Johnson
Racing off to a successful start for 2010!Johnson Racing Gearing Up for 2010 Season!!Johnson Racing has recently teamed up with Bob Pierce Race Cars out of Oakwood, Illinois and are looking forward to hitting the track this spring with the new equipment! The team plans on hitting many open shows again in 2010, along with several WISSOTA appearances at both special events and weekly shows. In 2009, the team saw their first attempts at open motor competition, competing in many series including the World of Outlaws, the World Dirt Racing League, UMP, and the USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway. The team is looking to advance by making more open motor shows in 2010 and setting some higher goals for themselves. Some Lucas Oil series races have been added to the schedule, along with some trips to Iowa's famous Farley and West Liberty Speedways. They also look to compete in a few UMP Summer Nationals races, and are hoping to possibly add a couple of "crown jewel" appearances this summer. Check the "schedule" page for up-to-date 2010 plans and stop by often as the schedule will be changing!!
Johnson Racing Closes Out 2009
Season
Johnson Racing closed out their 2009
season this past week by traveling to Huron,
The 2009 season saw 7 WISSOTA feature wins for the 73
team. They recorded
wins at Viking Speedway, Fiesta City Speedway, Madison Speedway,
and I-94 Speedway.
The team finished 8th in the WISSOTA national points,
2nd in the
In 2009 we saw the team?�s first attempts at open motor
competition. They
qualified for 4 out of 6 World of Outlaw Late Model features,
including the ?�Illini 100??in
The team also made features at
Look for the team to make an appearance at the
Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in
Next year?�s plans for the 73 crew include local WISSOTA
shows, several World of Outlaw appearances, WDRL shows, the USA
Nationals, possibly several NCRA shows, along with some Lucas
Oil events.
Johnson
Racing would like to thank all of their sponsors, fans, and crew
members for all the dedication and support throughout the
successful 2009 racing season.
Look for a tentative 2010 schedule to be posted in the
next couple of months!
WISSOTA Champion taking the next big step
Written By: Todd Turner, DirtonDirt.com
The gulf between upper-Midwest WISSOTA Late Model racing and
national touring Late Model racing has been a wide one, but it's
been a fruitful pipeline that has included Hall of Famer Rick
Aukland of Fargo, N.D., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Brady
Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., and, most recently, Terry Casey of
New London, Wis.
Zach Johnson of Kensington, Minn., the 2007-08 WISSOTA weekly points champion, hopes to be the next to make the move in 2009. Johnson, a 23-race winner last season, has added an open-competition engine to his No. 73 and has already made progress with a feature start at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway's March Madness and his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series start April 4 at Farmer City Raceway's Illini 100.
Johnson was glad to crack the starting lineup at Farmer City � he dropped out early in the feature event � but knows that stepping up against the nation's top Dirt Late Model racers is going to be difficult.
"It's definitely a challenge, because there's a lot of guys here that do it for a living. They're doing it every night of the week," said the slim 24-year-old. "We've had a lot of success up at our local tracks in running WISSOTA and everything the last couple of years, this was kind of the next step. If we didn't do it now, we'd never do it, so we thought we'd try and get out this year and spread our wings a little bit, and see if we can compete. We'd never know if we could or not if we don't get out and try it."
Johnson faces the usual struggles. He's competing at tracks he's never seen, racing on tire compounds he's unfamiliar with and piling up more highway miles in heading south.
"We've been talking to (WoO Rookie of the Year candidate) Dustin Hapka (of Grand Forks, N.D.) a lot, learning a lot of the tire stuff from him. He doesn't have a ton of experience with it, either, but he knows these guys. He knows the tires and does have time on 'em. We don't have any time on these tires. He's helped us a lot telling us the different options and what this (WoO driver) told him to do and what he has done in the races he's run.
"We didn't know what to do when we came to this track," Johnson said of Farmer City. "We don't have anything quite like this back home. Nothing this small and this flat. We've never run real good on the flat tracks with these cars before, but we threw a couple of things at it and it worked pretty good."
Johnson plans to hit a mix of open-competition events throughout the year, but he'll return to WISSOTA-sanctioned racing for events closer to home. As a full-time farmer along with his father, Johnson also has seasons when he needs to be closer to home to tend crops. He hopes to make some progress in his racing career, but hasn't established any specific goals for 2009.
"Just to kind of go as far as we can and do as well as we can do, try to learn a lot and have a lot of fun and not concentrate on anything specifically as far as points or series go," Johnson said. "Just kind of make the best decisions we think we can make as far as learning stuff and going forward with the program.
