Warren Johnson
| Warren Johnson | |
|---|---|
|
Johnson getting into his car on a scale | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born |
July 7, 1943 Virginia, Minnesota |
| Pro Stock | |
| Years active | 1976 - Present |
| 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 an American NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, and the only current active driver in the Pro Stock class to win more than three championships, with six, earning himself the nickname "The Professor of Pro Stock."
Career
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 we won the AAA Midwest Nationals in Madison Illinois.
Currently, Johnson is a member of the Kiz Toys’ Board of Advisors. Kiz Toys is a toy company based out of Cumming, Georgia, and Johnson advises the company on automotive aspects of the KizMoto line, Kiz Toys’ initial product line. Johnson reviews product designs and development on an ongoing basis and offers suggestions on current and future products associated with KizMoto. 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
- 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
- ↑ "NHRA's Top 50 Drivers". NHRA. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Warren Johnson". International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Mark Martin, Ricky Carmichael among 2015 inductees into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America". Fox News. Retrieved January 24, 2015.