Acknowledged as one of the hardest working men in motorsports, there is
nothing unusual in the fact that Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren
Johnson will be tending to a race car this weekend. After all, with
the start of the 2008 POWERade Drag Racing season just over three weeks
away, virtually every team across the country will be hard at work
making final preparations for the NHRA season-opener in Pomona, CA.
In this case, however, The Professor’s efforts will not be focused on
his familiar GM Performance Parts Pontiac GTO, which he has left in the
capable hands of his crew in Sugar Hill, GA. Instead, the six-time
NHRA Pro Stock champion will take part in the sale of one of his former
mounts, a 1987 Olds Firenza which will be auctioned off as part of the
famed Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, AZ.
“I was originally contacted by Norm Bierhorst, who had bought one of my
old Firenzas,” said Johnson. “After deciding he was no longer
interested in racing Super Gas, Norm wanted to restore the car to its
original condition, and asked what I might have. After looking around
at the shop, I was able to supply most of the drivetrain from a
Firenza, which I still had in storage. I provided him with a complete
engine from the carburetors to the dry sump, as well as the clutch and
other pieces that were totally unique to that body style.