In case you haven’t noticed, Kurt Johnson’s ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt has a nasty disposition in 2008. So nasty is this attitude, that Johnson has been using the attitude-laced Chevrolet to lay down some impressive runs.

“We just paid a little bit better attention to details is all it was,” Johnson said when asked what he’s done to the car to make it respond positively. “The dyno said we were a little bit better but to come out here and run down the race track it was a little bit added bonus.  We didn't expect to go as fast as we did.  I thought it was just my car being new too, but obviously the GM Performance Parts car [driven by his dad Warren Johnson. He is just as fast as I am so it seems to be happy.  We're kind of scratching our heads right now.”

Johnson admitted that his engine program picked up about four horsepower during the off-season. In case you haven’t noticed, Kurt Johnson’s ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt has a nasty disposition in 2008. So nasty is this attitude, that Johnson has been using the attitude-laced Chevrolet to lay down some impressive runs.

“We just paid a little bit better attention to details is all it was,” Johnson said when asked what he’s done to the car to make it respond positively. “The dyno said we were a little bit better but to come out here and run down the race track it was a little bit added bonus.  We didn't expect to go as fast as we did.  I thought it was just my car being new too, but obviously the GM Performance Parts car [driven by his dad Warren Johnson. He is just as fast as I am so it seems to be happy.  We're kind of scratching our heads right now.”

Johnson admitted that his engine program picked up about four horsepower during the off-season.
 
“To be honest we've got six good engines and a couple of them we didn't really touch so we did something right,” Johnson added.

One might question the extensive effort that it takes to make such a small horsepower increase when compared to the other professional categories.
 
“It’s an absolute crusher,” Johnson said, explaining the challenge of making horsepower gains. “You buy a set of headers at three or four thousand dollars, you bolt them on and 10 seconds later they’re laying on the floor because they were no good.  It's just a crusher when you look at that aspect.  If you let it sit around, it probably wasn't the combination at the time and you lose two or three horsepower.  You let that stuff sit in the corner and you come back six months later or a year later and you bolt that same set of headers on and it might be better.  We never let parts go to waste; we always find a use for them.”

Johnson pointed out that he and his team always searching for the advantage in the class. He wants the championship so bad that he’s willing to bring out both barrels blazing for 24 races.
 
“We have every year but this year I think we have a little bit better chance at it than we have in the past to start off running so good,” Johnson said. “We had some problems at the end of the year last year.  We felt that going into Indy we had a car that could contend for the championship.  The next couple of races we stumbled and had some parts break.  Things just didn't go great. 

“I drove well all year and we kind of stumbled on that one race there at the end of the year.  You've got to have the whole package and these last 6 races you know we're putting ourselves in a position to be in that top 10, I think we'll be a contender.”

Johnson will testify the little things can do a championship effort in.
 
“It's just paying attention to detail, and everybody's coming to the top of the mountain and there's only so much room to stand up there so we hope we're one of them,” Johnson said.