Words by Jon G. Knapp
Photos courtesy Warren Johnson Racing
6/16/05

As Warren Johnson makes his last campaign this year as a Pro Stock driver, we will run a series of highlights, photos and memories from each racetrack prior to each NHRA event.

WJ’S FIRST ENGLISHTOWN RACE - 1975

Race Car: 1975 Chevrolet Camaro
Performance: WJ Qualified No. 14, 9.12 seconds
Defeated Don Nicholson
Lost to Bill Jenkins

In Warren’s Words:

“The car and engine combination I was running at the time was a real oddball. The popular set-up was a small car such as the Monza or Mustang II with a small block, and I had this Camaro with a 390-inch big-block in it. Back then, you put together race cars that I called ‘floor models’, because you built them from parts you had on the floor of the shop. The only teams with cars purpose-built for the category were the factory-backed guys like Grumpy and Glidden.

“In my case, I had a lot of big-block parts left over from my days of racing Modified Production, so that’s what I used to build a Pro Stocker, and I made it as competitive as I could. Somehow, we made it work, and I believe we acquitted ourselves rather well.”

Notes of the time:

1. This was only Warren’s third career NHRA Pro Stock start (and second of 1975).

2. At the time, the race was held in July and called the Summernationals.

3. WJ scored a major upset in the first round, defeating Pro Stock stalwart “Dyno Don” Nicholson on a holeshot, using a starting line advantage and a 9.08-second elapsed time to defeat Nicholson’s quicker 8.99-second run.

4. This was the third elimination round win of WJ’s young career, all of which came on holeshots.

5. WJ’s Camaro featured a big-block “rat” motor, which was a 427 cubic-inch Chevrolet engine destroked to 390 c.i.

6. The Pro Stock field consisted of Chevrolet Camaros and Vegas, Ford Mustangs, Mustang IIs and Mavericks, Plymouth Dusters, Dodge Darts, AMC Hornets and a Pontiac Astre.

7. Wayne Gapp, who qualified No. 1 with a 8.92-second elapsed time, won the event in the famed Gapp & Roush four-door Maverick (co-owned by current NASCAR team owner Jack Roush), defeating Jenkins in the final.

8. Other winners that weekend included the legendary “Jungle Jim” Liberman in Funny Car and Jim Bucher in Top Fuel.