Jerry Johnston, better known as “Monza” to his fans and fellow racers, is no stranger to street racing and building the baddest, fastest drag racing cars and engines in the country.
His nickname stems from the Chevy Monza he drove before his current car, a split-bumper Camaro. In no time, he took the Monza atop The List, a record of the fastest street racers in Oklahoma City.
One can argue that The List includes the fastest racers and cars in America, as they often race against competitors from different states, almost always coming out on top. You can see these intense races on the popular show “Street Outlaws.“
Monza started street racing in the 1980s after getting his drivers’ license. He is one of the most experienced and respected street racers out there and has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
“I guarantee you I’m the youngest 52-year-old you’ll ever meet in your life. I mean, I think I’m as good now as I was 20 years ago. I can still cut a light at a race track. I can still drive the wheels off of anything.”
Jerry “Monza” Johnston
“I’m going to do it until I feel I’m not competitive anymore. I may be 60 years old out here doing this. I don’t know.”
Speed runs in the Johnston family
Monza doesn’t tune and prep for racing alone. His son, Brandon, is one of the key cogs for Team Monza and the performance of the car.
“Back in, say, 2005 when we built the Monza, it was all knobs and timers in the car. Now this car you don’t do nothing to it without breaking a laptop out. That’s where my boy comes in. I’m kind of a computer dummy. What I don’t know how to do he picks it up really fast, so we make a really good team.”
Another critical part of his car’s operation is the motor oil. Monza uses AMSOIL DOMINATOR SAE 60 Synthetic Racing Oil to guarantee the proper engine performance and protection he requires for every race.
Check out the video to catch a peek at Monza’s 2015 Hellcat and learn more about one of the fastest – and tallest (he stands 6’4”) – street racers out there.
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