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Johnson Motorsports Team
History
Johnson Motorsports began back in early 1999,
with team owner and founder Scott A. Johnson purchasing a
go-kart for the team to run. The year 1999 would end up being
Bryan M. Johnson’s Rookie year in the go-kart class at the
Medford Raceway as well as the Riverhead Raceway as well.
The under funded team searched far and wide for
sponsorship. For the late 1999 season, 2000 and 2001 season
Petro Fuel Oil based out of Melville, Long Island, NY jumped
on board to support the Johnson Motorsports racing effort.
With the help of Petro Fuel Oil, Bryan Johnson and the Johnson
Motorsports team was able to go on to their first Championship
at the Riverhead Raceway. This was a big feat for the team, as
it was only the second year in go-karting. Johnson Motorsports
would then expand to begin racing at the Westhampton Speedway
in Westhampton, Long Island, NY.
After the sheer success at the three previous
speedways, team Johnson Motorsports ventured off into a whole
new direction. In 2001, the team began traveling to racetracks
across the Northeast, from Long Island, New Jersey,
Connecticut, and up as far as the tip of Maine. This touring
series was called the WKA (World Karting Association) North
East Speedway Pavement Series. WKA and the North East Speedway
Pavement Series is a very highly competitive group of racers
that travel from their home tracks to race at new and more
exciting racing facilities. Johnson Motorsports fielded Bryan
Johnson in the NESPS races. With an overall successful finish
to the season, Bryan decided to step down as the driver on the
NESPS, and have Brother Michael Johnson lead the team on the
NESPS.
Bryan took over the reins as WKA NESPS flagman
for the series in 2002. Bryan ran local events at the
Riverhead Raceway as well as the Westhampton Speedway
throughout the 2002 season. With 4 local racetrack
championships, Bryan looked to be a very successful racecar
driver. In 2003, he began racing for John Burns’ 5J’s
Motorsports team in the Long Island Mini Cup Association. He
drove a Mini-Scale truck at the Westhampton and Poughkeepsie
Speedways. He was later crowned the 2003 Pro-Modified
Mini-Truck Champion for LIMCA, and finished the season out
with features wins between the two speedways.
In 2004, Bryan did not continue as flagman of
the NESPS series. He decided to race a handful of races on the
NESPS touring series, finishing an overall 3rd in
the season final standings. Bryan then began to work for the
Petro Motorsports NASCAR Whelen Modified series racing team.
He worked with the team on and off in 2004, full time in 2005,
and part time in 2006. Bryan graduated college with a degree
in Graphic Design in 2006 from the Briarcliffe College located
in Patchogue, Long Island, NY which did not leave enough time
to work on the race car.
With the 2006 approaching fast, Bryan wasn’t
too sure what he wanted to do more. He had the choice of
working for the Racecar team or Race Go-Karts himself. He
decided to take the entire 2007 season off from doing both. In
July of 2006 the dreadful phone call came in. Scott A. Johnson
was involved in a serious motorcycle accident in Oakdale, Long
Island, NY, and was in
transport to the hospital. Scott ended up passing away after 3
days in the ICU at the Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, NY from severe head/brain
trauma. Bryan and younger brother Michael took the team
go-karts and drove them in their 2007 hometown Christmas
parade in their father’s memory. Bryan then went on to the
Doug Foley Drag Racing School to graduate with a successful ¼
mile pass down the Atco Raceway in Atco, NJ in July 2007.
The 2008 season is yet to begin. And we hope to
have you and your company on board as a sponsor for the very
hopeful and successful Legends Racing season. Bryan Johnson
Motorsports, a new team with the same winning championship
strategy. Watch for us in 2008! |
