Johnson speeds toward sixth championship

Anne M. Peterson

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001 | 1:14 a.m.

SONOMA, Calif. - Warren Johnson isn't thrilled by his nickname, The Professor. He'd rather go about his job without it.

"But I guess I've been called worse," he said with a shrug.

A writer came up with the name decades ago because of Johnson's analytical approach to drag racing. The name stuck, and for good reason. A former engineer, Johnson sees no detail as too small. Nothing is left to chance.

And his plan certainly has worked. The 58-year-old driver has 86 victories, a record in Pro Stock and second only in NHRA history to the 97 overall wins of Funny Car ace John Force.

"Racing is part art, part science. The science part of it is you have to learn how to win. You have to learn to make those decisions," Johnson said, sounding very much like a professor. "The art part is being able to put all that together."

That he has done. Johnson has won at least one event for the past 20 years, the longest streak among active NHRA drivers. He has finished in the top five in the standings in 19 of those years, also tops among current drivers.

Along the way, he became the first Pro Stock driver to break 180 mph, 190 mph and 200 mph.

Johnson has five NHRA championships and is the points leader in pursuit of a sixth.

"That's why we do this - to be the best," he said, glancing about his spotlessly organized hauler.

A grandfather with a gentle grin, Johnson doesn't look like the sort of guy who hurls himself down a strip of pavement at more than 200 mph.

In truth - unlike many of his colleagues - speed is the last thing Johnson craves. He thrives on the plan and the process, what he calls "the whole package."

It's a philosophy he's passed on to his son, Kurt, who last year beat his father in the standings. Kurt, a former rookie of the year, finished second to Jeg Coughlin Jr. Warren was third.

"He's the best out there," the younger Johnson said. "You always want to do better than the best."

Kurt Johnson said it's not so weird competing against his father. Racing is the family business.

After studying engineering at Minnesota, Warren concentrated on car engines. Racing seemed like a natural progression, although he took it slow.

He didn't decide to become a professional drag racer until he was in his 30s, and won his first NHRA title in 1982 at the Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J.

"If I'm going to do something, I want to be at least 98-percent sure I'm going to be successful at it," he said. "I guess in retrospect I had no choice but to make it work, because I had no sponsorship and a family to support."

Last season was somewhat disappointing for Johnson, who won only twice. So the offseason at his shop in Sugar Hill, Ga., was spent making sure he got back to the top in Pro Stock.

The attention paid off. Johnson has five victories this season to lead Jim Yates in the points standings heading to the Colonel's Truck Nationals on Aug. 19 in Brainerd, Minn.

Johnson won his 86th Pro Stock title last month at the Mopar Parts Mile High Nationals in Morrison, Colo. He surpassed Bob Glidden's record of 85 wins by beating Kurt with a final-round quarter-mile run of 7.347 seconds at 188.28 mph.

"I thought once I won it everyone was going to lighten up about it," Warren said. "Now all they talk about is 100.

"Setting or resetting the record really didn't change our focus. Our focus is to win races."

Johnson promised he'll keep working toward those 100 career victories. His body and mind certainly haven't slowed him down.

"I've just paced myself," he said. "When you have goals you want to achieve, you don't have time for aches and pains. I'll quit when it ceases to be fun."