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Sugar Hill, Ga., April 22, 2008 – A NHRA national event drag race is, by definition, an acceleration contest between two vehicles over a measured quarter-mile. Simply put, whoever crosses the finish line first four times on Sunday, without fouling or committing any other infraction, ends the day in the winner’s circle. Therefore, it is paramount that teams do whatever is necessary to extract the maximum performance under any conditions.
This challenge is multiplied in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, where the margin of victory is often measured in ten-thousandths of a second. With teams constantly looking to gain the edge, crucial last-minute adjustments to the tune-up are now made in the moments just prior to staging at the starting line.
In the first five races, Kurt Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt crew have acquitted themselves well, combining a runner-up in Houston with semi-final finishes in Pomona and Las Vegas to stand fourth in the POWERade points standings. Entering this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta , GA , they are determined to elevate their game even further and score their first win of the 2008 season.
“Races are won and lost on the starting line, and with the way track conditions have been changing from hour to hour and even pair to pair, there is even more pressure on teams to make the right call at the very last minute,” said Johnson. “For example, with two key adjustments at the starting line, I believe we could have won our race in Vegas. It would have picked up both my reaction time and the car’s performance by a couple hundredths, which would have been enough to get us the win.
“However, we wanted to make sure we got down the lane, and, as a result, were just a little too conservative, and ended up making one of our slowest runs of the weekend. We finished third, and feel we should have been first. The ACDelco Cobalt crew has done a great job all season, and in the last few races, we’ve been the most consistent car in Pro Stock. But, we’re only really happy if we win.”
To accomplish their goal, Johnson believes a more aggressive approach is in order. Fortunately, they have the benefit of added tuning information on their race car from the last race, which was the first race of the season held under warm conditions. Having answered most of the questions about their chassis’ warm-weather performance in the Nevada desert, the Johnson-led crew is now ready to attack the Atlanta Dragway track.
“In the first four races of the season, we had a car that would not go down a hot racetrack,” said Johnson. “However, this ACDelco Cobalt started to come around in Las Vegas , and we just didn’t know how much we could throw at it. We still need to determine just how aggressive we can be on a 120 degree racetrack. We’re going to find out and we won’t hold back getting there. We’re going to step on the gas.”
One question mark facing all competitors heading to Atlanta Dragway this weekend is the condition of the racing surface. Having received extensive attention in the last week following traction problems during earlier events, this key element in any performance equation will remain a mystery until the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
“Right now, the racetrack in Commerce is a complete unknown to all of us,” said Johnson. “I know there were some issues and they were pouring new asphalt last Friday. As a result, it will have no rubber on it with a completely new texture. We know what the air and sun are going to do and what density altitude is going to be like, but we will have no idea of how much traction we’ll have to work with. Even so, everyone will be in the same boat, so it will be up to us to adapt our ACDelco Cobalt to whatever they give better than our competitors. Starting with such a solid package, we should be fine.”
Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt Racing team By the Numbers – Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals edition:
1 - KJ career Atlanta Dragway wins entering this weekend, which came in 1996.
2 – Kurt’s best starting position in Atlanta entering this weekend, which he accomplished in 2000 and 2006.
3 – KJ final round appearances at the Commerce quarter-mile, including the very first of his career in 1993.
6.613 – KJ’s career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond , VA.
6.867 – KJ’s average starting position in Atlanta in 15 career starts.
7 – Number of finishes in the semifinals or better by Kurt in his previous Atlanta starts.
10 – Top half starts by Kurt at Atlanta Dragway (in 15 prior starts)
13 - Consecutive years in which Kurt has won at least one national event entering 2008, the longest active streak in Pro Stock, and the second longest among all NHRA professional categories.
15 – KJ Atlanta national event appearances coming into this event, dating back to his rookie season in 1993, when he was the runner-up to his father, Warren Johnson in the first father-son final round in NHRA history.
24 – KJ Atlanta Dragway round wins in his 15 prior starts, versus 14 losses for a .632 win percentage
209.26 - KJ’s career best top speed (in mph) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond , VA
Event Schedule:
Friday, April 25 – Two qualifying sessions at 2:00 & 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 26 - Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 – Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by
The first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Schedule (all shows broadcast on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, April 26 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, April 27 – 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Repeat) Wednesday, April 30 - 3:00 – 5:00 a.m.
NHRA RaceDay: Sunday, April 27 - 11:00 -11:30 a.m.
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is subject to change.)
