Words by Jon G. Knapp
Photos courtesy Warren Johnson Racing
6/8/05

WJ's FIRST NHRA JOLIET RACE - 1998

Race Car: 1998 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Pontiac Firebird

Performance:  WJ qualified first, 6.978 seconds, 197.80 mph

Defeated John Nobile, Kurt Johnson, Troy Coughlin

Lost to Mike Thomas

In Warren's Words:

"My most prominent memory from that weekend comes from the final. I remember that just before we were scheduled to run, an alcohol funny car oiled the track from one end to the other and then caught fire, which caused a massive and extremely lengthy clean up. By the time they were done mopping it up, the track was so cold that we ended up driving through the clutch, pretty much handing the race to Mike Thomas. Since it was dusk when we finally ran that race, we had been debating whether we had enough clutch in it, so we raised the rpm. We were using a really small clutch at the time, and it just caught it and burned it up. It certainly wasn't the way we expected to end the weekend."

Notes of the time:

* This marked the eighth time in his career that Warren had advanced to the final round in his first race at a particular track. (The others were Gainesville, FL, Fremont and Irvine, CA, Reading, PA, Dallas and Houston, TX, and Madison, IL)

* This was the 107th final round appearance of WJ's career, and fifth of the 1998 season (out of 12 he would score that year.)

ADVERTISEMENT

* This marked the fourth time in Warren's career that he had qualified No. 1 in his first appearance at a particular racetrack. The only other times prior to this race were in Irvine, CA in 1982, Topeka, KS in 1989 and Richmond, VA in 1995.

* This was the 93rd No. 1 qualifying performance of WJ's career, and fourth of the 1998 season (where he would total 13).

* WJ's 6.978-second, 197.80 mph pass in qualifying also set low elapsed time and top speed of the event in the Pro Stock category.

* Current IHRA runner John Nobile was on the bump at 7.038 seconds.

* 37 Pro Stock cars attempted to make the inaugural NHRA Route 66 Nationals, with veterans Mike Edwards, Jim Yates, Larry Morgan and Allen Johnson among those missing the field.

* The field consisted of Oldsmobile Cutlasses, Pontiac Firebirds, Chevy Camaros, and Dodge Avengers.

* This was the first NHRA Pro Stock win for Mike Thomas.

* Winners in other categories that day included Kenny Bernstein in Top Fuel, who defeated Gary Scelzi in the final and Whit Bazemore over Del Worsham in Funny Car.