Billy Johnson - Autohype interview

[stuntman]

Hey guys,

Check out my recent interview with Autohype USA:


http://www.autohypeusa.com/billy.html


The interview is in regards to how I got my start, and a little about competing in time-attacks. I think they did a pretty good job.



-Billy

 

[Dtrigg]

Nice interview. Very impressive. Continued success.

 

[SoCalDude]

Great interview. What's on your racing schedule this year?

 

[stuntman]

Great interview. What's on your racing schedule this year?

Thank you.

Sofar its the Grand-Am Koni Challenge schedule (www.grand-am.com/koni) and the Redline Time Attack schedule (www.redlinetimeattack.com)

 

[docjohn]

Billy what became of your open wheel aspirations?You seemed to be on the track to indy/cart type racing,esp with the bmw angle; but ended up in sedans.I suspect $ and sponsorship

 

[stuntman]

Billy what became of your open wheel aspirations?You seemed to be on the track to indy/cart type racing,esp with the bmw angle; but ended up in sedans.I suspect $ and sponsorship

Exactly. After finishing 5th in the driver's championship of the Inaugural Formula BMW USA series and receiving the "Sportsman of the Year" Award presented by Racer Magazine (the season which was subsidized by the scholarship and the race team I drove for), the next step was Formula Mazda Pro ($4-600,000 season) or Atlantics ($800-1.5Million season) with no subsidizing or sponsorship, the path to sedans had more opportunities to the point of now being a paid driver.

If an opportunity presented itself to race Formula cars, I would definitely be interested. I did one race in a Pro Mazda, and had no problem jumping back into a formula car after being out of the seat of one for over a year.

 

[NSXDreamer2]

nice interview, I was surprised that you didn't mention nsx or FactorX or KW :tongue:

j/k... Congrat. and we will see you on TV (again) soon, hopefully in a higher level of racing... F3, Lemans or maybe F1!!!

 

[stuntman]

nice interview, I was surprised that you didn't mention nsx or FactorX or KW :tongue:

j/k... Congrat. and we will see you on TV (again) soon, hopefully in a higher level of racing... F3, Lemans or maybe F1!!!

While winning overall at the Time Attack at Laguna Seca and the Long Beach Grand Prix with Factor X's Unlimited car (and plenty of modified class wins), and while I definitely think KW is a world-class company and I like working with them, those relationships are relatively recent and the interview was in regards to how I got to where I am today and who helped me along the way.

My Koni Challenge race from Daytona next weekend will air on Speed Channel within a month.

 

[JeffShoots]

Word on the street is this "Billy Johnson" kid is just that a little boy just way too much attitude for a young punk :tongue:

J/K Had to bust your balls man......you are living the dream. I've got to get some seat time with you and see this drift/driving style I have been told of. Also I'll look up your # as I have a question or questions about another car.

Billy can you PM me your number looks like it's too old for Prime's PM system.

Good luck man just keep running :smile:

 

[White92]

Wow, it always seems that drivers get their start in karting when they were young. How would a grownup get started in this? Assuming they don't have connections in the business?

 

[NSXDreamer2]

when the economy was good and I haven't bought a house; I was dreaming racing go kart too... or else you could always bought a spec miata and get your foot into racing.

There're only couple ways of starting motorsport when you are over 25 and have no connection. But first, make a boat load of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$; (more than a few of good race car drivers are tech geek, look at most prime member's job positions.)

If you have enough talent and skills, buy yourself a fast car and starting your own team. Spec miata, formular mazda or even getting yourself into Porsche cup.

If you don't have what it takes, have a son or better yet, daughter and train them young. It also requires lots of $$$$$$$ and time. Looks like in US, most of them are starting from dirt bike, then go kart. (I'm surprised Billy is one of them.)

maybe there's a 3rd option, but then you really have to have a lot of time and money: turning your nsx into a race car... just ask John@microsoft :biggrin:

 

[White92]

Good idea. So my son will be 2 next month. I don't want to hijack this thread so if anyone has any good ideas how to get into karting, what's good, what's not, etc.... feel free to start up a new thread. Thanks!