"We really have no specific schedule at all. We've got a little bit of an idea laid out on our website right now on what we're planning on doing, but we're just going to kind of skip around, and we'll hit a few of our local shows this year, but we're going to try not to hit nearly as many as we have been. We're going to try and jump around, do some UMP, some Outlaw stuff, any series that's in a reasonable driving distance that's got a good show like (Farmer City) so we can get out and gain some open-motor experience." � Todd Turner www.dirtondirt.com
Johnson
Racing Starts Season in Kentucky! 2008 WISSOTA
National Champion signs partnership with DIRTHEAD.com
Championship Article for 2008 -
DIRT LATE MODEL MAGAZINE
ARTICLE Johnson defends
WISSOTA Late Model National TitleBy Ray Beste
Kensington, Mn (October 28th, 2008) - In only his second full year behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model, Kensington, Mn driver Zach Johnson successfully defended his WISSOTA Late Model National crown. Johnson joined Pete Parker, David Karst and Mitch Johnson as the only back to back champions in WISSOTA's 24 year history of sanctioning Late Models. Although 2007 garnered Johnson the national title, 2008 proved to be an even more fruitful year. The success started early and did not stop until the final event of the year.
Team Johnson wasted little time visiting victory lane early on in the 2008 season. After four consecutive weeks of inclement weather, Viking Speedway in Alexandria, Mn finally got their season underway on May 17th. After a dominating heat race performance earlier in the program, Johnson doubled his pleasure by picking up the win in the feature as well. Zach's opening night success proved to be a stepping stone for the year to come.
The following night Johnson ventured to Madison Speedway in Madison, Mn for their 2008 lid-lifter. Like the night before, Johnson coupled a qualifying victory with a A-main win making him two for two during early season action. Although Johnson had no idea he would be in a points race once again this season, the opening night victories sure helped Team Johnson when the final points were tallied in early October.
Johnson continued his early season success by tallying the victory on opening night at Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo before heading back to Alexandria for their annual NLRA Memorial Day double-header. After a fifth place finish on opening night of the double-header, Johnson once again found victory lane the next night at the big half mile. The Sunday night triumph at Alexandria proved to be Johnson's first invitational victory of the season. It would not be the last, however.
On Wednesday, June 4th Madison Speedway hosted it's inaugural Summer Sizzler Spectacular which would pay $1,500 to the lucky winner. With the likes of Marshall Fegers, Jeff Wildung and Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Tom Nesbitt all in attendance, Johnson hoisted the hardware at the end of the night's festivities.
After his mid-week triumph at Madison, Johnson would collect five more wins at his home tracks before Sheyenne River Speedway in Lisbon, ND hosted a WISSOTA Late Model special. In his first ever visit to the speedway, Johnson picked up the win out-dueling Dave Zimmerman and Brian Diede for the hardware. The victory at Lisbon proved to be the start of a good week for Zach and his team.
On Friday, July 25th, I-90 Speedway in Hartford, SD also hosted a $1,500 to win A-main event for WISSOTA Late Models. After the conclusion of the night's events, Johnson once again picked up another 57-point night and the trophy that went with it. Zach's win was all the more impressive when you consider this was his first ever visit to the speedway.
After a pair of wins at Montevideo and Madison, Johnson found himself near the top of the WISSOTA Late Model National Point Standings. On August 11th, Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Mn hosted a $1,500 to win main event. With the Dart Challenge Series making it swing out to Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, SD, some of the top runners in all of WISSOTA were on hand. Zach tallied the win in heat number three which would put him in the second row for the feature event. Johnson took the lead from Brian Diede early on in the event and never looked back on his way to another victory. With the likes of Diede, Don Shaw, Jeff Wildung and Joel Cryderman all in attendance, it was a victory that was very special for Team Johnson.
Just four short days after Johnson's victory in Montevideo, Madison Speedway hosted their annual Jordy Martinson Memorial "Back to school" Special. Another $1,500 check was up for grabs for the WISSOTA Late Model division. Johnson looked to be the odds on favorite as he drew the outside row one starting position. On the first lap of the event, Johnson slipped over the banking in turns three and four which shuffled him back to the sixth position. In the remaining laps, however, Johnson was able to work his way to the front picking up win number sixteen.
Four more feature wins would come and go before the Northern Late Model Racing Association (NLRA) made it's yearly stop over Labor Day weekend at Viking. On night one of the two day event (two complete shows), Johnson picked up his second NLRA win of the season.
