[coverattach=1]MEMPHIS, Oct. 1, 2009 – The 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals on Oct. 2 – 4 at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tenn., is the next stop for the NHRA Full Throttle Series tour, and the third of four contests held on consecutive weekends. Kurt Johnson enters this weekend's race in eighth place in the Pro Stock points standings and is looking for his first victory at this venue since 2006.
"We're not worried about championships or anything like that," Johnson said. "Our focus is on round wins and race wins."
During the first two contests of the NHRA Countdown to 1, Johnson's team has rediscovered the consistency in their race car that had been lacking most of the season, and in these last pair of national events the ACDelco Chevrolet has qualified No. 3 at Charlotte and No. 6 at the series' last race in Dallas. Even with Johnson's early exit from eliminations last Sunday at the Texas Motorplex, the veteran pro Stock driver feels confident that his car's steady performance will continue at Memphis.
"We have the ACDelco Chevrolet back to where it used to be," Johnson said. "We can take four qualifying rounds, make only minor tweaks and adjustments and it's still going to go straight down the racetrack. That's something that was missing during the beginning of the year. We're also running good speed and our incremental numbers look good. We have a good race car with a good race team capable of winning and that's what we're planning to do in Memphis."
Johnson won the rain-soaked Mid-South Nationals in 2006 when he defeated Richie Stevens in round one on Sunday, and he then came back on Monday to beat Larry Morgan in round two, Allen Johnson in the semifinals and Jason Line in the finals on a holeshot.
"That was a good weekend for us," Johnson said. "Everyone on the crew stuck in there, made the right calls, and then I did my job in the finals. We need another race just like that one."
In addition to the '06 race win, the ACDelco driver was runner-up to Warren Johnson in 1998 and Greg Anderson in 2005. He has also been No. 1 qualifier twice at Memphis Motorsports Park (1997, 2005), and a victory on Sunday would mark his 40th career trip to the winner's circle.
"We're excited about the fact that we have a consistent race car – one that can qualify toward the top of the page and go rounds," Johnson said. "It's not the fastest horse, but it's one we can ride all the way to the winner's circle and we just need to take advantage of it."
Kurt Johnson/ACDelco Racing Stats & Facts NHRA O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals
* The 500 Club – Kurt Johnson's 518 career round wins (.625) ranks fourth among active full-time professional drivers behind John Force (1,035), Warren Johnson (861) and Larry Dixon (530), and it ranks Kurt seventh all-time among NHRA professional drivers.
* This will be Kurt Johnson's 370th national event and his 17th appearance at the NHRA Mid-South Nationals.
* KJ clinched his 17th consecutive top-10 finish as a Pro Stock driver. That is the longest consecutive top-10 streak among active Pro Stock drivers, and second only to John Force's 25 straight seasons with a top-10 finish among all Professional drivers.
* Johnson was runner-up to Jeg Coughlin earlier this year in February at Phoenix.
* Johnson's best qualifying effort so far in 2009 is No. 2 in March at Houston. He also qualified No. 3 at Charlotte and St. Louis and in the top-half of the field at 12 of the first 20 national events of '09.
* KJ's best season was in 2003 when he captured 49 round-wins and did not lose a single first-round matchup. Among Pro Stock drivers, Johnson's 49 round-wins in '03 is the seventh-best single-season total since 2000.
* Johnson is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the NHRA. The native-born Minnesotan and current resident of Buford, Ga., has 39 career victories, has competed in 74 final rounds, and has finished second in the Pro Stock standings four times (1993, 2000, '03 and '05) and third five times (1995, '97-99, 2008). He has also been a three-time national elapsed-time record holder and a two-time holder of the national-speed record for NHRA Pro Stock. Johnson was the 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year.
* A two-hour qualifying broadcast of the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at 10:30 P.M. Final eliminations coverage gets underway on Sunday, Oct. 4, with NHRA Race Day starting at 11 a.m., and a three-hour telecast of final eliminations kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern.
"We're not worried about championships or anything like that," Johnson said. "Our focus is on round wins and race wins."
During the first two contests of the NHRA Countdown to 1, Johnson's team has rediscovered the consistency in their race car that had been lacking most of the season, and in these last pair of national events the ACDelco Chevrolet has qualified No. 3 at Charlotte and No. 6 at the series' last race in Dallas. Even with Johnson's early exit from eliminations last Sunday at the Texas Motorplex, the veteran pro Stock driver feels confident that his car's steady performance will continue at Memphis.
"We have the ACDelco Chevrolet back to where it used to be," Johnson said. "We can take four qualifying rounds, make only minor tweaks and adjustments and it's still going to go straight down the racetrack. That's something that was missing during the beginning of the year. We're also running good speed and our incremental numbers look good. We have a good race car with a good race team capable of winning and that's what we're planning to do in Memphis."
Johnson won the rain-soaked Mid-South Nationals in 2006 when he defeated Richie Stevens in round one on Sunday, and he then came back on Monday to beat Larry Morgan in round two, Allen Johnson in the semifinals and Jason Line in the finals on a holeshot.
"That was a good weekend for us," Johnson said. "Everyone on the crew stuck in there, made the right calls, and then I did my job in the finals. We need another race just like that one."
In addition to the '06 race win, the ACDelco driver was runner-up to Warren Johnson in 1998 and Greg Anderson in 2005. He has also been No. 1 qualifier twice at Memphis Motorsports Park (1997, 2005), and a victory on Sunday would mark his 40th career trip to the winner's circle.
"We're excited about the fact that we have a consistent race car – one that can qualify toward the top of the page and go rounds," Johnson said. "It's not the fastest horse, but it's one we can ride all the way to the winner's circle and we just need to take advantage of it."
Kurt Johnson/ACDelco Racing Stats & Facts NHRA O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals
* The 500 Club – Kurt Johnson's 518 career round wins (.625) ranks fourth among active full-time professional drivers behind John Force (1,035), Warren Johnson (861) and Larry Dixon (530), and it ranks Kurt seventh all-time among NHRA professional drivers.
* This will be Kurt Johnson's 370th national event and his 17th appearance at the NHRA Mid-South Nationals.
* KJ clinched his 17th consecutive top-10 finish as a Pro Stock driver. That is the longest consecutive top-10 streak among active Pro Stock drivers, and second only to John Force's 25 straight seasons with a top-10 finish among all Professional drivers.
* Johnson was runner-up to Jeg Coughlin earlier this year in February at Phoenix.
* Johnson's best qualifying effort so far in 2009 is No. 2 in March at Houston. He also qualified No. 3 at Charlotte and St. Louis and in the top-half of the field at 12 of the first 20 national events of '09.
* KJ's best season was in 2003 when he captured 49 round-wins and did not lose a single first-round matchup. Among Pro Stock drivers, Johnson's 49 round-wins in '03 is the seventh-best single-season total since 2000.
* Johnson is one of the most successful drivers in the history of the NHRA. The native-born Minnesotan and current resident of Buford, Ga., has 39 career victories, has competed in 74 final rounds, and has finished second in the Pro Stock standings four times (1993, 2000, '03 and '05) and third five times (1995, '97-99, 2008). He has also been a three-time national elapsed-time record holder and a two-time holder of the national-speed record for NHRA Pro Stock. Johnson was the 1993 NHRA Rookie of the Year.
* A two-hour qualifying broadcast of the O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals can be seen on ESPN2 on Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at 10:30 P.M. Final eliminations coverage gets underway on Sunday, Oct. 4, with NHRA Race Day starting at 11 a.m., and a three-hour telecast of final eliminations kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern.
