When Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team pulled into Gateway International Raceway on Friday morning, they were greeted by heavy rain thanks to a severe storm system moving through the St. Louis area, putting the first day of qualifying at the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in doubt.
However, the clouds were soon replaced by clear skies and bright sunshine, with Johnson responding by posting two of the quickest runs in the Pro Stock category, highlighted by his 6.648-second, 207.15 mph pass in the evening session, which placed him second midway through qualifying. Although pleased with his opening effort, with cooler temperatures in the forecast, the second-generation racer looked to take advantage of the improved conditions on Saturday to score his second No. 1 qualifying position of the season.
“We did a little experimenting on our first run, and it turned out pretty well, with our ACDelco Cobalt being No. 1 in that session. We came back in the evening session and the track wasn’t as good as we thought, and we spun the tires a little too much and it was off in the first sixty feet. It seems like we really need to work on that sixty foot project, because we were off by fourteen thousandths there, which would have put us on the pole.
“Fortunately, it is supposed to be a little better tomorrow, and that 6.64 is not going to stick for the No. 1 spot. If the forecast is right, we could pick up any where from three to five hundredths, so we’re going to go out there, focus on making the right calls and try to put ourselves back on top.”
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