 

[nsxalot]

A Billy Johnson history

Check this out. Keep it in the back of your brain for the next time shares car information. ( I hope I have the address correct.)

http://www.autohypeusa.com/billy.html

Lance

 

[fourringpilot]

Re: A Billy Johnson history

Ahh, the glitz and glamour of being a pro racer. :biggrin:
He still has his Lambo and Ferrari. Glad to see he's hanging on to those classics.:smile::wink:

 

[john@johnhudakracing]

Wow, it always seems that drivers get their start in karting when they were young. How would a grownup get started in this? Assuming they don't have connections in the business?

Their was a great article on this very topic recently in SportsCar magazine. The answer as it turns out from the top- talent helps, but it is far secondary to good connections.

 

[NSXAMG996TT]

Wished I got a go kart instead of a skateboard at age 13. But then again, I don't have the natural talent as you nor millions of dollars to toss around the track. Hope to catch you at this year's Time Attack - and best of luck next week!

 

[stuntman]

Wow, it always seems that drivers get their start in karting when they were young. How would a grownup get started in this? Assuming they don't have connections in the business?

Karting is a great sport, but competitive karting can get VERY expensive. Motors can be north of $3K. A spec miata motor is $1,200 and I think might be a better and probably more fun sport than karting (but is subjective especially if their is no local SM chapters but plenty of Karting clubs in your area, and so on).

Good idea. So my son will be 2 next month. I don't want to hijack this thread so if anyone has any good ideas how to get into karting, what's good, what's not, etc.... feel free to start up a new thread. Thanks!

Personally, get him on a dirtbike. If he/you (more importantly he) wants to race, nothing beats learning hand-eye coordination and balance than on a motorcycle. I hate seeing the dads who push their 5-13yo kids and take it too seriously where the kids are no longer having fun/want to do it. I'm really happy I was dirtbiking until I started Karting, then started cars at the now late age of 16. You can do a Skip Barber racing school at 14. Do karting for maybe a year or two to learn race craft, but he'll learn better balance and skills in the long run especially when driving a sprung-car by dirtbiking at a younger age than not refining that balance in a kart which is in many ways way more forgiving.

0.02

Wish I got a go-kart instead of a skateboard at age 13. But then again, I don't have the natural talent as you, nor the millions of dollars to toss around the track. Hope to catch you at this year's Time Attack - and best of luck next week!

Read the article. I sold my dirt bike to buy a kart .

 

[stuntman]

Re: A Billy Johnson history

Thanks Lance!

I also beat you to it by starting this thread:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1117968#post1117968

Ahh, the glitz and glamour of being a pro racer. :biggrin:
He still has his Lambo and Ferrari. Glad to see he's hanging on to those classics.:smile::wink:

Yup, still have my toy Countach and Testarossa in my closet :biggrin:

 

[Jetpilot3]

Cool article.

Karting all the way...I'm 32 years old and kart for a team here in Dubai. Its fun and the 24-hr events are the best both mentallly and physically.

 

[SoCalDude]

You can do a Skip Barber racing school at 14. Do karting for maybe a year or two to learn race craft, but he'll learn better balance and skills in the long run especially when driving a sprung-car by dirtbiking at a younger age than not refining that balance in a kart which is in many ways way more forgiving.

Hey Billy

Since you are also an instructor, can you give me some advice on how to learn how to heel & toe better. I'm just really bad at it. Thanks!

 

[Factor X Motorsports]

nice interview, I was surprised that you didn't mention nsx or FactorX or KW :tongue:

j/k... Congrat. and we will see you on TV (again) soon, hopefully in a higher level of racing... F3, Lemans or maybe F1!!!

Yeah us too, then we realized that it didnt say bad influence:wink:

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Hey Billy

Since you are also an instructor, can you give me some advice on how to learn how to heel & toe better. I'm just really bad at it. Thanks!

I'm no Billy, but some cars are harder to practice on nsx. Some have too grabby brakes, some gear ratio is so far (nsx 5 speed), some are pedal placement. I have to tell you even the most seasoned driver would have better luck doing heel and toe in an unfamiliar car on race track environment than in the street.