KJ is Set to Step on the Gas in Atlanta
ACDelco Cobalt racer is ready to attack at the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals
Sugar Hill, Ga., April 22, 2008 – A NHRA national event drag race is, by definition, an acceleration contest between two vehicles over a measured quarter-mile. Simply put, whoever crosses the finish line first four times on Sunday, without fouling or committing any other infraction, ends the day in the winner’s circle. Therefore, it is paramount that teams do whatever is necessary to extract the maximum performance under any conditions.
This challenge is multiplied in the ultra-competitive Pro Stock category, where the margin of victory is often measured in ten-thousandths of a second. With teams constantly looking to gain the edge, crucial last-minute adjustments to the tune-up are now made in the moments just prior to staging at the starting line.
In the first five races, Kurt Johnson and his ACDelco Cobalt crew have acquitted themselves well, combining a runner-up in Houston with semi-final finishes in Pomona and Las Vegas to stand fourth in the POWERade points standings. Entering this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals in Atlanta , GA , they are determined to elevate their game even further and score their first win of the 2008 season.
“Races are won and lost on the starting line, and with the way track conditions have been changing from hour to hour and even pair to pair, there is even more pressure on teams to make the right call at the very last minute,” said Johnson. “For example, with two key adjustments at the starting line, I believe we could have won our race in Vegas. It would have picked up both my reaction time and the car’s performance by a couple hundredths, which would have been enough to get us the win.
“However, we wanted to make sure we got down the lane, and, as a result, were just a little too conservative, and ended up making one of our slowest runs of the weekend. We finished third, and feel we should have been first. The ACDelco Cobalt crew has done a great job all season, and in the last few races, we’ve been the most consistent car in Pro Stock. But, we’re only really happy if we win.”
To accomplish their goal, Johnson believes a more aggressive approach is in order. Fortunately, they have the benefit of added tuning information on their race car from the last race, which was the first race of the season held under warm conditions. Having answered most of the questions about their chassis’ warm-weather performance in the Nevada desert, the Johnson-led crew is now ready to attack the Atlanta Dragway track.
“In the first four races of the season, we had a car that would not go down a hot racetrack,” said Johnson. “However, this ACDelco Cobalt started to come around in Las Vegas , and we just didn’t know how much we could throw at it. We still need to determine just how aggressive we can be on a 120 degree racetrack. We’re going to find out and we won’t hold back getting there. We’re going to step on the gas.”
One question mark facing all competitors heading to Atlanta Dragway this weekend is the condition of the racing surface. Having received extensive attention in the last week following traction problems during earlier events, this key element in any performance equation will remain a mystery until the first qualifying session on Friday afternoon.
“Right now, the racetrack in Commerce is a complete unknown to all of us,” said Johnson. “I know there were some issues and they were pouring new asphalt last Friday. As a result, it will have no rubber on it with a completely new texture. We know what the air and sun are going to do and what density altitude is going to be like, but we will have no idea of how much traction we’ll have to work with. Even so, everyone will be in the same boat, so it will be up to us to adapt our ACDelco Cobalt to whatever they give better than our competitors. Starting with such a solid package, we should be fine.”
Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt Racing team By the Numbers – Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals edition:
1 - KJ career Atlanta Dragway wins entering this weekend, which came in 1996.
2 – Kurt’s best starting position in Atlanta entering this weekend, which he accomplished in 2000 and 2006.
3 – KJ final round appearances at the Commerce quarter-mile, including the very first of his career in 1993.
6.613 – KJ’s career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond , VA.
6.867 – KJ’s average starting position in Atlanta in 15 career starts.
7 – Number of finishes in the semifinals or better by Kurt in his previous Atlanta starts.
10 – Top half starts by Kurt at Atlanta Dragway (in 15 prior starts)
13 - Consecutive years in which Kurt has won at least one national event entering 2008, the longest active streak in Pro Stock, and the second longest among all NHRA professional categories.
15 – KJ Atlanta national event appearances coming into this event, dating back to his rookie season in 1993, when he was the runner-up to his father, Warren Johnson in the first father-son final round in NHRA history.
24 – KJ Atlanta Dragway round wins in his 15 prior starts, versus 14 losses for a .632 win percentage
209.26 - KJ’s career best top speed (in mph) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond , VA
Event Schedule:
Friday, April 25 – Two qualifying sessions at 2:00 & 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 26 - Two qualifying sessions at 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 – Pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m. followed by
The first round of eliminations at 11:00 a.m.
Television Schedule (all shows broadcast on ESPN2):
Qualifying: Saturday, April 26 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Eliminations: Sunday, April 27 – 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
(Repeat) Wednesday, April 30 - 3:00 – 5:00 a.m.
NHRA RaceDay: Sunday, April 27 - 11:00 -11:30 a.m.
(Please consult your local listings for exact times, as the schedule is subject to change.)
