CHRIS JOHNSON FINDS A WAY TO THE TOP OF PIKES PEAK WITH DRAMATIC RESTART ON FINAL CORNER
Colorado Springs, CO – On February 6, The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo, will announce the field of drivers selected to participate in the 2025 Race to the Clouds. While anticipation builds for the 2025 entry list, let’s meet Chris Johnson, who made his first run through the famous 156 turns last June.
LIFELONG LOVE OF CARS
With roots in the racing community, Johnson explained, “I grew up in a muscle car household. My dad had a 1967 Mustang that he raced in grudge racing in Virginia in the ’60s and ’70s. I was always around cars and loved it. Every car I had was fast! I had a 1970 Bronco with a big motor. I also had a 1970 440 ‘Cuda that was pretty rowdy. I loved doing burnouts in my high school parking lot!”
Recalling time spent with his dad, he further offered, “He always pushed me, but was super supportive. He’d say, ‘Do it, but be sure you understand every aspect.’ Whatever kind of racing came up, karting, dirt track oval racing, anything, if I wanted to do it, dad hooked up the trailer and we went. We were out there getting dirty together. It was true grassroots racing.”
Johnson has also passed along his passion for getting behind the wheel to his son, stating, “My wife and my son love to watch racing. My son helped me prep my car, and he’s got a crazy little Miata that he’d like to get on the track.”
EARLY LOVE OF PIKES PEAK
Johnson shared the first time he heard about Pikes Peak, “It was in the 1980s on television. I’d wake up on the weekends and watch racing with my dad. When I saw it, it really stuck with me.”
Talking about his Nissan build, Johnson shared some history of the lead up to his 2024 Pikes Peak entry, “I originally wanted to build a 1967 Mustang as a tribute to my dad, since he passed away. I also thought about a Nissan R32…my dream car. I wanted to do something in the spirit of building a crazy car, but that also had the essence of a muscle car. It had a big cam motor, so it sounded like a ’67 Mustang, just super obnoxious.”
“This GT-R originally came out of Nissan’s Omori factory, and was owned by a Japanese enthusiast. When I acquired it, I wanted to make it a GT3 car.”
“So, I was watching a documentary film featuring Shawn Bassett, and saw that this was an average dude, and his shop was fairly nearby where I was living in Florida, so I connected with him. I went to Shawn’s for a race alignment. He asked me what I wanted to do with the car, and I said, ‘Pikes Peak.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Well, we’re starting over then! If you’re really serious about Pikes Peak, everything about this car has to change.’ So, we redid the aero, the cooling, and we fabricated a completely different roll cage. We got rid of the GT-R stuff to make it more serviceable. I feel this car was meant to be a race car, and it’s a weapon now.”
With the build finished, Johnson traveled with Bassett to Las Vegas for the SEMA show in 2022.
“We were selected in the Top 40 and then reached Top 12 in the Battle of the Builders with a car that had already been on the track and was far from perfect,” said Johnson.
MENTOR FOR THE MOUNTAIN
“Shawn had a really small shop, we worked closely, and became friends. He invited me to help him crew on his car at Pikes Peak in 2021, and I remember him telling me, “You need to see how to get the car prepped, and experience the stress of race week.”
“At one point, Shawn told me, ‘You need to learn that Pikes Peak is not track racing.’ Since Shawn had crewed for Scott Birdsall, and I was getting ready to crew for Shawn, I just took their knowledge of the mountain and internalized it,” explained Johnson.
“The goal was always for me to race at Pikes Peak. Everything I did from running in Global Time Attack to Gridlife events was great for getting practice time in, and shaking down the car,” offered Johnson.
RACE WEEK HIGHS AND LOWS
Once he arrived in Colorado Springs, Johnson was eager to take part in Fan Fest, a Friday night, pre-race street festival, and fans were just as excited to see the build in person.
On race day, about halfway through the race, Johnson’s Nissan wasn’t performing as he expected. Just two turns below the finish line, the car slow-rolled to a stop. Johnson related the experience, “I started getting low pressure alarms and it was bucking and spitting around Glen Cove. I made a decision to really just back off so I could get to the top. I just kept saying, ‘We’re going to get to the top…it’s going to be a crappy time, but I’m getting us up there.’
“When it stalled at Olympic Corner, I was gutted. I was heartbroken, but I could feel my dad next to me. You know, I have a little prayer I do, I ask for vision, focus, balance and calm, and I felt it.
“I knew there was one more car coming up behind me, and I needed to make a decision. I had faith it was going to start, and I did get it to refire, but it was stuck in neutral. So, I had to kill it, reset the GTU, and then I could get it into first gear, and I babied it up the hill.”
Johnson crossed the line in 15:45.707, clocking his first official race time on Pikes Peak.
“You have these pictures in your head of ripping across the line, flags waving, high fives. I limped across, so didn’t have that moment, but I was just as happy.”
Chris Johnson
REACHING THE TOP
“The day was super long, and race week had been long and emotional. I didn’t have that big explosive moment, but it was quietly satisfying, for sure.
“At the end, Brett Dickie came over, I wasn’t even out of the car, and he said ‘You made it mate!’ He had really encouraged me all week.”
“And beyond the competitors who really supported me, Dan Skokan, PPIHC’s Director of Competition, went above and beyond to be sure I was staying safe, just quietly mentoring me.”
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Johnson offered insight into his plan for 2025 and beyond. “My focus now is getting the car right. Now I have data from Pikes Peak, so I know what the car can do up there. It’s not hypothetical. We had some issues with the transmission not wanting to shift, and we worked on that all week. We also had the fuel delivery problem. I learned that when you’re on the mountain, small things become really big issues.”
“I’m going to sit this year out, and focus on the car. We’ve got changes to make, so I can make sure it’s 110% for next year.”
GET TO KNOW CHRIS JOHNSON
Instagram: @noquartergtr
Fun Facts:
“I married into a horse family, so we recently bought 12 acres and my daily farm chores are cutting grass and mucking stalls.”
“I’m a big saltwater fisherman, and did the salt life thing. I’ve caught blue marlin and done spear fishing. I also love to surf!”
“I have two dogs, Walter and Hazel. They’re a sporting breed, Spinone Italiano.”
Must Have in the Race Trailer: “A tire pressure gauge, jack stands, and a ton of summer-edition Red Bull (the green one)”
Favorite Section: “Glen Cove – it’s halfway, so mentally it’s telling me it’s time to start climbing. It’s a huge confidence booster. You go ripping through there and everybody’s cheering. So, I did have the opportunity to experience that.”
Most Challenging Section: “The top section. Even on the sim, it’s deceptively flowy. But the top is so rough I had a hard time carrying any sort of pace up there. That’s just knowledge you have to gain from driving it. You have to know which side of the road is a smoother line.”
Pikes Peak Heroes: “I loved watching Michèle Mouton. I grew up loving Audis and I had a couple, and I’m kind of an all wheel drive guy. So, what she did on the mountain, as a woman, crushing it, taking everyone to school, and being an Audi driver as well, that was when I really got introduced to Pikes Peak.”
Photos by: Larry Chen Photo; Larry Chen, Luis Garcia; Payton Smith, Charles Zhao, Jason Zindroski. Chris Johnson, SEMA, Red Bull
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