Watch for future announcements.
South Georgia Motorsports Park is a two-year-old facility with a full concrete quarter mile strip built to NHRA national event standards. It is conveniently located just off Interstate 75 thirty-two miles north of the Florida border. For additional track information, visit www.SGMPracing.com.
The event registration form should be up shortly. For race information contact Mark Adams 229-253-1025. For car show information contact David Dean 229-559-0143. For media information, contact Marvin Smith at 229-244-7480.
Warren Johnson Scores Runner-Up Finish at Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown
Courtesy: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing
Las Vegas, NV, February 5, 2006 - Warren Johnson and the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing Team took advantage of the final weekend before the start of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season to participate in the first organized Pro Stock drag race of the year, the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown. Held for the first time at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this annual pre season event pits the best among the "factory hot rods" in a one-day, winner-take-all contest.
It proved to be a productive day for "The Professor" and his young crew, as they powered to a runner-up finish. They opened by qualifying second with a 6.766-second elapsed time with a class-best top speed of 203.77 mph. Their strong performance continued through eliminations, as WJ combined lightning-fast .001 reaction times with consistently quick 6.7-second times to eliminate Mike Thomas and Allen Johnson in the early rounds.
In the semi-finals, Johnson was the beneficiary of a red-light start by David Connolly, punctuating his run to the final with a 6.782-second, 203.95 mph run, the fastest of the day in Pro Stock. Squaring off against veteran Larry Morgan in the final round, Johnson continued his steady performance with a 6.802-second, 203.80-mph pass. Unfortunately, it went for naught, as he left the starting line two-hundredths of a second early, handing the automatic win to his opponent. Despite the initial disappointment, the six-time champion was still able to find many positives in his team's performance.
"We fought the air gap all day," stated Johnson. "After I red-lit twice in qualifying, we dialed more in, and I had a .001 light. We put more in for the second round and I still went .001 on the tree. For the semis, I waited until the ambers almost went out before leaving, and still had a .031. reaction time. In the finals, it had gotten dark and I was able to see the light better, and ended up going red. However, looking at the ladder, I see I wasn't the only one. (Note: There were a total of eight red-light starts during Saturday's eliminations)
"Even so, we were able to work on dialing in the set-up our GM Performance Parts GTO. We still have a little work to do, but we're in pretty good shape. We'll stay on for a couple days here in Las Vegas and do some additional testing, making sure we're ready for when the season starts next week in Pomona. Overall, it wasn't a bad day at the office."
