Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Ennis, TX
(September 21-24)

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Driver Profile

Kurt Johnson Mark Christopher Auto Center Chevrolet Cobalt

Dallas, prerace: By nature, a racer is happiest when he or she is on the track, extracting the most from their few seconds of rocketing down the quarter mile. This is particularly true in the heat of competition when their race car is performing at its best. Therefore, it easy to see why Kurt Johnson cannot wait to get his ACDelco Cobalt to the Texas Motorplex for this weekend’s O’Reilly Fall Nationals.

In his first three races with this particular chassis, Johnson has already seen its potential for success, with starts in the top half of the field and an impressive win in Memphis, TN. It is a record he anxiously looks forward to adding to this weekend, although feigning some concern when asked about his chances in the Lone Star State.

“I’m not sure about this weekend, because it’s been such a long time since we last raced in Indy that we hope our car still runs,” joked Johnson.  “In all seriousness, however, we’re pretty excited heading into Dallas. We think our ACDelco Cobalt will be very fast, if we finally get the chance to run it. In our minds it’s just matter of taking what we have, going out and doing our job which is winning races.

“This particular chassis has responded quicker than normal. It really got fast in the fourth qualifying session in Indy, and continued to run well in the two runs after that. Usually you have to work with them a little more than we have, but so far, it’s been kind to us. We’ll keep working at it, looking to make it even better, while not trying to mess up what we already have.”

Located in the town of Ennis on the outskirts of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the Texas Motorplex is arguably the most unique track on the POWERade Drag Racing tour. Featuring a completely concrete racing surface, it offers racers tremendous traction with the potential for career-best and record performances. Having already scored three wins at the Billy Meyer-owned facility, Johnson knows what it takes to succeed on the cement strip, and comes into this weekend’s event with a quiet optimism.

“The Texas Motorplex has been good to me,” stated Johnson. “It all goes down to how the track is prepared beforehand. If the old rubber is scraped off and new rubber is laid down, it can be lightning fast. However, looking at the 90 degree temperatures forecast for this weekend, it could be hot and slick, which will make it a challenge, but still a lot better than rain.

“Fortunately, we’ve already raced this ACDelco Cobalt in the heat in Memphis, so we’ll go back to our notebook, decide what set-up to use and see what we can do. We’re not worried. In fact, we’re pretty confident.”

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