Lori Johns (born 1965Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)) 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)."Autoweek", 24 May 2014, "Complete List of 100 NHRA Wins for Women", (retrieved 12 April 2019)
History Johns was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
At an NHRA National event, The Cajun Nationals, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 1986, Johns suffered a serious injury after Jim Van Cleve's Budweiser sponsored Ford Mustang climbed a guardrail, flipped, and landed on Lori's roll cage, breaking her back and neck, which left her out of competition for two years.Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved ??? October 2018) After undergoing five surgeries, Johns attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018); Autoweek (pdf); Orlando Sentinel online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
Blaming Van Cleve for the accident, her father, Terry (a car dealer), sued.Autoweek (pdf) The suit was ultimately dropped, at Johns' request.Autoweek (pdf)
After learning to drive a Top Alcohol dragster, Johns went into Top Fuel racing, in a new car, supplied by her father, at a cost of US$125,000.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)
In trials with the new car, Johns, at age 23, turned in a pass of 5.03 seconds at , making her one of the seven quickest drivers in Top Fuel at the time.Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018) At the time, she had entered only ten Top Fuel races, and had never reached a final round.Williams, Janis. "Speed Queen", in Texas Monthly, May 1989, p.96, at Google Books (retrieved 5 October 2018)
In 1991, as qualifications for the U.S. Nationals began, she was fourth in the standings.Chicago Tribune online (retrieved 5 October 2018)
She had a Revell model kit (#7496) of Johns' Jolly Rancher dragster.Ebay She was also the subject of an official NHRA trading card.Amazon.com (retrieved 5 October 2018)
Notes
External links Tulsaworld.com Officialize.com/