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Sugar Hill, Ga., January 24, 2008 – Warren and Kurt Johnson, the most successful professional father-and-son team in the history of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), offered the following comments on today’s announcement that a fourth Bruton Smith-owned facility, a spectacular $60 million facility which is currently under construction in Concord, NC, would be joining the POWERade Drag Racing Series in September of 2008:
For the elder Johnson, who currently drives the GM Performance Parts Pontiac in the highly competitive Pro Stock division, The Strip at Concord will mark the 26th different track on which he has competed in a Hall of Fame career spanning four decades.
“Given the current state of the economy, I find it encouraging that Bruton Smith and his Speedway Motorsports group are investing in a new drag strip,” said Johnson, who is known as “The Professor of Pro Stock”. “It’s a good sign that someone believes in the future of drag racing. Besides, being a Bruton Smith facility, you know The Strip at Concord will be one of the very best in the NHRA.
“It should be an interesting experience going in to an area that is so closely associated with NASCAR racing. Years ago, people might have been little hesitant about making this kind of move. Today, however, there is so much crossover between all forms of motorsport beyond just drag racing and stock car racing, that we’ve started to view it all as simply as big time auto wrestling. I know the entire GM Performance Parts team is looking forward to racing there and putting on a good show for the fans.”
A successful Pro Stock racer in his own right, Kurt Johnson tunes and drives the ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt. Having virtually grown up on the quarter-mile, the second-generation racer is ready to tackle the challenge of the all-new North Carolina racing surface.
“Bruton Smith’s facilities are the very best in drag racing, so naturally we are more than ready to let the clutch out at his newest track in Concord,” said Kurt. “You know the facility and the track are going to be top-notch and the people running it are going to be the best in the business. I also appreciate that The Strip at Concord is only a short three-and-a-half hour drive from our shop in Sugar Hill (GA). Any time we can avoid getting on an airplane, it’s all good.
“Everyone on the ACDelco Cobalt crew is excited to get the chance to compete in the Charlotte market. It may be the heart of NASCAR country, but whether you’re making laps or going down the quarter-mile, to me it’s all pistons, valves and spark plugs firing. Besides, the NASCAR teams are fans of NHRA drag racing, just like we’re fans of theirs. We hope to have a big crowd for our race, and that we’re able put on a good show for them, so they can see what our sport is all about. One thing for sure – it’s going to be fun.”
Warren and Kurt Johnson Comment on The Strip at Concord Joining the NHRA Lineup
<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/k_johnson07.jpg" alt="k_johnson07" align="right"borders="0"/>Sugar Hill, Ga., January 24, 2008 – Warren and Kurt Johnson, the most successful professional father-and-son team in the history of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), offered the following comments on today’s announcement that a fourth Bruton Smith-owned facility, a spectacular $60 million facility which is currently under construction in Concord, NC, would be joining the POWERade Drag Racing Series in September of 2008:
For the elder Johnson, who currently drives the GM Performance Parts Pontiac in the highly competitive Pro Stock division, The Strip at Concord will mark the 26th different track on which he has competed in a Hall of Fame career spanning four decades.
“Given the current state of the economy, I find it encouraging that Bruton Smith and his Speedway Motorsports group are investing in a new drag strip,” said Johnson, who is known as “The Professor of Pro Stock”. “It’s a good sign that someone believes in the future of drag racing. Besides, being a Bruton Smith facility, you know The Strip at Concord will be one of the very best in the NHRA.
“It should be an interesting experience going in to an area that is so closely associated with NASCAR racing. Years ago, people might have been little hesitant about making this kind of move. Today, however, there is so much crossover between all forms of motorsport beyond just drag racing and stock car racing, that we’ve started to view it all as simply as big time auto wrestling. I know the entire GM Performance Parts team is looking forward to racing there and putting on a good show for the fans.”
A successful Pro Stock racer in his own right, Kurt Johnson tunes and drives the ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt. Having virtually grown up on the quarter-mile, the second-generation racer is ready to tackle the challenge of the all-new North Carolina racing surface.
“Bruton Smith’s facilities are the very best in drag racing, so naturally we are more than ready to let the clutch out at his newest track in Concord,” said Kurt. “You know the facility and the track are going to be top-notch and the people running it are going to be the best in the business. I also appreciate that The Strip at Concord is only a short three-and-a-half hour drive from our shop in Sugar Hill (GA). Any time we can avoid getting on an airplane, it’s all good.
“Everyone on the ACDelco Cobalt crew is excited to get the chance to compete in the Charlotte market. It may be the heart of NASCAR country, but whether you’re making laps or going down the quarter-mile, to me it’s all pistons, valves and spark plugs firing. Besides, the NASCAR teams are fans of NHRA drag racing, just like we’re fans of theirs. We hope to have a big crowd for our race, and that we’re able put on a good show for them, so they can see what our sport is all about. One thing for sure – it’s going to be fun.”
