Interview with Sprint Car Racer, Chase Johnson

Chase Johnson, a rising star in the world of Sprint Car racing, has always had an unbridled passion for the sport. From a young age, he idolized the greats of Sprint Car racing, dreaming of one day joining their ranks.

Price Family Dealerships is a proud sponsor of Chase Johnson Racing, and we recently had a chance to sit down with Chase, getting his thoughts on the upcoming 2023 race season and what it’s like to be a professional driver.

What motivated you to become a sprint car driver?

As a child, I was fascinated by sprint car drivers and dreamed of becoming one myself. My love for racing and passion for the sport were inspired by my family’s background in racing. My father and uncle raced sprint cars, while my grandfather raced midgets and super modifieds, which were predecessors to sprint cars. Even my great grandfathers were involved in racing, with one of them still owning a racing team when I was a young child. Being so closely connected to the sport and seeing my family’s passion for it was a huge motivation for me to become a sprint car driver.

How did you prepare for the upcoming 2023 race season?

As a driver and team owner, there are many preparations that come with the off-season. I focus on physical and mental preparation as a driver, with strength and conditioning training 5-6 days a week, specifically designed for high heart rate situations. I also work with a performance coach to ensure I am in the right mindset going into the race season. On the team owner side, we completely rebuild our race cars each season, going through the parts and pieces to ensure they are still in good condition. Our engine is also sent off to be rebuilt. We have also worked with our new crew chief to make sure our car tuning is top-notch. The off-season is a critical time for us to prepare in all areas, and we are ready to hit the track with full force for the upcoming 2023 race season.

Can you share with us the biggest challenges you faced in the previous racing season? 

As a driver, one of the biggest challenges I faced in the previous racing season was the mental side of racing. It can be difficult to stay focused and positive when facing setbacks and challenges on the track. Additionally, not having the best equipment was a challenge as well. Racing equipment, such as the engine and car, are crucial to showing your talent and competing at a high level. In previous years, I did not have the necessary backing or equipment to truly showcase my abilities, which can lead to self-doubt. However, this is no longer an issue as I feel confident in our equipment and have the support necessary to succeed both mentally and physically on the track.

What do you think sets your team apart from other racing teams?

As a team, we pride ourselves on our professionalism and our commitment to excellence in marketing and branding, which aligns with our partners’ goals. While we always strive for top results on the track, what sets us apart is the effort we put in off the track. We go above and beyond to help market and promote our partners, and this sets us apart from other teams. Our dedicated and loyal fans also play a big role in showcasing how unique and different our team is compared to others.

Which track are you most excited to race at during the upcoming season?

I have my favorite stops on the circuit and some races that are great because how close we are to home. My personal favorites are Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, CA and Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, CA. Races at those tracks are always ones I am excited for. I also am excited to race close to home at Petaluma Speedway and Antioch Speedway. It is great seeing all our local fans, many that have been fans of mine for years.

How do you balance the demands of racing with your personal life?

Balance is very important and is certainly not easy. I definitely wear many “hats” in my life but I enjoy getting to do different things other than racing at times. Having a great wife makes it easier to help me balance my life as well as having a great family and job makes it easier. The offseason provides a nice balance.

What do you think are your strengths as a sprint car driver?

My strengths as a sprint car driver is my adaptability. I feel like my ability to quickly adapt and change to track conditions and changing handling/set ups on the race car is a strength of mine. I also feel like the ability to put fears out of my mind is a strength as well.

How do you mentally prepare for a race?

Being confident is important in my mental preparations. Focusing on one race at a time and putting full focus towards that one race is important for myself. My team helps me mentally with reassurance and giving me that extra confidence boost at times when needed. Some good music helps and often just a good vibe/atmosphere around our team creates a great mental state for racing.

How do you stay focused during long races?

I enjoy longer races and have never had any issues losing focus. Certain nights with long breaks make it a little more difficult but getting my head right and focusing on the task at hand before a race is a way I stay focused.

What are your thoughts on the new safety measures being implemented in sprint car racing?

I think it is great. Sprint Car racing will always be dangerous but certain safety measures that are being implemented now are something that should of been done many years ago. The fire system is something we have been working directly with the manufactures with for the past 5 years so to see this all come to fruition it makes me proud of my involvement in it. I pride myself on being up to date with the safety aspect in motorsports and most recently I have been interested in the concussion health aspect of our sport.

How important is teamwork in sprint car racing?

It is very important. What we do is far from and one-man job. The people that we have on our team – I trust them with my life. Each person holds an important responsibility, and they are great at the jobs they do. Our team on a normal night of racing consists of about 4-5 people, and what I do out on the track is the result of my teams’ efforts off the track. We have a great team with a bunch of motivated individuals that want to win just as much as I do.

What advice would you give to aspiring sprint car drivers?

You have to live, eat and breathe it. If this is what you want to do it will be extremely hard and difficult many times than not. You have to be willing to put the work in. You will need to be ready to do it all, from mopping the floors to spending countless late-night hours in the shop working on your race car.

What do you think is the key to success in sprint car racing?

Being successful in sprint car racing is like solving a puzzle. You need to have all your pieces to the puzzle line up. You need to have a good driver, you need to have a good engine, you need to have a good car, you need to have a good set up and you need to have good people behind you. If you have all of those you will have success.

How has your driving style evolved over the years?

My driving style has definitely evolved over the years. I have become better at understanding when to be aggressive and when not to be. Understanding when, where and how to be aggressive is very important in what I do. I would say that my driving style has become more aggressive yet tamed.

What are your goals for the upcoming season?

My goal for this upcoming season is winning races. I have no focus on top 10 finishes, I want to win.

Can you talk about any changes you’ve made to your car setup this season?

As we prepare for this season, we’ve been meticulously going over every detail of our car setup. We’re looking at everything from weight distribution to aerodynamics to make sure we’re as efficient as possible on the track. We’ve made some changes to our shock and spring package, which we hope will give us more speed while still maintaining good grip. We’re always looking for ways to improve and gain an edge over our competitors.”

What message would you like to send to your fans ahead of the upcoming racing season?

As we gear up for the upcoming racing season, I want to take a moment to thank all of my amazing fans for their unwavering support. Your encouragement and enthusiasm for our team is truly inspiring, and it fuels our drive to succeed on and off the track. We’re also thrilled to see the support for the Price Family Toyota stores, which means a lot to us. We can’t wait to hit the track and give it our all, and we hope to make you all proud with many victories to come. See you at the racetrack!

 
 
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHASE JOHNSON RACING SCHEDULE