A Workmanlike WJ Looks for a Vintage Performance in Pomona

Contact: Jon Knapp
J2Racing

Sugar Hill, Ga., February 8, 2010 – This weekend, the National Hot Rod Association will celebrate the 50th running of one of its most prestigious races, the Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals in Pomona, CA. There have been numerous changes and advancements since that inaugural event in 1961, from the sport ascending to national prominence to the establishment of four professional classes. However for almost 30 years, there has been one constant at the traditional NHRA season-opener, namely the participation of Pro Stock stalwart Warren Johnson.

Since qualifying third and defeating Lee Edwards in 1976, “The Professor” has steadily earned his place in Winternationals history, participating in every race since 1984, with his five Pro Stock wins second only to fellow Hall of Famer Bob Glidden, and the most among active competitors in the sport’s most competitive category. Despite these many accomplishments and the prestige of this weekend’s silver anniversary event, for WJ and his K&N Filters Pontiac crew it will simply be business as usual, as they look for a return trip to the winner’s circle.

“Although I have raced in 30 Winternationals and won my share of them, I can’t say that any one race stands out,” said Johnson. “I think a lot of that has to do with the timing of the event. It’s our first race of the season, and when you get to the track, you’re still pretty much in turmoil, because you’re still trying to wrap up everything you wanted to accomplish during the off-season.

“For that reason, we’ve always come into Pomona looking to get the race in so we can see how we fare against the competition before heading into the rest of the season. But even though the research and development work might not be complete, you still prepare for the race the same way as you do any other event, which explains our success in the past, and why this K&N Filters crew is looking forward to getting the year started.”

Throughout his career, Johnson has been known for his off-season work ethic, and the past few months were no exception, with the research and development efforts starting within days after the end of the 2009 season. Although acknowledging that the true measure of success will come on the racetrack, the six-time champion nevertheless heads to the Golden State with a renewed sense of optimism.

“I feel I’ve had a more productive off-season this year than I’ve had in a long time in so far as projects as I have been able to finish,” said Johnson. “Therefore, we feel pretty good heading into Pomona, although I would have preferred to do a little testing beforehand. Unfortunately, timing and Mother Nature were against us. Although the lack of testing certainly won’t help our K&N Filters GXP, our notes should help us keep things under control. Whether we’re ready or not, it’s time to find out if we did enough work during the so-called off-season. I think we’ll be in good shape.”



The Professor’s Winternationals By The Numbers -

5 - a) WJ Winternationals wins, which is the most among all active Pro Stock competitors.
b) WJ Winternationals No. 1 qualifying performances.

11 – WJ Winternationals final round appearances, most recently in 2005.

19 – Top Four Starting Positions by The Professor in 28 Prior Winternationals starts.

20 – WJ Winternationals Finishes of the Semifinals or better.

42 – Different drivers WJ has faced in eliminations at the Winternationals, beginning with Lee Edwards in 1978.

2003 - Year of WJ’s most recent Winternationals win, when he qualified 2nd and defeated Troy Coughlin, Kurt Johnson, Darrell Alderman and Allen Johnson en route to his 89th national event win.

Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, February 11 - 12: A single qualifying session at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 13: Two qualifying sessions at 12:00 noon & 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 14: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.

Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, February 13 – 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, February 14 – 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, February 14 – 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
(All times Eastern)

With the Help of a Long-Time Friend, a Hungry KJ Targets Second Winternationals Win

Contact:
Jon Knapp
J2Racing



Sugar Hill, Ga., February 10, 2010 – On the outside, things will seem very different for Pro Stock stalwart Kurt Johnson at this weekend’s O’Reilly Kragen NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA. The familiar blue, red and white livery he has carried for over 20 years has been replaced by a mostly white design. His two-man crew is completely new, having joined the Sugar Hill-based organization during the winter.

However, a closer inspection will show that many of this perennial championship contender’s key components remain in place, including a proven race car powered by the legendary Johnson horsepower. Most importantly, Ontario, CA-based Mark Christopher Auto Center, who has been with the team virtually since its inception has stepped forward to sponsor the team for the first few races of the 2010 Full Throttle season.

“We’ve certainly gone through some changes this off-season, but when Q1 rolls around on Thursday, we will be ready thanks to Chris, Mark and Shirley Leggio as well as everyone at the Mark Christopher Auto Center,” said Johnson. “This past off-season wasn’t all that different from a year ago when our sponsorship for last year wasn’t finalized until the very last minute. We’ve had some changes in personnel, and our Cobalt’s going to have a different look to it, but everything is good right now.

“Mark Christopher has been with us since my rookie year in 1993, when I had their name on my door at the Finals and I was the runner-up to Dad (six-time champion Warren Johnson). Through all the years, they have treated us like kings, rolling out the red carpet. I look forward to racing in their backyard this weekend and carrying their colors. I think we may surprise a few people this weekend in Pomona.”

Despite the challenging times, Johnson is optimistic about his prospects for the upcoming season, as he looks to return to the winning ways for which he is so well known. With so much on the line, motivation will certainly not be a problem.

“I’m ready to let the clutch out,” said Johnson. “For a variety of reasons, including some very uncooperative weather, we haven’t been able to test, so we’ll have a couple questions heading into the weekend, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. In fact, it will force us to pay a little extra attention, which isn’t a bad thing. Pomona has been a pretty good track for us, so we should be fine.

“The bottom line is that this is a big race and we’re hungry. We want to win now more than ever, simply because it’s been a while. We have a new crew that’s all pumped up and a sponsor to whom we’d like to show our appreciation. We’ll see where we stand starting on Thursday, and hopefully we’ll end the weekend with our Mark Christopher Cobalt in the winner’s circle. If we do, it’s going to be one heck of a party.”

Kurt Johnson and the Mark Christopher Chevy Cobalt Racing team
By the Numbers – Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals edition:

1- KJ Winternationals wins, which came in 2001, when he qualified fifth and defeated Mark Osborne, Mike Edwards, Bruce Allen and Darrell Alderman.

2 – KJ Winternationals final round appearances in 1997 & 2001

6.546 – KJ’s career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded last October in Richmond, VA.

6.12 – KJ’s average starting position at the Winternationals

9 – Number of finishes of the semifinals or better by Kurt in his previous Winternationals starts.

13 – Top half starts by Kurt at the Winternationals

17 – Previous KJ Winternationals starts, dating back to his rookie debut in 1993.

24 – KJ Winternationals round wins, versus 16 losses for a .600 win percentage

39 – Kurt career national event wins, most recently at the 2008 Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals in Phoenix, AZ

210.64 - KJ’s career best top speed (in mph) recorded last October in Richmond, VA

Event Schedule:
Thursday & Friday, February 11 - 12: A single qualifying session at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 13: Two qualifying sessions at 12:00 noon & 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 14: Final eliminations starting at 11:00 a.m.

Television Coverage (all coverage on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, February 13 – 11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, February 14 – 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.
RaceDay: Sunday, February 14 – 11:00 – 11:30 a.m.
(All times Eastern)