Words by Jon G. Knapp
Photos courtesy Warren Johnson Racing
5/19/05

WJ's FIRST COLUMBUS RACE - 1975

Race Car:  1975 Chevrolet Camaro
Performance:  WJ qualified thirteenth, 9.139 seconds
Defeated Scott Shafiroff and Wayne Gapp Lost to Bill Jenkins

In Warren's Words:

"It was an interesting time for Pro Stock, simply because the fields were so varied. The regulations were based on pounds per cubic inch, and the NHRA had to tear their hair out trying to keep the playing field as level as possible. They would make adjustments to the weight factors almost on a weekly basis. 

"We were running a big-block Camaro, which wasn't the favorite combination of the time, but it was all I had in my arsenal, so I had to make it work as best as I could. Most people were using small blocks, so I was one of the rare ones with the big block, but we had it running well that weekend."

Notes of the time:

*  This was Warren's first NHRA national event of the 1975 season, and second race in his NHRA Pro Stock career.

*  This marked the 11th edition of the annual NHRA race at National Trail Raceway, which was at the time was known as the Springnationals.

*  Warren scored the first two elimination round wins of his career at this race, defeating Scott Shafiroff and Wayne Gapp in the opening two rounds.

*  WJ's wins came in impressive fashion, as both came on holeshots. In the first round, WJ's 9.18-second pass bested No. 5 qualifier Shafiroff's 9.11, 147.29 mph run, while his 9.13-second, 149.50 mph run in the second round trailered No. 1 qualifier Wayne Gapp, despite Gapp's quicker 9.10-second effort.

*  Gapp was the No. 1 qualifier with an 8.94-second time, while Roy Hill anchored the field with a 9.15-second run

*  WJ's Camaro featured a big-block "rat" motor, which was a 427 cubic inch engine destroked to 390 c.i.

*  Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, who edged WJ in the semis, went on to win the race, defeating Roy Hill in the final. It was the 11th win of Jenkins' Pro Stock career, which at the time was the most ever by a single driver in the still nascent category.