Too slow in his first run, Kurt Johnson, last year's Gatornationals winner, qualifies sixth in Pro Stock.
By SUSAN WADE
Published March 20, 2004
GAINESVILLE - NHRA driver Kurt Johnson said he was going to "feed" his new Chevy Cavalier a variety of parts and determine which ones made it run quicker.
The Sugar Hill, Ga., resident decided to vary the menu after his first qualifying run gave him a taste of frustration Friday as he opened defense of his Gatornationals Pro Stock title.
He was .0002 seconds too slow for the 16-car field.
Johnson, hungry for a second straight victory and the chance to bump reigning champion Greg Anderson from the points lead, secured sixth place in the second session. He finished in 6.798 seconds at a track-record 204.96 mph.
Larry Morgan claimed the early No. 1 qualifying position for Team Mopar with a Gainesville Raceway record of 6.764 seconds at 204.03 mph in his Dodge Stratus.
Pro qualifying continues today with sessions at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Anderson, who holds a five-point lead over Johnson, qualified fourth. He missed Friday's first session because foam from the hood scoop on his Pontiac Grand Am fell into the fuel system and made his engine sputter.
Johnson said his setup was too aggressive for the track.
"We had a few new parts under the bell housing for our first run, and ... it put more power to the track than it could handle," he said.
"We made some changes and came back with a fairly decent run, which got us into the field. The bottom line is we definitely have something left."
Johnson and his Cavalier didn't know each other that well before they came to Gainesville. The first-session run was only his 40th.
That might not sound so bad, considering Johnson won with it March 7 at Phoenix. Testing, however, costs about $3,000 a run, a conservative estimate, and one day of test runs could cost $30,000.
That doesn't include fact-finding stints on the shop dynomometer, which, Johnson said, "means we're wearing out parts that never will see the racetrack."
The Pro Stock class is considered the NHRA's toughest because of its parity. Although Johnson, who finished second in points to Anderson in 2003, said he doesn't "want to get to the end of the year and see wasted opportunities," he also said it's too early to worry.
"We've run only two races, and there's a lot of fun left before they hand out the big trophy," he said. "This is not a one-horse race. Nobody stays on top forever, and Greg is no different. But we have to be ready for every competitor, not just one."
Johnson's father, Warren, known as the "Professor of Pro Stock," still has not qualified for the 16-car field.
So while Kurt will try to improve his position, Warren, a six-time champion who once qualified in 303 consecutive races, will try to avoid his second DNQ in five events.
Last year, Kurt recorded some of his best efforts when his dad didn't make the show, winning in June at Chicago and reaching the Las Vegas final in October.
Conversely, when Kurt failed to make the Reading, Pa., field last fall, Warren won.
