NHRA News: W.J. collects $50,000 with Pro Stock Challenge title (05/18/2002)

W.J. collects $50,000 with Pro Stock Challenge title

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
05/18/2002

Warren "the Professor of Pro Stock" Johnson won $50,000 Saturday at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Saturday by winning the 18th annual Pro Stock Challenge. Johnson beat Mike Edwards with a 6.827 at a track-record top speed of 203.43 mph in the finals to collect the title of this special event for the third time.

It was a memorable day for Johnson, the only driver to compete in every Pro Stock Challenge since its inception, as the 58-year-old six-time series champion posted his first two career passes in the 6.7-second range en route to collecting his big paycheck. Johnson can now make it a weekend to remember if he manages to win Sunday's 33rd annual Matco Tools SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions, which would automatically award him a $50,000 "Double-Up" bonus from the NHRA.

After entering the special event for the category's top eight qualifiers from the last year as the No. 2 qualifier, Johnson dispatched his son, Kurt Johnson, in the opening round with a 6.796 at 203.28 mph and former 2002 points leader George Marnell with a 6.797 at 203.09 mph in the semifinals before defeating Edwards in the finals, 6.827 at 203.43 mph to a shutoff 8.981 at 99.55 mph.

"Given the exceptional conditions we had out there everyone was really searching all day," Johnson said. "The track was really pretty good but if you missed [the clutch set-up] at all it was like Edwards in the finals, you couldn't even get off the starting line.

"He got too aggressive, which was easy to do out there. We actually backed it down before the finals because I didn't want to overpower the track and take myself out of the running."

Johnson was happy for the $50,000 check he collected and now hopes to repeat his 1993 performance where he also won the race, thereby earning the "Double-Up" bonus of $50,000. If he manages to accomplish the feat yet again, this would be the most profitable weekend of his illustrious career. He finished qualifying in the No. 3 position and opens against fellow Pro Stock Challenge participant Mark Osborne.

"Fifty-thousand dollars is a pretty good afternoon for government work," Johnson said. "The money helps a lot and anything else we can earn will be great. There's not a car out here racing in any category that couldn't use $50,000."

Edwards, the No. 5 qualifier in his Young Life Chevrolet Cavalier, upset Bruce Allen in Round 1 and low qualifier Jim Yates in the semi's before bowing to Johnson in the finals. He earned $10,000 for his runner-up finish.

Yates and Marnell will receive $3,000 each for their semifinal finishes, while first-round qualifiers Allen, Osborne, Kurt Johnson, and Ron Krisher pocket $2,500 apiece.

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