Richmond: Warren Johnson preview

WJ & Crew Work to Return to Form in Richmond
Issues Addressed, GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team Looks to Have a Solid Showing

Sugar Hill, Ga., October 3, 2007 -- A modern NHRA Pro Stock race car is an assembly of thousands of individual parts designed to cover the quarter-mile in as little time as possible. Although the rules and regulations created by the sanctioning body limit the variation in this mechanical mix, performances still vary based on how each individual team assembles and tunes their mount. At this weekend's Torco Racing Fuels Nationals in Richmond, VA, legendary racer Warren Johnson will look to have the right combination in his GM Performance Parts GTO to maximize their performance and challenge for the win on Sunday.

"Our primary goal is to get our GM Performance Parts GTO back into a performance window where we can be consistently competitive," said Johnson. "Whereas recently we have shown ourselves to occasionally be fast, we head into Richmond looking to regain the consistent performance we had shown earlier this year, which sounds like a simple task, but in reality, is a lot of work.

"You have to keep in mind that the tuning dynamics in any race car are in a constant state of flux. Whether you develop additional horsepower, work on a new chassis concept or simply change the shock rate or gear ratios, you have to re-evaluate the performance equation to make sure it works the way you want it to.

"In the time since the last race, we went over the race car and uncovered a few issues that had been negatively affecting the tune-up for quite some time. We've addressed them, and had a one-day test to make sure everything is now working properly. Although we seem to have regained the handle, we won't really know until after the first qualifying session on Friday."

However, there is one aspect of their game plan for which the team cannot prepare in advance, namely the track at Virginia Motorsports Park. Although The Professor has enjoyed tremendous success on the Dinwiddie quarter-mile in the past with his four wins to leading all Pro Stock competitors, work performed in advance of this year's event will provide the racers with a completely new surface, adding yet another variable. Armed with an unparalleled library of tuning information from virtually every type of track surface and atmospheric conditions, Johnson and his Terry Adams-led crew have taken a pragmatic, wait-and-see attitude about this weekend's race.

"They've ground the track since last year, when it was relatively bumpy, presenting us with an as-yet unknown amount of traction," said Johnson. "Another variable which we cannot plan for are the atmospheric conditions, which could be anywhere from to extremely good to very poor. Therefore, we will just have to see what we have when we get there, and adapt according to what we find. We've certainly had our share of success in Richmond in the past, and I couldn't think of any better place or time to get our GM Performance Parts GTO back on the winning track than at VMP this weekend."

-credit: j2r