Lori Johns

Johns was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.[3]

At a Competition Eliminator event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 1986, Johns suffered a serious injury after a Jim Van Cleve's gas dragster climbed a guardrail, flipped, and landed on her, breaking her back and neck, which left her out of competition for two years.[4] After undergoing five surgeries, Johns attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.[5]

Blaming Van Cleve for the accident, her father, Terry (a car dealer), sued.[6] The suit was ultimately dropped, at Johns' request.[7]

After learning to drive an alcohol dragster, Johns went into Top Fuel racing, in a new car, supplied by her father, at a cost of US$125,000.[8]

In trials with the new car, Johns, at age 23, turned in a pass of 5.03 seconds at 283 mph (455 km/h), making her one of the seven quickest drivers in Top Fuel at the time.[9] At the time, she had entered only ten Top Fuel races, and had never reached a final round.[10]

Johns' entry into Top Fuel makes her only the second woman in the class, after Shirley Muldowney a generation before.[11]

In 1991, as qualifications for the U.S. Nationals began, she was fourth in the standings.[12]

She had a Revell model kit (#7496) of Johns' Jolly Rancher dragster.[13] She was also the subject of an official NHRA trading card.[14] Jolly Rancher would later drop Johns, shifting their sponsorship to John Force.

• Tulsaworld.com
• Officialize.com/