| November 2, 2021
Steve Johnson thought that his chances to finally win a Camping World NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle title championship ended at the most recent event in Bristol, Tennessee, where the 35-year veteran failed to win even a single round of eliminations.
He was mistaken.
Steve Johnson kept his title hopes alive by winning the Las Vegas round of the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship. Photo by Matt Polito
By Kevin McKenna
Needing nothing less than a victory to stay in the fight and challenge title contenders Matt Smith and Angelle Sampey, Johnson got just what he needed when he defeated Big St. Charles Suzuki’s Karen Stoffer in the final round of the Dodge SRT Nationals in Las Vegas, the penultimate round in the NHRA series.
Johnson’s starting-line reaction time was nearly perfect in the final round, and he ran a competitive 6.86 elapsed time on his MacRak Suzuki but needed none of it after Stoffer let the clutch go a fraction of a second too soon and red-lighted.
The win was the third of the season for Johnson and left him well within striking distance of leader Smith with just one race remaining.
“I really, really want to bring home a championship. Matt [Smith] has four and Angelle [Sampey] has three and I just want one,” Johnson said. “I’m so disappointed that we let one get away in Bristol but now we’ve got a chance to go to Pomona and finish it.”
“It took me 17 years to win my first national event, 2004 in St. Louis. After 10 years, my mom was like, ‘How about lawn care, dentistry, or something else?’ The truth is I’m a sucker for this sport.”
Johnson’s sudden improvement can be traced to a recent NHRA rules revision that permitted the Suzuki inline four-cylinder bikes to run a four-valve cylinder head. Several riders have been able to benefit from the new design, but few better than Johnson, who is in the midst of his best season.
After qualifying second behind Smith’s Denso Buell, Johnson raced to victories on Sunday against Charles Poskey, Angie Smith and fellow championship contender Sampey. The win over Sampey represented a big points swing, especially after Smith also went out in the semifinal round.
In the winner’s circle, Johnson was also reminded that the Las Vegas event represented the 1000th national event for NHRA, which was founded in 1955. Johnson has participated in 461 of those races, more than any other Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor.
“It is very special to win this 1000th NHRA event and the money is also like life blood for us,” Johnson said. “I’m just happy to be depositing a check for once.”
With one event left to run, Smith remains the leader with Johnson just 20 points back and Sampey still in the mix, 30 points out of first. Smith and Sampey have plenty of combined experience in tight championship battles while this is a new endeavor for Johnson.
Stoffer is also using the four-valve engine combination and her performance has also improved dramatically. Two weeks ago, she was a runner-up to Sampey at the Bristol round, and she rode to another final round in Las Vegas by beating Kelly Clontz, White Alligator Suzuki’s Jerry Savoie and Smith. In that round, Stoffer left the starting line first and won via a holeshot with her 6.86 arriving at the finish line before Smith’s 6.83.
The 2021 NHRA season will wrap up on November 12-14 at the Auto Club Finals at Pomona Raceway near Los Angeles. The event features points-and-a-half for professional competitors, making it possible for at least a half dozen riders to still win the title.
2021 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Las Vegas Results
For more information, visit NHRA.com
