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Sugar Hill, Ga., January 30, 2007 - Although the official start of the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season is not until next week, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team will get their first taste of competition this weekend, joining the rest of the “factory hot rods” in Las Vegas for the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown. This annual event gives both the racers and fans and their first true glimpse of this year’s Pro Stock class and serves as a final tune-up for the 23-race odyssey that lies ahead. With his team having undergone a few changes during the off-season, Johnson sees the two days in the Nevada desert as a perfect opportunity to make sure everything is in order.
“We’ve made a few changes to our ACDelco Cobalt, trying to go quicker and faster than we ever have before,” detailed Johnson. “As with any new combination, you want to make sure everything works, getting the at-track chemistry going and establishing a baseline that you can reference against our tuning notes from previous years.
“This weekend’s Pro Stock Showdown offers us the perfect opportunity to do just that. At the same time it’s good to get back in the rhythm without the pressure of having to qualify or earn points towards the championship. It’s a great dress rehearsal for Pomona, and we plan to use the time productively.”
It has been a busy off-season for the second-generation racer as both he and his father’s (six-time champion Warren Johnson) teams have undergone personnel changes while simultaneously doing as much research and development work as possible. Although the results of these collective efforts have yet to be seen, KJ likes what he has seen so far, and looks forward to getting to the track.
“We’ve been having fun,” detailed Johnson. “We’ve added a couple younger guys to Dad’s and my teams, which has created a little extra enthusiasm. We’re able to train them to do things the way we like, which has proven to be effective over the years. In addition, Terry Adams has joined us and will be working with both teams, bringing a tremendous amount of experience with him. He’s a real pro, which should prove extremely helpful over the course of the season.
“One of the most important elements in a successful racing effort is the attitude, and going into the season everyone on the ACDelco and GM Performance Parts crews has a great attitude. Hopefully, we’ll be able to reward their hard work with a few wins. We’re certainly going to try.”
KJ Sees Pro Stock Showdown as Final Tune-Up for 2007
ACDelco crew to use Vegas exhibition as dress rehearsal for NHRA season opener
Sugar Hill, Ga., January 30, 2007 - Although the official start of the 2007 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season is not until next week, Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team will get their first taste of competition this weekend, joining the rest of the “factory hot rods” in Las Vegas for the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown. This annual event gives both the racers and fans and their first true glimpse of this year’s Pro Stock class and serves as a final tune-up for the 23-race odyssey that lies ahead. With his team having undergone a few changes during the off-season, Johnson sees the two days in the Nevada desert as a perfect opportunity to make sure everything is in order.
“We’ve made a few changes to our ACDelco Cobalt, trying to go quicker and faster than we ever have before,” detailed Johnson. “As with any new combination, you want to make sure everything works, getting the at-track chemistry going and establishing a baseline that you can reference against our tuning notes from previous years.
“This weekend’s Pro Stock Showdown offers us the perfect opportunity to do just that. At the same time it’s good to get back in the rhythm without the pressure of having to qualify or earn points towards the championship. It’s a great dress rehearsal for Pomona, and we plan to use the time productively.”
It has been a busy off-season for the second-generation racer as both he and his father’s (six-time champion Warren Johnson) teams have undergone personnel changes while simultaneously doing as much research and development work as possible. Although the results of these collective efforts have yet to be seen, KJ likes what he has seen so far, and looks forward to getting to the track.
“We’ve been having fun,” detailed Johnson. “We’ve added a couple younger guys to Dad’s and my teams, which has created a little extra enthusiasm. We’re able to train them to do things the way we like, which has proven to be effective over the years. In addition, Terry Adams has joined us and will be working with both teams, bringing a tremendous amount of experience with him. He’s a real pro, which should prove extremely helpful over the course of the season.
“One of the most important elements in a successful racing effort is the attitude, and going into the season everyone on the ACDelco and GM Performance Parts crews has a great attitude. Hopefully, we’ll be able to reward their hard work with a few wins. We’re certainly going to try.”
