They call him 4-Speed Johnny, and the 1990 Langford High School graduate climbed to the top of the drag racing mountain at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) World Finals in Pamona, CA, last week Sunday.
John McLaughlin, the son of Barb McLauglin of Britton and the late John McLaughlin, topped a 60-car field to claim top honors in his Stock Eliminator Class at the national race that marks the end of the racing season. But what made the win especially stand out was the fact that the 52-year-old racing veteran had not even planned to compete in the event.
He is the production manager for Rydell’s Toy Shop in Grand Forks, ND, a business that builds hot rods and high-end street rods for people all over the country. Many times his job includes delivering cars to customers, and the life-long drag racer has a two-car trailer so he is able to conveniently haul his dragster along to compete in races around the country.
“I had no intention of going to the World Finals but was delivering a car to a customer in Phoenix, AZ, and decided to go to the fall divisional race in Las Vegas, a race I won last year, and which is the week before Pamona,” recounted McLaughlin. “I was driving pretty good and the car was working pretty good at Vegas and all my California friends were hounding me to go to Pamona.”
His wife also encouraged him.
“She reminded me it was on my bucket list, it would only be two more days, and we’re this close and at 52-years old how many more opportunities would I have. And I was not going to be lying on my death bed wishing I had worked a couple more days, so I made the decision at the last minute. That’s the part of the story that makes this all so surreal because I had no intention of going to Pamona.”
That decision would end up being one of the best he had ever made in his racing career.
Always Loved Cars
McLaughlin had always loved to work on cars and thought “muscle cars were cool.” He grew up farming and ranching with his Dad and Grandpa Delmar Roehr, and when his Dad was hurt in a semi accident he worked for a number of farmers in the area.
After high school graduation he went to college to be an engineer, but when funds ran short he went to work as a mechanic at Swearingen’s Garage in Langford and later went to Lake Area Tech to study auto mechanics. He worked at a number of car dealerships in the area before becoming involved with the Rydell organization.
The racing bug bit in 1990 when the Sell boys of Langford all had 1966 Impalas and would go racing at Marion once or twice a year.
“I started racing at an early age and have stuck with it my whole life,” noted McLauglin. “But I never dreamed of being able to race at the level I am now. It’s been due to lots of mentors, people giving me opportunities, and me not being scared to raise my hand and say okay.”
He also was quick to give credit to God for those opportunities.
“I am an alcoholic and have been sober for 12 years now. That has been a big driving force in my life when I finally realized I needed to trust in a power outside of myself and ask God every day to help save me. That has led to all kinds of things that I never could have dreamed possible, including working with other alcoholics and addicts.”
4-Speed Johnny
It was during those early days racing at Thunder Valley in Marion that McLaughlin was tagged with the moniker of 4-Speed Johnny.
“I always raced a 4-speed because I like driving stick-shift cars,” said McLauglin, “and when I was racing at Thunder Valley I would race in multiple classes. My friend Dennis Bremmon from Britton also races and is a car guy and he was in the stands at Marion when a guy watching me shifting and beating on the car said, ‘Is that guy mad at that car or what?’ Dennis looked at him and said, ‘Don’t you know – that’s 4-Speed Johnny.’ Dennis shared the story so people started referring to me that way and it stuck. When I moved to Flagstaff, AR, and was racing on the west coast, that’s the only name that people knew me by.”
As automatic transmissions became better and better McLauglin also became somewhat of a rarity, still driving his four-speed.
“It’s not necessarily an ego trip, but it is harder to be successful with a manual transmission, and when you are successful it’s more rewarding,” said McLaughlin.
Ten days ago, the name 4-Speed Johnny suddenly gained even more notoriety when he claimed the World Finals title. But it was the way that happened that will forever stick in McLauglin’s mind.
“I wouldn’t race if I didn’t think I had a shot to win, but my expectations at Pamona were pretty low,” admitted McLaughlin. “It’s always been a dream to be able to compete at the national event level – to have the resources, skill, and car just to be able to compete. I had always said that before I quit drag racing I wanted to win a national event, but I haven’t competed in that many.
“Part of the difficulty of winning a national event is that it’s spread out over three to four days with varying track and weather conditions. Just keeping your focus over that period of time is difficult.”
But McLauglin got the car dialed in and was driving really well. The field is cut from 60 to 30 in the single elimination event the first day and cut down to four cars by the weekend. It was that semifinal race that will be most memorable.
Semis Most Memorable
The semis were delayed due to rain and scheduled for late Saturday night. McLauglin was facing three-time world champion Brad Burton, but he thought the later time worked to his advantage.
“I was amped up to race Brad. I have a lot of respect for him and had a kind of strategy. I thought maybe I had a chance to beat him because I had raced more at night than he had. Then a car crashed and we didn’t race that night.”
In addition to that, McLaughlin had defeated last year’s defending champ in the prior round but blown out his transmission. He had fixed it but had not had an opportunity to go down the track after the fix, adding a bit more uncertainty to the mix. Then a private plane, yes a plane, crashed into the pit area from a nearby airport, delaying things even further.
“Usually when I race someone I perceive as very good I’m very calm and have the thought process that I have nothing to prove and just do the best I can do. But in the semis I was the most amped up I had ever been in a race and was literally asking God to keep me calm so whatever was supposed to happen could happen.”
Despite the nerves, McLaughlin advanced to the final race and then “got a little lucky.”
“They were rushing to get done and we were back up a half hour after the semis to run the finals. I had driven really well up to that point and the car had worked really good, but I flinched on the second bulb of the light tree. My reaction time wasn’t terrible (.061) but you want to be better than .050 to be competitive. The car also spun. But luckily my opponent had his own issues and the win light came on in my lane.”
McLaughlin termed the win the highlight of his long racing career. The World Finals in Pamona is considered to be the second most prestigious drag race in the country behind Indianapolis, which is considered drag racing’s Super Bowl.
Win Garners Attention
Since the win McLaughlin has received messages from people all over the country and world, and 4-Speed Johnny is now on a lot more people’s radar.
“Racing with a four-speed in today’s world is one thing, and winning is another and getting to be almost unheard of. Using an unconventional weapon at that level of racing and being successful garners some respect, raises some eyebrows, and gains a lot of attention. I have had some manufacturers reach out to me, and it can definitely open up more avenues in my racing career.”
McLaughlin doesn’t plan to call it quits anytime soon. He noted guys in their 80’s that are still competitive on the circuit, and he has three kids who race occasionally and all hope to do more in the future.
“My idea of retirement is camping in a car trailer somewhere,” concluded McLauglin. “But it’s really all about the people and the camaraderie. Cars are part of it but it’s truly about the people and the relationships that I’ve built through racing. I’ve been blessed in so many ways and am just relying on God’s power and using it in every facet of my life.”
McLauglin also had a message for his kids and those listening to his interview following his epic win.
“I just wanted to shout out to the kids that hard work and perseverance can pay off. If you have a dream, stick with it.”
