Arlene Johnson
Through six NHRA and two IHRA championships, 97 national event wins, and an abundance of performance milestones, Arlene Johnson has been by husband Warren Johnson’s side. They met in Minnesota in 1960 at the age of 17 and were married a year later, and over the next decade they began to build a life that revolved around all things automotive.
Warren and Arlene first ventured to a racetrack together in 1962, and in the early 1970s, W.J. fatefully dipped his toe into a new class: NHRA Pro Stock. Soon, they were all in, and by 1976, racing was their full-time gig. It wasn’t a difficult transition for Arlene, who grew up helping her father work on cars, washing parts and whatever else needed to be done.
Arlene was W.J.’s first crew member, and at home, while he was deep into research and development in the shop, Arlene was running every aspect of the office and keeping everyone fed and paid. When their son, Kurt, was small she was active at the racetrack changing tires, charging batteries, managing the fuel, changing jets in the carburetors, packing the parachutes, and tackling whatever else she could to make sure that Warren could focus on what he did best.
Through good times and bad, Arlene showed fortitude, strength, and support. No task was beneath her; she rode in the truck with the crew for thousands of miles, and when they were able to get a motorhome, she drove it on her own for thousands of miles more, bringing homebase with her as she bolstered the career of a driver destined to become legendary.
With Arlene by his side, usually taking video of his runs so that he could scrutinize them later, Warren Johnson became the most winning Pro Stock driver in the history of the class when he passed Bob Glidden’s record with an 86th victory in 2002. He claimed 11 more wins over the years, the 97th coming at St. Louis in 2010, and held onto the lead until the Dallas race in 2021, when former protégé Greg Anderson broke through with 98.
Arlene was an integral part of every one of W.J.’s milestone, and in addition to Warren’s championships, she was an important factor in son Kurt’s career as he earned 42 wins and finished No. 2 in the nation multiple times.
Through her extensive collection of scrapbooks, notes, and photos she took over the years, Arlene was a major contributor to the Warren Johnson biography released by CarTech Books in 2021. She is wife to W.J., mom to Kurt, mother-in-law to Kathy, and grandmother to Conner, Erin, and Jarrett.