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"We'll enjoy this win today, and then go to work on the
next one," said Johnson.
Johnson could have parlayed his Pro Stock Challenge victory
into a $100,000 payday with a victory in Sunday's eliminations, but
he was ousted in the first round by Mark Osborne. Osborne won the battle
of Pontiac Grand Ams with a 6.779-second e.t. to Warren's 6.786.
"We were slower on performance and slower on reaction
time, so there were two factors that contributed to the loss," Johnson
said. "We've never had the opportunity to test under conditions as cold
as these. That's not an excuse, but we just didn't have a combination
that was compatible with the track.
"Power is obviously not the problem since we ran the fastest
speed of the event at 203.77 mph," he noted. "We just have to keep our
nose to the grindstone. If we get an opportunity to test under these
conditions in the future, we'll certainly do so."
W.J. now leads the Pro Stock standings by a five-point
margin over Jim Yates. --Rick Voegelin
THE PROFESSOR'S PROTEGE GETS PRO STOCK WIN
While he wouldn't mind turning back the clock, Pro Stock
winner Greg Anderson clearly is looking ahead.
"The car's coming around. The engine's starting to come
around. The crew is starting to gel," Anderson, of Jacksonville, N.C.,
said after outrunning Jeg Coughlin Jr., 6.808 to 6.812, in the final
round. The payoff was $30,000 for the driver of the Vegas Construction
Pontiac Grand Am.
Anderson's previous victory was the 2001 U.S. Nationals,
where he sat, scratching his head and saying over and over, "How did
I win this thing?" This time he knew. He gave credit to Warren Johnson,
the Pro Stock Challenge winner earlier in the weekend. "When I got out
of high school, I didn't go to college. I went to work for Warren Johnson.
That's where I got my education."
In a Pro Stock field separated from top to bottom by .041
of a second, a trio of 2002 winners did not make the field. George Marnell
(Pomona Winternationals), Bruce Allen (Phoenix) and Darrell Alderman
(Gatornationals) sat out this one, while Jim Yates qualified No. 1 with
a track-best 6.774 elapsed time. -- Susan Wade
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
MORE GREEN KEEPS BROWN OUT OF THE RED
Home-area favorite Antron Brown almost missed the Pro
Stock Motorcycle competition because of a lack of sponsorship money.
But an infusion of cash from Fun Center Motorsports of Bensalem, PA.
-- enough to last him through the upcoming Chicago event -- kept him
and his Stealth Racing Suzuki in business.
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