Championship Drag Racing

Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Chicago, Ill.
(June 5-8)

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Driver Profile

Steve Johnson Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki

Chicago, pre-race: It’s been 30 long days since Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Steve Johnson has swung his leg over the black and red trim of his Snap-on Tools Suzuki, which makes him more than a little anxious for this coming weekend’s NHRA Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, IL to begin.

“I’m counting the hours,” he admitted with a grin from his office in Irondale, Ala. “Racers don’t live normal lives. In fact, we kind of experience things in dog years. That means the last month has seemed like more than a year to me. Wait! Did I get that right? Who cares, you get the idea.

“It’s been a while since we’ve raced, and I’m just as anxious as is my team to get back on the track.”

Far from just kicking back and taking it easy in the interim, Johnson has had a full slate of personal appearances on his plate, including a visit to Snap-on Tools corporate headquarters in Kenosha, Wis. “That was lots of fun for us because it’s one of the few opportunities we have every year of showing off our equipment to the men and women at Snap-on headquarters, most of whom don’t have a chance to get to many races. I’m hoping we’ll have a lot of supporters from headquarters rooting us on in Chicago this coming weekend.”

Johnson is currently listed Number 11 in the NHRA POWERade standings, just one thin point behind Shawn Gann in 10^th, two behind ninth place runner Hector Arana and a mere six behind Karen Stoffer in eighth.

“We have an opportunity to make a big move in the standings this coming weekend,” acknowledged Johnson’s crew chief, Mark Peiser, as the team packed the transporter for the ride north. “It’s up to us to give Steve a motorcycle capable of winning, and that’s our intention.”

Johnson carded his first six second elapsed time of the season in his last outing, and he’s anticipating more of the same in the Windy City. “Route 66 Raceway is notorious for having great traction and producing really quick elapsed times,” he said. “We hope we’re in the top half of the field when qualifying ends on Saturday night, and in the thick of the fight during eliminations on Sunday.

“Enough talk. Let’s go racing!”

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