Warren Johnson has reached the “seasoned” point in his career and proudly proclaims on a regular basis that old age and treachery will whip youth and enthusiasm every day.

Twice in 2008, the GM Performance Parts-sponsored Johnson has qualified on the pole position in the highly competitive NHRA Pro Stock division. In the recently completed NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, he qualified on the pole for the second time in 2008.

“I love what I am doing and when you do that, you gain a job you don’t count the hours of work you put in,” Johnson said. “I’ve been blessed with good health and that’s enabled me to do this for this long.”

Warren Johnson has reached the “seasoned” point in his career and proudly proclaims on a regular basis that old age and treachery will whip youth and enthusiasm every day.

Twice in 2008, the GM Performance Parts-sponsored Johnson has qualified on the pole position in the highly competitive NHRA Pro Stock division. In the recently completed NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, he qualified on the pole for the second time in 2008.

“I love what I am doing and when you do that, you gain a job you don’t count the hours of work you put in,” Johnson said. “I’ve been blessed with good health and that’s enabled me to do this for this long.”

Some have argued the recent Bristol qualifying success was due to a test session prior to the event, but truth be known, Johnson has many laps at the famed Bristol Dragway. In fact, as he sat patiently in the staging lanes waiting out intermittent rain showers, he remembered a similar circumstance some thirty years earlier when the track was under IHRA sanction.

He defeated Lee Edwards in the wee hours of Monday morning some thirty years earlier.

“Yeah, I remember that night, or morning, I think it was 3 AM on a Monday morning when we finished in between rain showers,” Johnson said.

Memory sharp as a tack, Johnson never forgets a winning effort.

“You know that’s why they build fences around drag strips, and that’s to keep us crazy people inside,” Johnson added, breaking into a bit of laughter.

He never forgets a futile effort either.

Johnson’s Sugar Hill, Hill, Ga.-based shop is in close proximity to Atlanta Dragway just up Interstate 85 in Commerce, Ga. He would have preferred to save the diesel fuel at test at his home track but the condition of the track prevented such an easier scenario.

“The track was so bad, I couldn’t even do a burnout,” Johnson said. “That’s the worst facility we race at all year long. I believe they ought to turn the place into a trailer park.”