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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
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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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