Columbus: Kurt Johnson Friday summary

KJ Starts Strong, Sits Third Midway Through Columbus Time Trials

ACDelco Cobalt pilot Kurt Johnson made the most of his two attempts during the first day of qualifying at the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. After opening with a class-leading 6.761-second, 204.26 mph pass, KJ came back on his second run to record a consistent 6.775-second elapsed time. This placed the second-generation racer in the third position entering Saturday's final sessions. Although pleased with his effort, Johnson was already looking for ways to improve even further.

"We're certainly pleased with our ACDelco Cobalt's consistency, but seeing what Dad's car (Warren Johnson, who currently sits No.1) ran tells us we should have been up in the 6.75 range tonight. Looking at the data, it was just a little off to the 330-foot mark, and that was the difference. It was probably a couple minor items that we'll look to address tomorrow.

"However, it's encouraging that we're able to make good, consistent runs on a cold racetrack. If it's warmer tomorrow, we'll make a few changes and see if we can learn a little more about what this car wants, as well as trying to pick up the pace."

-j2r-