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GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 13, 2007 - What a difference a year makes. ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson failed to get out of the first round in last season's first four NHRA POWERade races before his breakthrough win at Las Vegas in Race No. 5 jump-started a season that saw him eventually finish fifth in the final Pro Stock standings. This year the veteran driver has already posted a win (Phoenix) through just two races, and he sits third in points as he and his fellow competitors prepare for this weekend's 38th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on March 15-18. His 36th career win extended his NHRA streak of winning at least one race per season to 13, the longest active streak among Pro Stock drivers. It was also his 26th victory behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, tying him with the legendary Lee Shepherd for most Pro Stock wins in a Chevy.
"This win was an important one for the entire organization," stated Johnson after last month's win at Phoenix. "We've had some new people come on board, including Terry Adams, and wanted to win as soon as we could for them, as well as our great sponsors, ACDelco and Chevrolet. Everyone has been working extremely hard, doing what they can to help us succeed, and it makes a big difference all the way around when one of our cars makes it to the winner's circle."
Defending Pro Stock champ Jason Line in the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO lost to Johnson on a holeshot at Phoenix but finds himself in familiar territory atop the Pro Stock drivers standings, one point ahead of teammate and three-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson. Johnson sits just 28 points in arrears of Line in third. Qualifying coverage of the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals will be telecast on ESPN2 on Sunday, March 18, beginning at 1:30 a.m. Eastern. NHRA Race Day will kick off jump-start eliminator coverage on March 18 beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern on ESPN2, and a two-hour telecast of final eliminations will start at 5 p.m. Eastern.
ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville Pre-Race Stats & Facts
* Kurt Johnson and Greg Anderson are the series' first two event winners in the Pro Stock category this season. Johnson in his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt defeated Jason Line on a holeshot in the second race of the season at Phoenix for Chevy's first win of the year. It was Johnson's 36th career win and the 135th all time for Chevrolet in NHRA Pro Stock competition.
* Of Johnson's 36 career victories, 26 have been from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, tying him with Lee Shepherd for the most Chevrolet Pro Stock wins.
* Chevrolet has won 15 NHRA manufacturers championships, the most of any manufacturer in the sport.
* Anderson drove his Pontiac GTO to a final-round victory over Greg Stanfield in an all-GTO final in the season-opener at Pomona last month, the 44th career win for the three-time Pro Stock champ. It was Pontiac's 172nd victory in NHRA Pro Stock competition, the most by any manufacturer in the history of the sport.
* Not to be outdone at Phoenix, Funny Car driver Tony Pedregon made it a double-up weekend for Team Chevy by driving his Q Racing Chevy Monte Carlo to the Funny Car crown over Robert Hight for his 33rd career win. It was the 84th all-time win for Chevrolet in NHRA Funny Car competition.
* Not only did Pedregon win at Phoenix, he also established a national elapsed-time record for Funny Cars at 4.659 seconds during qualifying.
* Greg Anderson in the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO holds both ends of Gainesville Raceway's Pro Stock track records, both set in March 2005. He set the Pro Stock bar at a track-record elapsed time of 6.633 seconds and a track-record speed of 208.23 mph.
* GM Performance Parts Pontiac driver Warren Johnson has been the man to beat in Pro Stock over the years at Gainesville Raceway, leading the class with an amazing nine career wins (1984-85, 1991-1994, 1998-2000) and eight No. 1 qualifiers (1988, 1993-1997, 1999-2000). The next nearest competitors to Johnson in career wins are Lee Shepherd and Darrell Alderman with three wins each.
* Pontiac GTO driver Jim Yates had back-to-back wins at Gainesville Raceway in 1996 and 1997. Yates' engine builder Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins also has a win at Gainesville in 1970.
* Teammates Jason Line (2005) and Greg Anderson (2004) both have one win apiece at Gainesville. Pontiac driver Tom Martino is the defending event champion. Anderson is also looking to continue his string this year of consecutive No. 1 qualifiers at Gainesville (2004-2006).
* Jeg Coughlin, driver of the Slammers Ultimate Milk/Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt, followed up his win here in 2001 with three consecutive runner-up finishes (2002-2004). ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson also has a win at Gainesville (2003).
* After 2 of 23 races, eight drivers in GM-branded cars occupy a spot in the top 10 of the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings. Jason Line (Pontiac GTO) is in first place with 174 points, Greg Anderson (Pontiac GTO) is second with 173 points, Kurt Johnson (Chevy Cobalt) is third with 146 points, Dave Connolly (Chevy Cobalt) is fourth with 127, and Greg Stanfield (Pontiac GTO) is fifth with 126 points. Mike Edwards (Pontiac GTO) is in sixth place with 105 points, Jim Yates (Pontiac GTO) is seventh with 1104 points, and Jeg Coughlin (Chevy Cobalt) is tied with Erica Enders in ninth with 86 points.
* At Phoenix, Tommy Johnson Jr. in the Skoal Chevy Impala SS Funny Car posted top speed of the meet during qualifying with a Firebird Raceway track-record speed of 330.88 mph.
* In the Funny Car standings, Tony Pedregon is in second place in a Chevy with 189 points, Jeff Arend is seventh in his CSK Chevy with 103 points, and Tim Wilkerson is eighth in the standings with 86 points.
For additional information please visit the GM racing media site by clicking here .
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at GM Cars - General Motors Corporate Website - GM Customer Service.
