Steve Johnson will storm into fabled Route 66 Raceway aboard his 200-mph Suzuki for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, May 14-17, seeking to find some redemption after an early exit at the NHRA Southern Nationals, two weeks ago. It’s the fourth of 14 races this season for the Pro Stock Motorcycle class as the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heats up in the Midwest.
As Johnson continues to celebrate his historic 40th season of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle competition, the NHRA resumes their yearlong 75th anniversary party in Chicago, with tremendous side by side racing action and festivities galore. Johnson is the only racer competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class today to have qualified at the inaugural Route 66 Nationals in 1998. The lanky veteran has run well at Route 66 Raceway, with runner-up finishes in the money round in 1999 and again in 2010. Last year he used a second round holeshot victory to ride his red and white Suzuki to a solid semifinal finish.
“Every track has its own personality, but I remember rolling out of the tunnel into this stadium-like arena for the first time in 1998 and it was awesome.” Johnson said, looking back fondly. “The giant grandstands were full, and the track was fast and it was very thrilling. There’s no other track in the series built that way.
“I remember racing Matt Hines in the final round in 1999 too. I’ve also spent some time huddling in the bathrooms under the grandstands during tornado warnings,” Johnson added with a laugh.
With the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycles competing for the third time in four weeks, Johnson reveals that there is a strategy developed inside the process of his race preparation.
“There’s a process after every race involving everything from unloading the motorcycle and engines off of the truck and trailer, to evaluating our performance from the last event,” said Johnson from his Alabama-based shop. “Then we developed a strategy that helps us get everything ready and loaded back on the trailer and prepared in time to travel to the next race.”
Johnson will thunder into his all-time, class leading 523rd career race at the Route 66 Nationals tied for 8th in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series points standings, with one quarter of the season schedule already in the books.
“I feel like our Suzuki is faster than the scoreboard shows,” said Johnson. “Our bike is very difficult to ride perfectly and some of my competitors use such good technique that they make it look very easy.”
Headed into the Route 66 Nationals, Johnson will be striving to find that riding perfection aboard his Suzuki this weekend.
“The traction is so good on that starting line, especially during that Friday evening session,” Johnson added with anticipation. “They call it Chicagoland, but in the pits we call it Disneyland.”
In addition to racing, Johnson will also be busy during the week presenting 10 BATman scholarships, along with George Arrants of the ASE Education Foundation, to students from Wisconsin and Illinois. All the winners and runner-up will be at the Route 66 Nationals on Friday as guests of the Mopar Career Automotive Program and the NHRA Youth Education System events.
The post Steve Johnson Racing Storms Into Chicago for NHRA Route 66 Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
