Blaine Johnson

Blaine Johnson (May 22 1962 – August 31 1996) was a professional drag racer who showed a lot of promise from early in his career. Blaine's life-long crew chief was his brother Alan. The two went on an excellent run in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Series. They began racing in T/A Dragster in 1988. Johnson won four championships in that series (1990 - 1993). Even at the time of his death Johnson's 26 NHRA titles in the Alcohol Division held up. The record held up until he was surpassed by Rick Santos. In 1996 Johnson was performing well in the NHRA Top Fuel Dragster championship and possessed a large lead. However, on August 31, 1996 Johnson died from injuries from a crash at drag racings oldest and most prestigious race, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. His engine exploded right as he reached the finish line. Debris from the engine cut down the rear tires, and the thick rubber from the tires in turn sheared off the rear wing, causing a loss in downforce, which caused Blaine to lose control. His out-of-control race car then unfortunately slammed into a guardrail apex, which was part of an opening in the guardrail that existed for safety vehicles to enter the track, at around 300 m.p.h. Johnson's final pass was a track-record run, 4.61 seconds. He also was the Top Fuel national record holder at the time of his death with a 4.59 second elapsed-time. Though Blaine did not get to compete in the last quarter of the season, he had amassed enough points to finish fifth in the season ending points standings. At the awards ceremony after the end of the season, Top Fuel Champion Kenny Bernstein gave his championship trophy to Blaine's brother Alan, who has become a legendary winning crew chief himself.

Shortly afterwards, Alan Johnson hired Gary Scelzi to take over Blaine's car for the 1997 season, with the car now known as the Winston No Bull dragster. Scelzi won his first Top Fuel championship with Alan Johnson as crew chief. Alan Johnson, now with Don Schumacher Racing, has won seven NHRA Top Fuel championships -- two with Scelzi, and five with Tony Schumacher.

On the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000, Blaine Johnson was ranked No. 36.

Trivia

*Blaine was the first points leader in the Top Fuel division to lose his life during the season.

*Blaine was the first standing top five finisher from the previous season to lose his life the following season (he had finished fifth in points in 1995) since Lee Shepherd, the incumbent Pro Stock champion, was killed in a testing crash in 1985.

*Blaine's sponsorship throughout his career in the professional category was Travers Tool Co., Inc..

*Gary Scelzi took over the ride and won the Top Fuel championship the next year. Ironically, Scelzi's 2005 Funny Car championship crew chief, Mike Neff, replaced Eric Medlen, a top-five Funny Car finisher from the 2006 season killed in March 2007, at John Force Racing for 2008.

*There are two memorials; at the Mid-Michigan Motorplex, there is the Blaine Johnson Memorial Tower. At Heartland Park Topeka, the Blaine Johnson Grandstand is located at the track.