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Monday, August 10, 2009
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Johnson returns to site of last win
Sports Writer The last time Kurt Johnson won an NHRA event was a year ago Monday.
Since then the driver of the ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt has only appeared in three final rounds, including just one this season. He stands in eighth in the Pro Stock season points standings, 552 points behind leader Jeg Coughlin Jr., and has yet to secure a spot in the season ending Countdown to the Championship.
The good news for Johnson, who owns 39 career wins, the site of his last victory was Brainerd International Raceway, which will host the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series this week for the Lucas Oil Nationals.
"Last year was the best we've ever run there," said Johnson. "The track is pretty decent. The new owners are doing a fantastic job as far as the track and the surrounding area - really the whole package as far as a race facility goes. It's great to pull into a race track where you've won before."
Johnson topped Dave Connelly by .0276 seconds or approximately eight feet to win last year's Lucas Oil Nationals.
On his way to the final, Johnson eliminated Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the semifinals, Mike Edwards and Jim Yates. He qualified second behind Greg Anderson with a 6.681 eclipsed time.
He's won at BIR in 1997, 2000 and 2005. He was runner up and No. 1 qualifier in 2003. He's also set the track-record elapsed time at BIR for the Pro Stock category at 6.658 seconds.
With three races remaining before the Countdown, Johnson finds himself 114 points ahead of 10th-place driver Warren Johnson, but Johnson isn't comfortable with that.
"It's pretty tough out there lately," said Johnson. "There are about 10 good cars and drivers who are driving at the top of their games. At Sonoma there were eight spots separated by two hundredths of a second. All you have to do is pick up a little bit to run up there. We haven't been consistent, though. I've been driving a little bit better, but we need the whole package to click - the driver, the car and the crew. Everything has to be on to win again."
Johnson's only other finals appearances since BIR happened during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, N.C., Sept. 14 last season where he lost to Justin Humphreys. Johnson never got off the starting line, however, because his car wouldn't start.
Kurt Johnson
Category: Pro Stock
Residence: Buford, Ga.
Age: 39
2009 Car: ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt
Crew Chief: Kurt Johnson
Career wins: 39
2009 wins/final rounds: 0/1
Current points standing: Eighth
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He secured another final in the Auto Club Finals, but fell to Greg Anderson.
Johnson picked up a finals appearance in the second event of this season in Arizona. He lost to Coughlin by 0.0233.
He advanced to the quarterfinals at Sonoma and Seattle before last week's break.
"We went to Atlanta and ran for about six runs in five hours," said Johnson. "We started out at 8 a.m. and finished about 1 p.m. All we're doing is trying to answer some questions. We're not trying anything new.
"We're in the same place we were when we started the season. We're a win waiting to happen. I feel we have the team. We have the car and the whole system in place to make it happen. It's just one of those things where all of a sudden you're not in the winners circle. Lately we haven't been, but I think we're good enough to be."
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.
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