Tue, 24 Nov 2009, 12:08 PM ACDelco Sponsorship with Kurt Johnson Concludes after 14 Exciting Pro Stock Seasons

Courtesy of Jeff Romack Photo copyright 2009 NHRA

GRAND BLANC, Mich. --

Kurt Johnson

It's been an outstanding run for both veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Kurt Johnson and ACDelco, but after 14 race seasons, the sponsor-partnership that together produced 34 national-event victories, 10 top-five points finishes and a countless number of memorable moments, came to a close at the end of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle race season. It marks the conclusion of one of the longest-running sponsorships in NHRA Drag Racing, dating all the way back to 1996 when Johnson first competed in the Delco Freedom Batteries car.

"Kurt has been a tremendous ambassador for ACDelco over the years and is a true professional in every sense of the word," said Jim Moloney, General Director, GM Service and Parts Operations. "He has provided us with some wonderful moments, both on and off the track, and all of our customers appreciate everything he has done during these past 14 race seasons.

"We've been proud to be associated with Kurt Johnson, and everyone at ACDelco and GM SPO appreciate everything he's done to carry the ACDelco banner. We wish nothing but the best for Kurt, his family and his race program."

Since making his Pro Stock debut in 1993, Johnson has accumulated 39 career national-event victories, 75 final-round appearances, 13 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in the final points standings. He has captured 34 national-event wins and 14 top-10 finishes during his association with ACDelco.

Kurt Johnson

The northeast Georgia resident also has 521 career round-wins which is second only to his father, six-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Warren Johnson, among full-time, active Pro Stock drivers. The NHRA Rookie of the Year in 1993, Johnson has averaged a 4th-place points finish over the last 17 years.

"Our partnership with ACDelco has been so long that it seems like they've always been on the side of one of our of race cars," Johnson said. "We've made a lot of wonderful friends at ACDelco and GM SPO over the years, and I truly appreciate everything they've done for our race program to make it successful. To all the ACDelco distributors and independent service centers who have been such a strong proponent of this program, I want to thank you for your support during these past 14 seasons."

"We're accepting offers for sponsors for 2010, and we're confident that we have a tremendous program capable of building the kind of exposure a company needs to aggressively promote and sell its products."