Dirt Modified Magizine - March 2008
Kenny Johnson "Two-time AMRA Road
Warrior Champion and 2001 AMRA National Champion"
"If you aint first...you are
last"--Kenny Johnson
"He's a guy I'd pay to watch to
race."--unknown AMRA competitor
By Scott Wolfe
For years, 39-year old Kenny Johnson of
Mineral Wells, West Virginia dreamed of becoming a late model champion.When the
finances of running his own late model team crumbled, Johnson quit racing.Quit,
theoretically that is.He simply walked away from the sport that he loved. If he
couldn't do it right, the Two-time AMRA (American Motor Racing Association)
Road Warrior Tour Champion and 2000 National AMRA Champion decided he wouldn't
race at all.
That was the fall of 1998.A month
later, two friends came along and offered Johnson not just one ride, but two.
Veteran Late Model driver Jr. Simmons offered a ride in his car and the other
offer was in Tommy Powell's modified.
Said Johnson, "It's funny how
things work out.Quitting was a hard decision, but I knew I couldn't do it right
on my own finances.One day I was out of racing, and a few weeks later I had two
cars.I never missed a race."
Since that fateful winter, Johnson has
driven late models, semi-lates, street stocks, pure stocks, and modifieds. With
23 years of experience, the veteran is versatile and is able to squeeze the
most out of even the most rugged jalopies. But it was that 1999 season and his
first experience in a modified that changed Johnson's career.
"Jr. and I parted ways in the late
model. I found driving a modified somewhat challenging," noted Johnson.
"Tommy bought a new car in 2000 and we literally set the world on
fire.Shirley Paul Keffer came aboard to help us and we put together one of
those dream seasons. We won 24 features in several different states and won the
AMRA National Championship."
"Every year we set our goals
high.In order to be successful, you have to set them high.After a 24-win
season, you say to yourself, 'we did it once, we can do it again'; but it just
doesn't happen that way.It seems every season is depressing after that
one," laughed Johnson in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
"But really now, modified racing
is so competitive.Every year you have some driver who excels. 2000 just
happened to be my year.I think I have a few good seasons left in me
though," said Johnson. "Racing is my passion."
Although he hasn't yet replicated the
2000 season, everyone in modified racing now knows Johnson by name.He is the
man to beat.Overall, he has won over 50 modified features and 14 late model mains.
Going on the road is tough. Especially
for a working man.Fortunately, the mechanical designer for Aker-Kvaerner
Engineering has worked his way into management in the drafting engineering
department after 19 years of service.
Doing a lot of work with CAD
programming, Johnson has had a big part in the design of the DuPont plant near
Washington, WV. His hard work there has allowed him to take off early a
"time or two" during the racing season to get to the distant venues
of the AMRA tour.
Johnson almost pulled off what no other
driver has done in the 18 year existence of AMRA--win the National Title and
Road Warrior Tour in the same year.When he won the National points title
(2000), he was second in Road Warrior Tour points, just 22 out of first.When he
won the 2001 Road Warrior Title, he was second in National Points, just two
points away from being champion.
The Road Warrior tour is a touring
group of the AMRA elite, featuring many of the best drivers in the nation,
especially those from the Midwest.The group, featuring the RWT
"warriors" vs the local top guns, runs nearly every week at a
different track in several Midwestern states, while at the same time recording
National points at as many as 20 different sanctioning tracks.
The AMRA is big in Ohio, West Virginia,
and Kentucky. Stars like Kenny Johnson keep the series strong.
"Winning fans over with his
outgoing personality and 'stand on the gas' driving style, Kenny has a loyal
following wherever he races," noted AMRA publicist and race director Steve
Davis."Seemingly fearless behind the wheel, he prefers running the extreme
high line that few would even consider to attempt. In what I would consider an
ultimate compliment, I overheard a fellow competitor say "He's a guy I
would pay to watch race". He's that impressive and that exciting."
"Up until recently I had the 'If
you aint first, you are last' attitude," chuckled Johnson."I had that
motto long before Ricky Bobby (Talladega Nights). In some ways it contributed
to my success, but at other times I crashed out of the race going for first
when I should have settled for second.I have adjusted that motto just a little
to -- 'If you aint first, it aint that bad', and as a result it has really made
me a better driver."
"But, I aint good at what I call
'settling'.If I'm 'settling" for position, I feel like I don't have that
drive to win.It is hard to tell myself that it's ok NOT to win."
Although Johnson sees himself as
"mellowing some", fans probably don't notice.One K-C Raceway fan in
particular noted, "I don't know how he makes that thing stick.He defies
the law of gravity."
Johnson, known as the "Southside
Flyer" and simply "KJ", hasn't re-written the physics books yet,
but sometimes it seems that way.He flat-foots his Hassey Chassis House Car
around the upper boundaries of a cushion, where the common man seldom
ventures."KJ" is a modern day explorer, and shows no fear.
