| May 3, 2022
For the second time in as many weeks, Slick 50 Suzuki’s Steve Johnson earned a win in the Camping World NHRA Drag Racing series, and now he’s a clear favorite to win the Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship.
Story by Kevin McKenna | Photos by Matt Polito
The Circle K Four Wide Nationals features a unique format featuring four bikes at a time. The top two finishers advance in the early rounds until the final, where a winner and a runner-up are determined.
Johnson won the final with a 6.740 elapsed time, easily defeating Karen Stoffer, Eddie Krawiec and Joey Gladstone. Stoffer was second quickest with a 6.824, while Krawiec ran a 6.859 and Gladstone was fourth with a 6.909 elapsed time.
“It takes a lot of inner strength to do this,” Johnson said. “Out here, you’re going to get kicked in the teeth. I’ve seen it over and over again. You still get up and go to work. I’ve been out here 30-something years, and I have a ton of gratitude for that. I sleep at my shop and every penny goes into my program. Winning races and winning a championship is why I’m here.”
Johnson was quick throughout the event, but in qualifying, Angelle Sampey was the class of the field with a 6.712, the quickest run of her long career. Sampey’s shot at the title ended in the second round when she was late off the starting line. Johnson who has long been bitter rivals with Sampey, couldn’t resist a chance to take shot at the three-time world champ.
“What happened to Glitter Girl?” Johnson said. “Did she break? Her bike was a rocketship, but she wasn’t in the final.”
Johnson also went off on reigning world champ Matt Smith, another longtime rival. Last week, Smith raced Johnson in the final round in Houston. Before the final, Smith elected to swap bikes, parking his new Suzuki in favor of last year’s championship-winning Buell. Although perfectly within the rules, Johnson was apparently incensed by the move.
“It’s no secret that Matt and I don’t get along,” Johnson said. “It’s okay. It might be the only real rivalry we have in our sport. I said some things last week and I know that Angie [Smith, Matt’s wife] didn’t see the humor in it. Look, I don’t hate anyone, but I just say what I feel.”
Beyond Johnson’s performance (and his comments), there were other highlights from the Charlotte round. Gainesville winner Karen Stoffer had another solid race aboard her Big St. Charles/Skillman Auto Suzuki.
Stoffer, who made the two quickest runs in the history of the class in Gainesville, went to the final round with consistent runs of 6.79 and 6.80 to keep herself in the battle for the season championship. Stoffer also had a scary moment during qualifying when the front fairing of her Suzuki came loose at half-track. Traveling well over 170-mph, the front end of Stoffer’s bike went airborne and pitched sideways. She managed to get the bike stopped without incurring any damage but quickly noted it was one of the wildest rides of her long career.
“I had no warning, none at all,” Stoffer said. “The front end came up and I knew the bike wasn’t going straight. My biggest concern was crossing the centerline and maybe hitting one of the timing blocks because I almost certainly would have come off the bike if that happened. In the end, it all worked out, but it was definitely tense for a while.”
Back to Johnson, he’s leading the standings for one of the few times in his career albeit by just six points over Stoffer. Now that he has the top spot, he’s determined to stay there although there are 12 more rounds left in the long season.
“I’ve worked my whole career to be in this position,” Johnson said. “It hasn’t been easy but here we are. I’m just proud of all the sponsors that continue to stand behind our program. We just need to keep this going.”