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Time Traveler [National Dragster](National Dragster Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Steve Johnson has been racing Pro Stock Motorcycles for more than 25 years, and he isn't even close to being done There was a time when someone in the Pro Stock Motorcycle pits would yell out "hey kid," and Steve Johnson would immediately turn around. Today, it's more likely that everyone but Johnson would respond to that query. While he isn't the oldest rider in the class (that would be 69-year-old Joe DeSantis), Johnson recently turned 50 and celebrated a major milestone when he competed in his 300th event at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston. No other rider in the history of the class has even 200 starts Throughout his career, Johnson has become well-known for his shrewd marketing skills and his outgoing media-friendly personality. Through his associations with partners, such as Slick 50, Snap-on Tools, K&N Filters, and WyoTech, he has been able to field a first-class operation, and during his lengthy tenure as the president of Pro2, the Pro Stock Motorcycle riders and owners group, he worked tirelessly to elevate the status of NHRA's two-wheel class. For many years, it appeared that his off-track endeavors would define Johnson's legacy. However, that all changed in 2004 when he finally broke through for his long-awaited first career victory at Gateway Int'l Raceway. A year later, Johnson captured two of drag racing's crown jewels when he won again in Gainesville and Indianapolis. Since then, he has joined a select group of two-time U.S. Nationals champions. All told, he has logged 16 top 10 finishes in NHRA competition, including a career-best third in 1995, the year he rode as part of George Bryce's Star Racing team. While he currently lacks a major sponsor, Johnson is able to maintain a competitive pace aboard his Vance & Hines-powered Suzuki. He qualified at the first three events of 2011 that featured the class and is currently ranked 12th in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series standings. In other words, Johnson is far from finished and still believes he has plenty left in the tank. National DRAGSTER Senior Editor Kevin McKenna recently spoke with Johnson and asked him about the highs and lows of his career, his longevity, his knack for marketing and PR, and the ever-changing landscape of the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Q: You ran your first NHRA national event in 1987. Is it hard to believe that a quarter-century later you are still going? A: I spend a lot of time focusing on my health. Between my health and my passion for racing, I feel like I can outlive John Force. Well, maybe not outlive him but outtalk him anyway. Q: At your very first event, you didn't have a truck and trailer but rather had your Kawasaki shipped from California to Englishtown and worked out of a shipping crate all weekend. Looking back, can you believe you actually did that? A: When you start out, it is all about passion, and I think that is something that's really evident in the bike class. I look at some of the current racers out here, and while not all of them are racing out of crates, they don't all have 18-wheelers. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but I think the bike class is very different from what you see in Pro Stock or nitro racing. For me, I started racing on the street. I used to deliver pizzas and race my bike on the way home from deliveries. I was always concerned about a car pulling out in front of me. After I met Terry Vance, it didn't take long for me to know that [racing professionally] was what I really wanted to do. Q: What is the biggest change you've noticed in the sport and in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class since then? A: Probably the biggest change I can think of is not the bike but the riders. If you look at the average weight of riders when I started, I had an advantage because I was 160 pounds and other guys were pushing 200. Now, I'm still close to 160, but I'm at a huge disadvantage because everyone is a jockey. I'd guess the average rider weight is about 130 or so, and now that these bikes are running six seconds, that makes a big difference. Q: For many years, you were competitive but did not win, but that all changed in 2004 when you won the Madison, Ill., race. Is there a lesson in there about never giving up? A: Yes, there is. [NHRA President] Tom Compton once asked me, "What do you want to accomplish?" I told him that I wanted to be able to spell the word perseverance because that's what I did. I've known for a long time that I'm not necessarily here to win races. My deal is all about education and trying to help the next generation. That's why I go to schools and talk to kids. Somewhere along the line, I knew I had to win at least one race so that I'd have some credibility when I talked to students. For me, that first win was not about the money, it was about the trophy and the doors it opened for me. Q: When you won your first race, you weren't able to celebrate because of the tragic death of Darrell Russell. A year later when you won in Indy, you didn't celebrate because the win was initially awarded to Matt Smith and wasn't reversed until a video review the following day. What do you remember about those events? A: At the first race, I was just so heartbroken. Darrell was loved by everybody, including us motorcycle guys. He was just a nice guy. I think he was the John Myers of Top Fuel. I remember my interview that day at the finish line. I was trying to be a bit of a PR guy and plug my sponsors, but I didn't want to do it. It was a somber moment. I had envisioned my first win over and over in my head, but it never looked like that. Obviously, the Indy win was not as tragic, but it also wasn't what I had imagined. Normally, you win and you get interviewed; you lose, and you head for the showers. This time, the TV crew told me to stick around. They took me and Shane [Maloney, then crew chief] to the TV trailer and said, "We want your reaction on this." I didn't know what was going on until the producer played the tape and stopped both bikes at the finish line. Then Shane hollers, "We [expletive] won! This is [expletive]," and he walked out and slammed the door. The more I thought about it, I realized we won the race, and then [ESPN2 commentator] Dave Rieff asked me what I was going to do about it. I thought about the rules but didn't think there was much I could do. Finally the next day, I found out they