Lori Johns (born 1965[1]) is a former Top Fuel Dragster racer. She won rookie of the year in 1985 and in 1990 became the third woman to win a NHRA Top Fuel event after Shirley Muldowney (1976) and Lucille Lee (1982).[2]
Johns was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.[3]
At an NHRA National event, The Cajun Nationals, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 1986, Johns suffered a serious injury after Jim Van Cleve's Budweiser sponsored Ford Mustang climbed a guardrail, flipped, and landed on Lori's roll cage, 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 a Top 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 283mph, 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]
In 1991, as qualifications for the U.S. Nationals began, she was fourth in the standings.[11]
She had a Revell model kit (#7496) of Johns' Jolly Rancher dragster.[12] She was also the subject of an official NHRA trading card.[13]