My Favorite Craig Johnson Story

[14-H]

Craig, buddy, I'll miss you dearly...

This is my favorite story about Craig:

It must have been about 1992 or so when 15SSH was one of the most competitive classes in the midwest. We had 6 and 7 boat fields at small local races in Region 7 and that year, at the divisionals, a full field. The class was hotly contested with the likes of both myself and Richard, Miskerik, both Sutherlands, Warnock, Mike Motherway and others and, of course, Craig. That year I had spent quite a bit of time at "Uncle Tom's" in Elk River with Craig and in the spring we tested our asses off at a little lake northwest of Minneapolis; the one with the DQ right on the corner. We spent at least a week or so that spring with every day on the water and every night in the shop.

Well this year at the Divisionals, Craig, along with everybody else was gunning for the Championship. I'll never forget this race. It was the start of one of the heats at the Divisionals at Constantine, Michigan when the wind was not heavy but it was blowing right across the dam and up the front stretch. Well, at the start of the race, about five or six of us hit the start finish line at the same time and Craig was close to the inside. He took his 15 Hydro completely upside down and never let go. The boat did a perfect end-over-end, with Craig holding on the whole way. In fact, I recall someone snapping a picture of Craig with the bottom facing the sun and Craig still kneeling in the cockpit with his hands on the throttle and the wheel. If I recall correctly, that picture was printed in the Propeller. What a spectacular flip... all the way around! I'll never forget how hard Craig "held on."

I'm so sorry he couldn't keep doing just that. Craig was a fierce competitor, great partier, and even better friend. May God grant him eternal peace. 14-H.

[14-H]

I don't think I ever got to tell Craig this story:

Craig and I worked encessantly getting our 15H and runabouts to go fast in the early 90's. Somehow, we both developed our standard greeting to each other which was "fcuk you." After not seeing Craig for quite some time, this spring, we met up at the Winternationals in Ocoee. When I first saw Craig in the pits, he flipped me the traditional "bird" to extend his warm welcome to me at Ocoee and I politely "flipped-him-off" back to acknowledge the greeting and reciprocate. This had been our practice for several years.

Well, a couple of years back, Craig bought me a gift. It was a very high-tech key chain with a push-button that had an auditory message of either (1) "Fcuk you" or (2) "Eat Siht". He had one too and we initially spent several hours drinking beer and delivering the appropriate message to each other at the races. I carried this around on my key chain for quite some time.

Well once, I went to court on a matter where I represented a lady on a temporary restraining order. After standing when the judge entered the Court room and receiving the command to "please be seated," I sat down. When I did this, some how, I managed to set off Craig's key chain in my pocket whereupon it delivered one of those messages to my client who was sitting right next to me. She was not impressed. Luckily, the judge didn't hear it and we were victorious. I stopped carring the key chain to court after that.

The moral: Craig got me good. I'll miss that all-important salutation in the pit area. Only Craig knew how meaningful it really was. 14-H.

[hydroracer25]

Ed,

Since I was right next to Craig at the start, I rember seeing the boat until about 75 degrees or so. At that point I had moved in front enough where I couldn't see it anymore, however I remember everyone in the pits talking about it as we came in from the heat (which was red flagged I believe).

I don't have any great stories to add other than just the great memories of battles with Craig at Beloit Divisionals ('91 I believe) where he drove me all over the place keeping me in second and if I remember correctly splitting first and thirds w/ Warnock (Of course I think I had two seconds. Other places like Burlington, and Hillsdale were also great races that stick in my mind.

Like you, I hadn't seen Craig in a quite a while, however this past Spring (Ocoee) and Divisionals (DePue), discussions with him brought back the days of the great 15SSH days you mentioned.

It was only this past week while at Sutherland's house I ran across a picture of you, Craig, Randy Hippler accepting awards from the Marathon Nationals. I'm sure there were many stories to be told from that race as well.

Craig touched all of you lives in a different way and he always be in my memories of a friend and truly be missed.

