A Few Quick Questions with KLēN Class 1 Driver Jake Johnson

August 14, 2009

So you just got back from doing some shock testing...what are you changing on the car?
We just got done doing some shock testing in Lucerne, CA on Thurs. 8-6-09 and everything went real well. The reason behind shock testing was just to fine tune the shocks so the car would ride a little better in the big whoops and bumps. We were there for about six hours.

Is it running a lot smoother and faster now?
Yes it is, night and day difference. When we got there I was doing 97 mph in the whoops and by the time we had left I was hitting 103 mph, which is a huge improvment. That could be the difference between 1st and 2nd.

Vegas to Reno is coming up in just a few days...they say that this race is the US version of the Baja, do you agree with that statement?
Vegas to Reno is the closest version of Baja here in the USA, but there is nothing like the wide open desert of Baja. Baja is its own magical place, there is no other race like it. I would say Vegas to Reno is a close 2nd to Baja, I love to race them both. When you are comparing Vegas to Reno and Baja they are both in a different series. Vegas to Reno is in the Best in The Desert series and Baja is Score series. I would have to say thinking back, Vegas to Reno is alot of fun and is going to be better this year with a 3 day staged event.

Are you and Stevie gonna be splitting seat time like normal or are there any different plans for this race?
Yes, Steve and I will split time driving Vegas to Reno, but the man that has a big job ahead of him is our co-pilot Willie Clark. Willie will be racing the whole race from the passenger seat, with both Steve and I. This race is a different format than usual. Vegas to Reno is a 3 day staged event this year, totaling just over 1000 miles. On the first day Steve will drive the entire day. On the second day Steve will drive 147 miles then hand the car to me to drive the final 225 miles of that day. The last day I will drive the entire day to the finish of the race.

A good finish here could really put the LJR team in contention for a title this year.  As your first full season in a brand new car and as a new team that must be a pretty good feeling eh?
A good finish at this race would be a top 5. We are way more than capable of pulling off a top 5. A win would be the best of course. We finished 2nd the last race and we are tired of being the brides maid, we need a win. We currently are 4th in points 11 points out of 1st. If we have a clean three days, it will just take some luck for one of the other teams to have a bad day and we could leave with the points lead. 11 points is not much to make up with 3 races remaining in the series and yes it feels great to be running this well with a new team and the talent that we are up against with the other teams, some of the other racers that we race against are my hero's and now i'm racing against and with them.

Larry seems like a pretty incredible guy who has given you a fantasy-like opportunity to realize a dream you have always had; now that you are in the driver seat and you are putting together a title contending season do you feel like you could make a career out of this off-road racing?
Sometimes I feel like I need to pinch myself. Larry has given me the opportunity of a lifetime and has invested so much into me and this whole race team, I could not thank him enough for giving me this opportunity. A career? I would love to make this a career. There are only a few out there that do this as a career and I would love to be one of them, I know I could given the right chance. Most off road racers do this as a hobby, most of us have real jobs "lol".

Do you like the Class 1 or would you want to drive another class/series if given the opportunity?
I love racing Class 1 cars, I love racing anything. The Trophy Truck class seems to be the number 1 class out there, but the Trophy Trucks are who we race against in our Class 1 car. 98% of the time its a Trophy Truck or a Class 1 car out front of the pack and taking the overall at the races. I feel that in a Class 1 car you have to drive that car more than a Trophy Truck, don't get me wrong you have to drive a Trophy Truck very good to be competitive in that class, but they are easier to drive than a Class 1 car. Most of the top guys are driving Trophy Trucks and some do it for a living, please dont get me wrong they are great drivers, I would love to drive a Trophy Truck. If given the opportunity I would love to drive short course. My off road background is motocross and supercross so I think short course would fit me well and they look bad ass to drive. I know I could do well in short course.

Anything else you want to say to your family, team, sponsors or ex girlfriends out there?
I would like to say a huge thank you to my team for always being there out in the middle of nowhere in the desert to help me if needed. Thank you to my wife (Erin) and my 2 little girls(Anistyn & Lexi) they stand behind 100% so I can chase a dream that has seemed to come true, I know it is hard sometimes with me gone so much I love all 3 of you and thank you again. Thank you to my Mom and Dad for all of your support and coming to all of the races. Larry Jacinto you are the man and Thank You for this opportunity, I would not be here without you. Thank you Larry Jacinto Construction, Glen Helen Raceway, Cattrac, BFGoodrich, Lucas Oil, VP Fuel, mwilsonphoto, Deviate-Films, Kar-Tek, Pro-Am, PCI Radio's, Huffman Motorsports, Kroyer Engines, Porter Race Cars, King Shocks and last but not least KLeN Laundry we look forward to having you on board with us for the racing future. ( I can't wait to put some more socks on, the most comfortable socks ever). Ex girlfriend lol, I will just leave that one alone. See you all in the dirt.