KJ Looks to Take Control in Richmond
ACDelco Cobalt crew targets maximum POWERade points acquisition
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/k_johnson.jpg" alt="k_johnson" align="left"borders="0"/>
Sugar Hill, Ga., October 8, 2008 – As the NHRA’s Countdown to One playoff season enters its final three events, the race for the POWERade Pro Stock championship remains wide open, with the top five contenders separated by just over three rounds of competition. Sitting in second place just 32 points out of the lead, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team know this year’s title is within their reach, and believe the parts are in place to accomplish their goal. Armed with a hungry, skilled crew and a fast hot rod, Johnson’s strategy entering this weekend’s Virginia Nationals in Richmond, VA, is quite simple – to deliver an error-free performance and maximize the opportunities presented.
“I feel this ACDelco Cobalt crew wants this championship more than anyone, but so far in this Countdown we haven’t had the wheels beneath us,” said Johnson. “From a couple mechanical issues to spinning the tires, the car just didn’t perform the way we needed it to. That’s why we stayed and tested after Memphis . We feel we made some huge strides, which we believe will be the turning point in our title run.
“We know we’ve got to hit it hard, and can’t have any slip-ups. We have to do our jobs to the best of our abilities and win as many rounds as we can. Every team is trying to be perfect out there, but for some reason, it just isn’t happening. If we can pull together, we’re confident that we can take control and win this championship.”
Further fueling Johnson’s competitive fire is the desire to add a win at Virginia Motorsports Park , site of this weekend’s race, to his lengthy list of accomplishments. As one of only five tracks on the POWERade tour where he has yet to reach the winner’s circle, every visit to the Petersburg quarter-mile carries a little extra motivation for the 39-time winner.
“You couldn’t pick a better way or place to kick off our championship push than with a win at Virginia Motorsports Park ,” said Johnson. “The fans in Richmond are really into Pro Stock, just like many of the tracks on the East Coast, and we really enjoy putting on a show for them. It’s definitely a fast track, and with the forecast calling for cooler temperatures this weekend, if the rain holds off, we could be looking at running career best numbers in our ACDelco Cobalt.
“I feel things are really starting to come together for us as we head into these last three races, which has me really excited. This year’s championship could all come down to the last run at the last race, but I’m going to do what I can to try and lock it up before then. We took advantage of the time off to go over the car from nose to tail and freshen our motors, so everything will be at its best. We’re looking to take a big step forward this weekend.”
To see a video of Kurt offering his comments on this weekend’s race in Richmond on YouTube, please see - KJ Previews Richmond if the link does not work, please go to the following address: YouTube - Kurt Johnson Previews the NHRA Richmond Race
Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt Racing team By the Numbers – Virginia NHRA Nationals edition:
1 – a) Career final round appearances entering this weekend by Kurt at Virginia Motorsports Park, which came in 1997, when he was the runner-up to his father, Warren Johnson.
b) No. 1 qualifying performances by KJ at VMP entering this weekend, which occurred in 1999.
4 – Number of finishes in the semifinals or better by Kurt in his previous eight starts in Virginia .
5 - Top half starts by Kurt in his previous eight starts at the Petersburg quarter-mile.
6.00 – KJ’s average starting position in his previous eight VMP starts.
6.581 – KJ’s career best elapsed time (in seconds) coming into this event, recorded this past May in Madison , IL .
14 – Consecutive years in which Kurt has won at least one national event, the longest active streak in Pro Stock.
209.92 - KJ’s career best top speed (in mph) coming into this event recorded in Seattle , WA earlier this year.
ACDelco Cobalt crew targets maximum POWERade points acquisition
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/k_johnson.jpg" alt="k_johnson" align="left"borders="0"/>
Sugar Hill, Ga., October 8, 2008 – As the NHRA’s Countdown to One playoff season enters its final three events, the race for the POWERade Pro Stock championship remains wide open, with the top five contenders separated by just over three rounds of competition. Sitting in second place just 32 points out of the lead, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team know this year’s title is within their reach, and believe the parts are in place to accomplish their goal. Armed with a hungry, skilled crew and a fast hot rod, Johnson’s strategy entering this weekend’s Virginia Nationals in Richmond, VA, is quite simple – to deliver an error-free performance and maximize the opportunities presented.
“I feel this ACDelco Cobalt crew wants this championship more than anyone, but so far in this Countdown we haven’t had the wheels beneath us,” said Johnson. “From a couple mechanical issues to spinning the tires, the car just didn’t perform the way we needed it to. That’s why we stayed and tested after Memphis . We feel we made some huge strides, which we believe will be the turning point in our title run.
“We know we’ve got to hit it hard, and can’t have any slip-ups. We have to do our jobs to the best of our abilities and win as many rounds as we can. Every team is trying to be perfect out there, but for some reason, it just isn’t happening. If we can pull together, we’re confident that we can take control and win this championship.”
Further fueling Johnson’s competitive fire is the desire to add a win at Virginia Motorsports Park , site of this weekend’s race, to his lengthy list of accomplishments. As one of only five tracks on the POWERade tour where he has yet to reach the winner’s circle, every visit to the Petersburg quarter-mile carries a little extra motivation for the 39-time winner.
“You couldn’t pick a better way or place to kick off our championship push than with a win at Virginia Motorsports Park ,” said Johnson. “The fans in Richmond are really into Pro Stock, just like many of the tracks on the East Coast, and we really enjoy putting on a show for them. It’s definitely a fast track, and with the forecast calling for cooler temperatures this weekend, if the rain holds off, we could be looking at running career best numbers in our ACDelco Cobalt.
“I feel things are really starting to come together for us as we head into these last three races, which has me really excited. This year’s championship could all come down to the last run at the last race, but I’m going to do what I can to try and lock it up before then. We took advantage of the time off to go over the car from nose to tail and freshen our motors, so everything will be at its best. We’re looking to take a big step forward this weekend.”
To see a video of Kurt offering his comments on this weekend’s race in Richmond on YouTube, please see - KJ Previews Richmond if the link does not work, please go to the following address: YouTube - Kurt Johnson Previews the NHRA Richmond Race
Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Chevy Cobalt Racing team By the Numbers – Virginia NHRA Nationals edition:
1 – a) Career final round appearances entering this weekend by Kurt at Virginia Motorsports Park, which came in 1997, when he was the runner-up to his father, Warren Johnson.
b) No. 1 qualifying performances by KJ at VMP entering this weekend, which occurred in 1999.
4 – Number of finishes in the semifinals or better by Kurt in his previous eight starts in Virginia .
5 - Top half starts by Kurt in his previous eight starts at the Petersburg quarter-mile.
6.00 – KJ’s average starting position in his previous eight VMP starts.
6.581 – KJ’s career best elapsed time (in seconds) coming into this event, recorded this past May in Madison , IL .
14 – Consecutive years in which Kurt has won at least one national event, the longest active streak in Pro Stock.
209.92 - KJ’s career best top speed (in mph) coming into this event recorded in Seattle , WA earlier this year.
