Lori Johns

Lori Johns (born 1965[1]) is a former Top Fuel Dragster racer. She won rookie of the year in 1985 and in 1990 became the third woman to win a NHRA Top Fuel event after Shirley Muldowney (1976) and Lucille Lee (1982).[2]

History

Johns was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.[3]

At a Competition Eliminator event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 1986, Johns suffered a serious injury after a Jim Van Cleve's gas dragster climbed a guardrail, flipped, and landed on her, breaking her back and neck, which left her out of competition for two years.[4] After undergoing five surgeries, Johns attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.[5]

Blaming Van Cleve for the accident, her father, Terry (a car dealer), sued.[6] The suit was ultimately dropped, at Johns' request.[7]

After learning to drive an alcohol dragster, Johns went into Top Fuel racing, in a new car, supplied by her father, at a cost of US$125,000.[8]

In trials with the new car, Johns, at age 23, turned in a pass of 5.03 seconds at 283 mph (455 km/h), making her one of the seven quickest drivers in Top Fuel at the time.[9] At the time, she had entered only ten Top Fuel races, and had never reached a final round.[10]

Johns' entry into Top Fuel makes her only the second woman in the class, after Shirley Muldowney a generation before.[11]

In 1991, as qualifications for the U.S. Nationals began, she was fourth in the standings.[12]

She had a Revell model kit (#7496) of Johns' Jolly Rancher dragster.[13] She was also the subject of an official NHRA trading card.[14] Jolly Rancher would later drop Johns, shifting their sponsorship to John Force.

Notes
  1. Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  2. "Autoweek", 24 May 2014, "Complete List of 100 NHRA Wins for Women", (retrieved 12 April 2019)
  3. Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  4. Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved ??? October 2018)
  5. Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018); Autoweek (pdf); Orlando Sentinel online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  6. Autoweek (pdf)
  7. Autoweek (pdf)
  8. Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018); Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  9. Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  10. Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  11. Sports Illustrated online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  12. Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
  13. Ebay
  14. Amazon.com (retrieved 5 October 2018)
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