Kurt Johnson Off to Fast Start to NHRA POWERade Season
Phoenix Win Extends His Streak to 13 Consecutive Years With a Pro Stock Victory
GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 13, 2007 - What a difference a year makes. ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson failed to get out of the first round in last season's first four NHRA POWERade races before his breakthrough win at Las Vegas in Race No. 5 jump-started a season that saw him eventually finish fifth in the final Pro Stock standings. This year the veteran driver has already posted a win (Phoenix) through just two races, and he sits third in points as he and his fellow competitors prepare for this weekend's 38th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on March 15-18. His 36th career win extended his NHRA streak of winning at least one race per season to 13, the longest active streak among Pro Stock drivers. It was also his 26th victory behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, tying him with the legendary Lee Shepherd for most Pro Stock wins in a Chevy.
"This win was an important one for the entire organization," stated Johnson after last month's win at Phoenix. "We've had some new people come on board, including Terry Adams, and wanted to win as soon as we could for them, as well as our great sponsors, ACDelco and Chevrolet. Everyone has been working extremely hard, doing what they can to help us succeed, and it makes a big difference all the way around when one of our cars makes it to the winner's circle."
Defending Pro Stock champ Jason Line in the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO lost to Johnson on a holeshot at Phoenix but finds himself in familiar territory atop the Pro Stock drivers standings, one point ahead of teammate and three-time Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson. Johnson sits just 28 points in arrears of Line in third. Qualifying coverage of the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals will be telecast on ESPN2 on Sunday, March 18, beginning at 1:30 a.m. Eastern. NHRA Race Day will kick off jump-start eliminator coverage on March 18 beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern on ESPN2, and a two-hour telecast of final eliminations will start at 5 p.m. Eastern.
ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville Pre-Race Stats & Facts
* Kurt Johnson and Greg Anderson are the series' first two event winners in the Pro Stock category this season. Johnson in his ACDelco Chevy Cobalt defeated Jason Line on a holeshot in the second race of the season at Phoenix for Chevy's first win of the year. It was Johnson's 36th career win and the 135th all time for Chevrolet in NHRA Pro Stock competition.
* Of Johnson's 36 career victories, 26 have been from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, tying him with Lee Shepherd for the most Chevrolet Pro Stock wins.
* Chevrolet has won 15 NHRA manufacturers championships, the most of any manufacturer in the sport.
* Anderson drove his Pontiac GTO to a final-round victory over Greg Stanfield in an all-GTO final in the season-opener at Pomona last month, the 44th career win for the three-time Pro Stock champ. It was Pontiac's 172nd victory in NHRA Pro Stock competition, the most by any manufacturer in the history of the sport.
* Not to be outdone at Phoenix, Funny Car driver Tony Pedregon made it a double-up weekend for Team Chevy by driving his Q Racing Chevy Monte Carlo to the Funny Car crown over Robert Hight for his 33rd career win. It was the 84th all-time win for Chevrolet in NHRA Funny Car competition.
* Not only did Pedregon win at Phoenix, he also established a national elapsed-time record for Funny Cars at 4.659 seconds during qualifying.
* Greg Anderson in the Summit Racing Pontiac GTO holds both ends of Gainesville Raceway's Pro Stock track records, both set in March 2005. He set the Pro Stock bar at a track-record elapsed time of 6.633 seconds and a track-record speed of 208.23 mph.
* GM Performance Parts Pontiac driver Warren Johnson has been the man to beat in Pro Stock over the years at Gainesville Raceway, leading the class with an amazing nine career wins (1984-85, 1991-1994, 1998-2000) and eight No. 1 qualifiers (1988, 1993-1997, 1999-2000). The next nearest competitors to Johnson in career wins are Lee Shepherd and Darrell Alderman with three wins each.
* Pontiac GTO driver Jim Yates had back-to-back wins at Gainesville Raceway in 1996 and 1997. Yates' engine builder Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins also has a win at Gainesville in 1970.
* Teammates Jason Line (2005) and Greg Anderson (2004) both have one win apiece at Gainesville. Pontiac driver Tom Martino is the defending event champion. Anderson is also looking to continue his string this year of consecutive No. 1 qualifiers at Gainesville (2004-2006).
* Jeg Coughlin, driver of the Slammers Ultimate Milk/Jegs.com Chevy Cobalt, followed up his win here in 2001 with three consecutive runner-up finishes (2002-2004). ACDelco Chevy Cobalt driver Kurt Johnson also has a win at Gainesville (2003).
* After 2 of 23 races, eight drivers in GM-branded cars occupy a spot in the top 10 of the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings. Jason Line (Pontiac GTO) is in first place with 174 points, Greg Anderson (Pontiac GTO) is second with 173 points, Kurt Johnson (Chevy Cobalt) is third with 146 points, Dave Connolly (Chevy Cobalt) is fourth with 127, and Greg Stanfield (Pontiac GTO) is fifth with 126 points. Mike Edwards (Pontiac GTO) is in sixth place with 105 points, Jim Yates (Pontiac GTO) is seventh with 1104 points, and Jeg Coughlin (Chevy Cobalt) is tied with Erica Enders in ninth with 86 points.
* At Phoenix, Tommy Johnson Jr. in the Skoal Chevy Impala SS Funny Car posted top speed of the meet during qualifying with a Firebird Raceway track-record speed of 330.88 mph.
* In the Funny Car standings, Tony Pedregon is in second place in a Chevy with 189 points, Jeff Arend is seventh in his CSK Chevy with 103 points, and Tim Wilkerson is eighth in the standings with 86 points.
For additional information please visit the GM racing media site by clicking here .
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at GM Cars - General Motors Corporate Website - GM Customer Service.
