Warren Johnson
| Warren Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Johnson getting into his car on a scale | |
| Born | July 7, 1943 Virginia, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Pro Stock | |
| Years active | 1976 - 2013 |
| Teams | Warren Johnson Motorsports |
| Wins | 97 in 151 final rounds |
| Poles | 138 |
| Fastest laps | 6.561 (ET) 211.26 (MPH) |
| Best finish | 1st (6 times) in 1992 1993 1995 1998 1999 2001 |
| Awards | |
| International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2007), Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2015) | |
Warren Johnson (born July 7, 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the 2nd most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, six world championships and earned himself the nickname "the Professor of Pro Stock."
Career
[edit]In 1995, Johnson had one of the biggest comebacks in NHRA history. After the alleged season ending vandalism of the cars driven by Darrell Alderman and Scott Geoffrion, Johnson started gaining points, and had gained over 500 points with the season half completed to clinch the championship that year.
In 1997, he became the first NHRA Pro Stock driver to exceed 200 mph with a pass of 200.13 mph at Richmond, Virginia. He became the first Pro Stock driver to make a sub-6.9-second pass with a 6.894-second run at Richmond, Va. In 2006, Johnson reached his 500th career race.
On May 2, 2010, at age 66, Warren became the oldest professional winner in NHRA history, as he won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois.
Johnson was a member of the Kiz Toys’ Board of Advisors. Kiz Toys was a toy company based out of Cumming, Georgia, and Johnson advised the company on automotive aspects of the KizMoto line, Kiz Toys’ initial product line. Johnson reviewed product designs and development on an ongoing basis and offered suggestions on current and future products associated with KizMoto. The company is now defunct, and rebranded as Kiz Studios, an independent video game and entertainment studio, with offices in Atlanta, Ga. and Charleston, S.C. As of May 2010, he won the National Hot Rod Association's Pro Stock championship in six seasons and 97 NHRA national events. Johnson is also a two time IHRA champion in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock division.
Awards
[edit]- In 2001, a panel ranked him seventh in the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951–2000.[1]
- He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007.[2]
- In 2015, he was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "NHRA's Top 50 Drivers". NHRA. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ^ "Warren Johnson". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ^ Warren Johnson at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America