With 21 feature wins to their credit, Team Johnson headed to Madison Speedway in Madison, Mn for the speedway's final event of the 2008 season. When the dust settled at the end of the 20-lap A-main, Johnson had outlasted Jeff Wildung, Danny Bayer and Curt Gelling picking up yet another win.
With Harvesting time just around the corner, the Lowry, Mn based team took some time off to prepare for the final events of the 2008 season. The final event of the season for team Johnson would be the sixth Annual Viking Fall Classic held at Viking Speedway in Alexandria, Mn. This year end special boasts unbelievable car count and some of the best competition the WISSOTA Late Model division has to offer. The names were legendary: Mathees, Cryderman, Wildung, Doar and Shaw, but at the end of the two day event, it was Johnson moving from row five to the front picking up his 23rd win of the season. It was Johnson's third time tasting victory at the Fall Classic, he also visited victory lane in a Midwest Modified and a WISSOTA Modified in years past. The $4,000 payday was Johnson's largest of his young career and put away any doubt that he is one of the very best our sanctioning body has to offer.
Team Johnson would like to thank all of their sponsors and race fans that helped them through the 2008 season. None of this would be possible without the help of some great people. We hope to do our best once again in 2009!
Johnson
Racing teams up with Wulff Pumps for 2008!Johnson Racing is proud to announce that they have teamed up with Wulff Pumps for the 2008 racing season! Located in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Wulff Pumps specializes in sales and service of new and used dry sump, power steering and fuel pumps. They are also certified in the rebuilding of all dry sump, power steering and fuel pumps of all makes and models! For more information you can visit them at www.wulffpumps.com
Johnson Racing is seeking Marketing Partners for the 2008 season! For
more informationplease visit our Marketing Page
Also be sure and check out the
History Page
for more info!!Johnson
captures 2007 WISSOTA Late Model National TitleBy Ray Beste
Lowry, Mn (January 9th, 2008) - Zach Johnson of Lowry, Mn burst onto the scene in 2007 recording eleven feature wins in just his second year behind the wheel of a WISSOTA Late Model. Johnson's success was a surprise to many in WISSOTA country, but not the local fans in Central Minnesota that have watched the 23-year old phenom continue to improve each and every year of his young career.
With over 50 member tracks, the WISSOTA sanctioning body has been a launching pad for some of today's brightest starts in Dirt Late Model racing. The "Iceman" Jimmy Mars got his start thundering around the WISSOTA sanctioned Red Cedar Speedway in Menomenie, WI before taking his show on the road winning many big races, including the Dream 100 at the famed Eldora Speedway. Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI cut his teeth racing at many of WISSOTA's top venues before hitting the road capturing the 2005 WDRL Championship. Smith also recently picked up the win at Knoxville Raceway's Annual "Knoxville Late Model Nationals." Other WISSOTA graduates who have since taken their show on the road include Justin Fegers, 2007 WDRL Late Model Champion and John Kaanta, 2007 WDRL rookie of the year. Will Johnson's success some day land him on the road racing for a living? That scenario is something that has gone through this Central Minnesota farm boys mind for the past couple seasons.
Johnson got his start in racing when he was ten years old racing go-karts at the nearby Runestone Raceway in Alexandria, Mn. Johnson piloted karts until the age of fifteen before jumping behind the wheel of a two barrel carbeurated Midwest Modified. Johnson accumulated a lot of experience behind the wheel of a Midwest Modified before making the jump to the 600 horsepower full blown WISSOTA Modifieds. Many questioned whether Johnson could compete in the Modified division. Johnson silenced his critics by scoring the feature win at Viking Speedway's annual Viking Fall Classic, a year end invitational that draws more than 300 race cars each year. On that night, Johnson etched his name in stone as one of the cars to beat in WISSOTA. Johnson's success in the Modified division continued in 2006 when he was crowned point champion at one of the toughest Modified tracks in the country, Alexandria, Minnesota's Viking Speedway. Johnson's success in a Modified was well documented at the end of 2006 as he was crowned track champion at the Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Mn as well.