Mark
25-M

[proprider]

Back in either '86" or "87" there was a bunch of us that met up at the mod nationals in Kansas. There were 3 of us teams that had planned to drive to Hinton for the stock nationals after the finals of the mod nationals.

E-mod hydro was one of the last classes to race on Sunday and after several delays and restarts we did not finish until after 6:00pm. Since we had to be in West Virginia by early the next morning, due to registration closing for the stock nationals, we had to drive through the nite.

Steves team consisted of him, Craig and some other young fellas. Steve was really struggling to keep awake and had to pull over. Since we had to keep moving to make registration, we were in a delema. Someone suggested putting Craig behind the wheel, I think he may have been 12 or 13 years old at the time. I think he ended up driving that old Scottsdale most of the way from there. I'll never forget looking in the rearview mirror at dawn and seeing what looked like a truck/trailer rig being driven without a driver, could barely see his head behind the steering wheel.

Thanks for the memories Craig. You'll be missed, but never forgotten.
Joe Schweickert 2-H

[Steve Warnock]

Ed, Mark and all,

Yeah that was probably my best memory of Craig, the Constantine blow over. Yes there are others at other races, but that one was quit the event. I was on Craigs inside hip about a half boat length behind. On the way to the first turn, he looked over at me and started to move over ever so lightly, later to be named the Andy Anderson Slide ( another story). I was thinking how am I going to get through the first as it looked like about 6 of us were going to get at the same time. As Craig looked forward his boat started to rise and he was moving forward then WAM, she took off. I actually ducked cause I didn't know which way it was going to go. Yes it was the talk of the pits and that day. About the same spot Joey Z took off in 25SSH a year or so ago!

At Ocoee this year I did notice the bits of banter (eat S**T, F-you)between Craig and Ed, but like an old fart didn't get this youthful form of communication, but now understand. I guess we all can take Craig's place with Fast Eddie at least a couple of times during the year.

As stated earlier, we will all miss him and his bright smiles and sense of humor. We will not foget him.
Peace!
Steve

[18W]

Here's one for ya-

Since moving to MN in 98, I spent some time with Craig. His tastes in NASCAR and mine differed as far as drivers, but loved the racing nonetheless. So for several years, a buddy of mine from up here and I traveled to at least one race a year. Craig saw the pictures and heard the stories we had to tell when we returned from Texas. Opening his smart mouth like always, he said how did Gordon do? Well, as it tourned out no so good. So we deccided to go to Texas again the following year. We had an extra ticket so I offered it to him. He was elated. For 12 straight hours all we heard about was how #24 was gonna destroy everyone else. That Saturday nite, we were enjoying the festivities that go with a car race, when Craig realized he was out of beer. We had a case of bottles stashed and told him to break it open. He asked for an opener and there was not one to be found. Using his engineering skills from college, he figured he would use the trailer hitch and his hand. Craig dissapears arround the back of the van and all you can hear is glass breaking. He gets another bottle, and the same thing happens. On his third try, he finally opens the bottle and comes arround the corner with a bloody hand. I thought that was the last time he would ever drink a bottle of beer.
But I was wrong. Sunday, while cruising through all the souvineer trailers, he disappears for a few minutes and comes back with that grin, he bought a 24 bottle opener! Little did he no glass was not allowed in the track. So we finished a few more bottles and went in to watch the race. About 50 laps in #24 crashed head on into the wall directly across the track from us. We actually got the last laugh o that trip.

Yes Warnock, CJ was with us so you can imagine the trip we had.

Lots of good Craig stories are still arround, will share more later.

Davey

[dholt]

Craig's blowover...will never forget that.

First year I was running the Racecraft in BSH. Nailed the start and was running up front...no worse than second...although I thought I was in the lead. That's why I remember it so clearly...because of the disappointment of the red flag.

It was pretty windy that day...and Craig was running his traditional "pint sized" 15ssH. Man, that thing looked way too small for a Hot Rod.

Glad he was OK, because that was one heck of a tumble.

He'll be missed.

D.