Charlotte: Warren Johnson Friday notes

WJ Opens Concord Qualifying in Third

The inaugural Carolina Nationals got underway on Friday, as 26 Pro Stock Cars made two qualifying attempts at the zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC. Warren Johnson continued to work on getting his race car to perform in the crucial first sixty feet of the run. After opening with a respectable 6.732-second, 207.82 mph pass in the afternoon, the team made major changes to the tune-up to improve its response in the early part of the run. Fortunately, their efforts paid off, as WJ tripped the finish-line timers in 6.694 seconds with a top speed of 207.72 mph to claim the third position midway through the qualifying procedure.

"We've been battling to get this car to perform in the first sixty feet for quite some time. After the first run this afternoon, we made some major changes based on some advice we received, and it proved to be a step in the right direction, putting this GM Performance Parts Pontiac in a good position. What's important is what we do with it from here. The forecast is calling for it to be a little warmer, but we'll wait and see what we have to work with in the morning before making any changes.

"This facility is absolutely dynamite. If I had one quibble, it would be that the starting line is a little greasy. However, that is because the texture of the concrete is just too fine, and I would imagine they are probably waiting for it to properly cure before addressing it. After all, this is what we have come to expect from a Bruton Smith-owned facility -- everything is top-notch."

-credit: j2r