With only one WISSOTA Late Model feature wins to his credit entering the 2007 race season, it would've been hard for one to anticipate the success Johnson would attain. After the late John Seitz passed away, Johnson and his father Nathan decided to purchase Seitz's new CJ Rayburn racecar which was equipped with a brand new Malcuilt engine. The Rayburn/Malcuit combo proved to be a lethal one on opening night when he scored a clean sweep against the likes of Curt Gelling, Jeff Wildung and Don Shaw. The opening night victory was a great one but soon after Johnson found himself hitting the early season wall. After his opening night triumph, Johnson found himself making lots of repairs to his brand new Rayburn. During Viking Speedway's Memorial Day doubleheader, Johnson was involved in a wreck which required a trip down south to get his new Rayburn machine fixed. After a ten hour drive down south, Johnson returned ready to pick up where he left off on opening night. On May 25th, Johnson made his return to the Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Mn where a wreck claimed his opening night run at the speedway. Johnson would score the win in convincing fashion that night leaving little doubt that he was back. Eight more feature wins came and went at three different WISSOTA sanctioned facilities before Johnson showed his versatility on September 21st. Zach and his crew made the 11-hour tow to Great Falls, MT for their year end special event. In his first ever visit to the speedway, Johnson recorded the opening night victory in grand fashion against some very good competitors.
Although one would be lead to believe a championship season is seemingly all roses, Johnson still can't help but talk about the one that got away. On August 13th, the traveling stars of the Tri-Star Engine Supply WISSOTA Late Model Challenge Series made their annual stop at the Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Mn. Johnson, who compiled a second and a third place finish on the two prior series stops at two different facilities, looked to make it three consistent finishes in a row. A third place finish in his heat race landed him the fourth starting spot for the night's 30-lap A-main feature event. After passing WISSOTA legends John Kaanta and Duane Mahder, Johnson quickly cruised out to a sizable advantage. However, with four laps remaining, disaster struck. Johnson's breaks began to give him trouble forcing him to pull off with only four circuits to go. When asked about the race Johnson lamented, "I know that stuff happens in racing, but man that was a hard one to swallow. The part that went bad costs about ten bucks." Later in the year, Johnson would get his revenge however. On September 2nd, the Northern Late Model Racing Association (NLRA) made one of its annual stops at the Viking Speedway. Johnson lapped nearly half the field that night on the way to his biggest win of the season collecting a $1,000 payday in the process. Zach would put a cap on his 2007 campaign finishing very strong in the Viking Fall Classic's A-main. With 42 of the best Late Models in town, Johnson finished a very strong fourth, one spot ahead of national standout Pat Doar.
Success in WISSOTA's premiere division takes a lot of help from all angles. Johnson was helped to victory lane in 2007 by some great people. Crew members included Nathan Johnson (Dad), Derrick Strickler, Jim Drewes and Chad Johnson. Sponsors on the side of Johnson's Rayburn Race Car include Shaw Trucking, Midwest Grain Systems, Rayburn North, Dairy Queen South, Schuett Construction, E98 Race Fuel, Glenwood State Bank, Alexandria Aviation, Heartland Equipment, Prairie Lakes Co-op, Minnewaska House Supper Club, Brownie's Tire Service, QA1 Shocks, Schuelke Agency and Meixel Truck Sales.
Like all other WISSOTA champions, Johnson was crowned at a November 10th banquet held in St. Cloud, Mn. During Johnson's acceptance speech he reiterated that he'd like to thank the late John Seitz for getting him interested in Late Model racing. Like his speech, Johnson's race program is centered around class and respect for not only himself, but for his fellow competitors. You would be hard pressed to find a fellow competitor who would have a bad thing to say about the young Lowry, Mn gunner.
Johnson was awarded a $10,000 check from the WISSOTA promoters association as well as some other contigency prizes, jackets and trophies.
When Johnson was asked about his plans for next year he mentioned, "We'll win as many races as we can, have fun and see what happens." Johnson will have a two car stable in 2008. For winning the national title in WISSOTA, Zach received another Rayburn Racecar Chassis courtesy of Terry Casey at Rayburn North Racecars of New London, WI. Johnson plans to race a three night a week schedule once again in 2008 with stops at Montevideo, Alexandria and Madison, Mn all planned. Besides another run at the 2008 WISSOTA Late Model crown, Johnson is hoping to secure a few more sponsors in the hopes that he can purchase an Open Late Model motor for some of the bigger shows in the area. With the amount of horsepower it takes to compete in the big money shows, Team Johnson will continue to explore as many opportunities as possible to secure enough funds to purchase a competitive Open Motor.
Johnson and his lovely wife Becky were married last summer and currently reside in Kensington, Mn. Whether Johnson will repeat as champion in 2008 remains to be seen. In a world of uncertainties, one thing is for certain: whomever carries the torch passed to them from Johnson will have a tall task to represent the division with as much class as Zach did in 2007!
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