overturned it and I'd won. I will say this about Indy: It turned out better than I ever could have imagined. Over the years, I've gotten so much mileage out of that situation and how it turned out. Now, I know there is a reason why it went down like it did. Q: Your five wins include some pretty impressive races: two in Indy, one in Gainesville, and another at the inaugural Charlotte race. Is there a special satisfaction in being able to win "the big ones"? A: You bring that up, and it makes me smile. I am so proud of that. On the marketing side, I've always been a leader, but on the track, I know I've mostly been a follower. To win Indy twice and then go and win the first bike race in Charlotte is amazing. In my eyes, there are not two cooler places to win. Indy is Indy and everyone wants to win there, but there's also something about winning at a Bruton [Smith-owned] track. It was so important for me to take those wins and go to [NASCAR Sprint Cup] races and talk about drag racing. I could have won some of the other events on the tour, but I don't think it would have had the same impact. Indy, Charlotte, and even Gainesville are different. Q: During your career, you've been known for your marketing skills. What's the secret? Is that something you've always been able to do? A: I think there is a knack to it. Years ago, I went to Cengage Learning, and the first thing they taught us was to always know your customer. I never forgot that lesson, and it set me up for the rest of my life. I use that as a foundation, and the rest is just common sense. I also treat others like I want to be treated. That being said, it's hard to find sponsors, especially today, but I never stop working on it. Q: You also served for many years as the president of Pro2. Are you proud of what you were able to accomplish as far as elevating the status of professional motorcycle racing in NHRA? A: Yes, and since you mentioned it, it looks like Pro2, or something like it, is being resurrected right now. We have a committee that includes Matt Smith, Matt Hines, Gary Tonglet Sr., Mike Berry, and I, and we're all working together. Before, I just took the ball and ran with it. Now, we have a board of directors and a direction. We have a committee to make important decisions, and that committee represents all of the different brands. It's very democratic, and it's the right thing to move our class forward and into the next generation. We have to organize ourselves, and that will make for better racing and a better show for our fans. Q: At your debut in 1987, Terry Vance had low e.t. and top speed at 8.14 and 162 mph. Now, you're running 6.8s at close to 200. How much different are these bikes to ride? A: They are much different from a standpoint of the precision that is necessary to make a good run. We have to shift five times at more than 13,000 rpm, and in order to ride correctly, you've got to move your body at least twice to make a good run. And if the bike is going crooked, you've got to be able to use your body to get it straightened out. That's a lot to do in less than seven seconds. Funny, at my first race I remember I ran 8.37 and beat Rick Gero in the first round. The spread between No. 1 and No. 16 was huge. Now, the whole field is usually within a few hundredths. Q: Of all the riders you've seen over the years, who has impressed you the most with their riding talent? A: That's hard to answer. I'd say that chances are anyone who has a top 10 plate on their bike can certainly ride. Dave Schultz and John Myers were great for sure. I also like both of the Harley riders [Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec] and maybe Michael Phillips. As for current riders, I think what LE [Tonglet] did at the end of 2010 is pretty incredible. Taking nothing away from anyone else, but he had a .007 light against me in Pomona in the round he needed to win for the championship. How do you do that in the most pressure-packed round of your life? I loved John [Myers], and he was a great rider, but this class is not the same today as it was then. I'm not saying that John wouldn't have adapted if he were still with us, but what LE did last year from Indy on was special. Q: A lot has been written about achieving parity in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Where do you think things stand now? A: I think at the end of the day, parity in our class is not perfect, but it's about as good as it's going to get. NHRA and [vice president technical operations] Glen Gray have the hardest job in the world to create parity. Right now, the elapsed times we're running do not reflect what's really going on. Sure, it looks close on paper, but we [Suzuki] racers have to go through a lot more time and expense than maybe some of the other brands to get the same results. Last year, when we got the additional cubic inches, we had 30 days to change a crankshaft and go through a learning curve. That was tough on all of us. Q: What about your plans for the future? Could you see yourself becoming a team owner and a mentor to a young rider? A: I'm not done riding, but I also can't wait to hire someone and help them further their career. I am absolutely enthralled about that possibility. To answer your question, I have thought about what I'm going to do when I'm done riding. Tim Kulungian, my crew chief, is starting to spread his wings in this sport. I need to provide him with a next-generation rider, and I know we'll have a strong team. I'm fortunate to know Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, and even NASCAR team owners like Richard Childress and Jack Roush. I'm not saying that I will ever have an empire like they do, but I think I would be a good team owner. I want a second rider right now, but I'm not necessarily ready to quit riding myself. Q: Are you still having fun out there? A: I started racing because I thought it would be a good way to meet girls. It used to be all about traveling and having fun. I still remember being on a plane headed for Englishtown in 1987 and having so much fun. I compare that to today when I'm racing without a major sponsor, and to be honest, it's not quite as much fun. It's very difficult to stay out here; however, that is just because I want to win, and I want to do this the right way. It's still fun when you win, and when I do get the funding I need, I'm sure it will be a lot more fun, but I'm not sure it will ever be like it was when I started. "It is all about passion, and I think that is something that's really evident in the bike class." (c) 2011 National Hot Rod Association |