NHRA: Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson wins at St. Louis

[josnroh]

After Sunday's eliminations at the Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway, it's about time to add "so lucky" to the 66-year-old Pro Stock legend's résumé.


Johnson waltzed to victory in the K&N Filters Pontiac GXP after seeing two of the top drivers in class, Mike Edwards and Jeg Coughlin, break during the semifinals and finals, respectively.


"It was really one of those scenarios where everyone else did something wrong, and we were just cruising," said Johnson, who now has 97 career wins. "Every so often it goes your way; a lot of the times it doesn't. You take the good days with the bad."


Other winners on Sunday were Hight in Funny Car and Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel.


Johnson's nearly solo pass in the finals against Coughlin was 6.670 seconds at 207.75 mph. The Jegs.com Chevrolet Cobalt traveled all of about two feet before shutting down.


"If you are diligent enough and keep your nose to the grindstone enough, the wins will come," Johnson said.


Hight kept his sponsors happy with his first victory of the season in the AAA Ford Mustang. The defending Funny Car champ has been overshadowed by the resurgence from teammate John Force, but Hight said the car has been pretty good the whole season.


"I've been saying all along that we're not that far off," Hight said. "John [Force's] car has just been killing everyone. He duplicated our car over the winter, and they are so close. We've just had little gremlins with piston rings and different things failing.


"We had it again last night. [Crew chief] Jimmy Prock had us stay out here late last night, and we changed everything."


Hight beat the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger driven by Jack Beckman. Hight's pass was 4.149 seconds at 304.25 mph. Beckman went 4.204 seconds at 296.44 mph.

Schumacher won for the second time this season in the U.S. Army dragster, beating Doug Kalitta in the Rocky Boots dragster. Schumacher beat nemesis Larry Dixon in the third round of the race and said that was a crucial round win.


"We've just gotten beat in some really good races this year," Schumacher said. "There have been a couple of stupid things, but more often than that it's just been good ol' races.


"Today we outperformed everyone. We got a lucky break second round and still got the win. To beat Dixon in that third round was just a monster run."


Schumacher ran 3.849 seconds at 317.87 mph to Kalitta's 4.041 seconds at 313.07 mph.

[Wannabe]

I was so stoked to see Warren win one.
He certainly didn't have the quickest car, but it goes back to that 'lucky -vs- good' dealio.
Maybe now K&N will actually give him some of the money that they promised him for this year.
I would like to see him get to 100.