Lori Johns

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Lori Johns (born 1965 [1] ) is a former Top Fuel Dragster racer. She won rookie of the year in 1985 and in 1990 became the third woman to win a NHRA Top Fuel event after Shirley Muldowney (1976) and Lucille Lee (1982). [2]

Contents

History

Johns was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. [3]

At an NHRA National event, The Cajun Nationals, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 1986, Johns suffered a serious injury after Jim Van Cleve's Budweiser sponsored Ford Mustang climbed a guardrail, flipped, and landed on Lori's roll cage, breaking her back and neck, which left her out of competition for two years. [4] After undergoing five surgeries, Johns attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School. [5]

Blaming Van Cleve for the accident, her father, Terry (a car dealer), sued. [6] The suit was ultimately dropped, at Johns' request. [7]

After learning to drive a Top Alcohol dragster, Johns went into Top Fuel racing, in a new car, supplied by her father, at a cost of US$125,000. [8]

In trials with the new car, Johns, at age 23, turned in a pass of 5.03 seconds at 283 mph (455 km/h), making her one of the seven quickest drivers in Top Fuel at the time. [9] At the time, she had entered only ten Top Fuel races, and had never reached a final round. [10]

In 1991, as qualifications for the U.S. Nationals began, she was fourth in the standings. [11]

She had a Revell model kit (#7496) of Johns' Jolly Rancher dragster. [12] She was also the subject of an official NHRA trading card. [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  2. ↑ "Autoweek", 24 May 2014, "Complete List of 100 NHRA Wins for Women", (retrieved 12 April 2019)
  3. ↑ Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  4. ↑ Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved ??? October 2018)
  5. ↑ Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018); Autoweek (pdf); Orlando Sentinel online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  6. ↑ Autoweek (pdf)
  7. ↑ Autoweek (pdf)
  8. ↑ Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018); Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  9. ↑ Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  10. ↑ Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  11. ↑ Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  12. ↑ Ebay
  13. ↑ Amazon.com (retrieved 5 October 2018)

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