The competitive spirit has always been
the driving force in Kenny Johnson. At age six he knew he wanted to be a racer.No
venues for young racers were available locally, so Johnson opted for pee wee
football. That competitive desire to compete and win followed Johnson
throughout high school where he excelled on the gridiron until his graduation
in 1986.
“I played varsity football and raced at
the same time,” asserted KJ.“When football season rolled around, I didn’t have
much time.I’d play football on Friday and race on Saturday.”
Johnson's racing sometimes looks like a
perfectly orchestrated football play, where the aggressive Johnson follows his
blockers until just the right moment, then jukes and jives through the pack
like an elusive halfback.
Kenny's dad Gene Johnson was a pretty
good race driver himself.Today, he is Kenny's number one fan, and at one time
never missed a race. The elder Johnson was then stricken with Parkinson's
disease, and although he still makes many of the races, sometimes the longer
hauls are just too much.
"Dad is my number one fan,"
asserted Johnson."Then it is a close second between Mom (Frances) and my
girlfriend Kim.My family is very supportive of me."
Often known as the race track practical
joker, Gene Johnson is well-known across the Ohio Valley.A young Kenny Johnson
thought he was the brunt of one of the jokes when Dad Gene asked, "Do you
want a street car or a race car for your (16th) birthday?"Kenny replied
without an ounce of serious thought, "A race car!"
"Here I was, a naive 15-year old
someday wishing I could be a race car driver," chuckled Johnson, "and
bam, they surprised me.Right there in the garage was a great looking race
car."
That was 1986 between Johnson's Junior
and Senior year.The car was a 3275 pound semi-late, a former Doll brothers' car
driven by the legendary Earl Hill.In 1990, Johnson moved up to late model and
in 1995 he was the Ohio Valley Speedway (Lubeck, WV) late model track champion.
“I remember my first win at Ohio Valley
Speedway in the Late Model and my first championship.Those were two special
times for me,” noted KJ.“Another memorable race that stands out was in the
modified in 2000 when I won the Balderson Dodge 40 at Zanesville. I came from
18th to win the $2,500.“
Johnson’s road to success was not
easy.Many hurdles stood in the way of success. A devastating fire burnt
Johnson's garage to the ground three weeks before the 1992 racing season
began.Friends, family, and fellow racers came together to get Johnson on the
track again later that season.
One of Johnson's greatest moments was
also one of his biggest disappointments.In August 2007, Johnson came up just 8
feet short of winning the American Heritage 101 at Brushcreek Motorsports
Complex. "It was a thrill to run second, but a big disappointment to know
I lost a chance at a Harley Davidson."
The winner (Steve Arpin) had a
choice of winning $10,000 or the Harley. “I really wanted that Harley.”
In 2003-2005, Johnson ran his own team,
then ran the Hassey Chassis House car of Todd Buckhalter in 2006.In early 2007
Johnson was offered the full-time ride in John Cornell's Rocket Chassis Late
Model, but after two-months of chasing his dream, Johnson felt he wasn't doing
his owner justice.
Johnson had nearly always been in the
top ten, but his "If your not first" motto stood in the way. Johnson
likes to be number one. His pursuit of being number one is what drives him.
Buckhalter quickly gained wind of
Johnson's availability. Johnson explained, "I told Todd that I couldn't
afford to do ANYTHING.He said, 'you don't have to, I'll send you a car'."
And thus the Johnson was back in the Hassey House Car.
"We are always trying
something new with the car.We are the Research and Development team of modified
racing," laughs Kenny. "We are starting to sell a few cars here in
the area because of our success. And all the winnings go right back into the
car." "As part of our partnership, I offer set-ups to other Hassey
Chassis drivers.If they have issues, I'm glad to help."
The Hassey Chassis is fitted with a 421
Billy Lloyd Racing Engine and maintained by Johnson, Jason Canepari, and Tim
Cooper with sponsorship from Racersmate, DRS (Dickson Racing Shocks), Keith
Emrick of K-Graphics, Gene Casto, and American Racer Tires.
In lieu of chasing points, Johnson
plans on running more of the big money shows in 2008. Some of his favorite
races of interest are the Bluegrass Bash, Volusia Co. Winter Nationals, The
Heritage at Brushcreek, and Stateline (New York).
"Racing is a funny thing.It's like
a legal drug.I can't imagine doing anything else.When I think of spending money
on a new washer or something around the house, I just cringe.But I don't
hesitate spending a couple hundred bucks on the race car. I’m hooked. I wanna
race till I die if I can. Racing will always be in my future."
And for racing fans, that is a good
thing. The "KJ's" of the sport keep it exciting and help make
modified racing one of the nation's most popular racing series.
Kenny Johnson--He is definitely a
"guy I'd pay to watch race!"