I'll suggest a stock miata for heel and toe learning. (NA-NB, current one is hard with its really good bites brakes.)

anyway you could practice on nsx, first forget learning heel and toe, just making sure the idea of matching rev, practice on it everytime you slowing down. Once you get it down the timing and speed of particular speed and gears; you just park the car, and get the feel of hitting the brakes while blipping throttle. Depends on your shoe size, you don't really have to do the toe on brake pedal, heel on throttle. (I do it as I have a relatively small feet). Bigger feet person just using left side of the foot on brake, right side for gas.

Once you get both down, you are ready to practice the heel and toe, easiest practice would be from 4th to 3rd gear, as it only require your hand to do one motion, then your brain can focus on controlling your feet. Find a good road with no cops, Speed up, you can't do any meaningful heel and toe if you don't brake hard, bring it up to at least 50-55 mph or faster.

 

[stuntman]

Hey Billy

Since you are also an instructor, can you give me some advice on how to learn how to heel & toe better. I'm just really bad at it. Thanks!

Have you foot on the gas, your heel will be at the base of the gas pedal. Now imagine a nail is driven through your foot so your heel cannot leave the ground or move side to side, it is pinned at the base of the gas pedal.

Its easy and comfortable to accelerate. Now to brake, keep your heel pinned to the ground at the base of the gas pedal, and just rotate your toes/top of your foot to the brake pedal. ***Move your right knee to the left while doing this, you don't want to twist your ankle, but move your whole leg, knee, and top of your toes to the left to the brake pedal. Get in the habit of braking with JUST the ball of your foot, you have a brake booster so it dosn't require much pedal pressure.

Now with the ball of your foot on the brake pedal pressing down to slow the car, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is just move your leg/knee to the right to blip. Don't roll your ankle over or twist your foot, with the ball of your foot on the brake and the heel at the base of the gas pedal, just the action of moving your knee to the right will naturally roll your ankle and do a perfect blip. So you blip with the movement of your knee, not muscles in your ankle/foot!

-Try that and practice anytime approacing a red light (4-3-2) or off the freeway (5-4-3-2).

Good luck!



Sorry for the late reply, just got back from my Grand Am Koni Challenge race from Daytona. Will air on SPEED channel this Saturday. Check it out!!

#18 Motorsport Technolgoy Porsche 997. Tony Buffomante and Billy Johnson

Qualify - 21st
Finish - 4th (highest finishing Porsche)

 

[White92]

Have you foot on the gas, your heel will be at the base of the gas pedal. Now imagine a nail is driven through your foot so your heel cannot leave the ground or move side to side, it is pinned at the base of the gas pedal.

Its easy and comfortable to accelerate. Now to brake, keep your heel pinned to the ground at the base of the gas pedal, and just rotate your toes/top of your foot to the brake pedal. ***Move your right knee to the left while doing this, you don't want to twist your ankle, but move your whole leg, knee, and top of your toes to the left to the brake pedal. Get in the habit of braking with JUST the ball of your foot, you have a brake booster so it dosn't require much pedal pressure.

Now with the ball of your foot on the brake pedal pressing down to slow the car, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is just move your leg/knee to the right to blip. Don't roll your ankle over or twist your foot, with the ball of your foot on the brake and the heel at the base of the gas pedal, just the action of moving your knee to the right will naturally roll your ankle and do a perfect blip. So you blip with the movement of your knee, not muscles in your ankle/foot!

-Try that and practice anytime approacing a red light (4-3-2) or off the freeway (5-4-3-2).

Good luck!

Now can you tell someone who is 6'4" with a size 14 shoe how to do it in an NSX? :smile:

 

[NSXDreamer2]

Now can you tell someone who is 6'4" with a size 14 shoe how to do it in an NSX? :smile:

I think Billy's suggestion is for big foot like you. If I wore a racing shoes, it'll fit right between brake pedal and gas.

Question though, unless doing an absolute quick decceleration, how could you do a smooth downshift without twisting the foot?