It’s racing season! In this blog, we talk to dirt car racer and long-time Woodford Oil customer Gunner “Gunner Man” Johnson. Johnson is based in Olive Hill, Kentucky, and buys Renegade race fuels and many other products from Woodford Oil to help power his cars to victory!
What’s your relationship with Woodford Oil and its products?
I started dirt track racing in 2015. I had been racing go karts up to that point, then I moved into bigger classes. I was driving mini stocks when I began my relationship with Woodford Oil in Ashland, KY.
We started out just buying a few gallons of race fuel a week. Then we quickly realized Woodford offered other products such as motor oils and other lubricants, and greases that were needed in the dirt racing industry. I quickly built a great relationship with a very friendly and helpful staff and as time went on my needs got bigger and they met the demand head on.
Can you talk about the need for quality fuels and lubricants in the racing industry?
I’ve moved up several classes over the years. I’ve driven everything from super mini stock cars all the way up to what I currently drive, which is pro late model cars. I have two cars of my own and I drive for other people as well. We learned early on in this sport that the fuel you put into these very highly modified engines is everything. And we quickly learned to put our trust into the Renegade products.
We have been able to test over the years, by way of plugs and cylinders, that Renegade is by far the top-of-the-line product. We have absolutely noticed a difference just by running Renegade—through the performance of the engine, and quicker times around the track, quicker response, sharper throttle and plugs lasting a lot longer.
What’s Woodford Oil’s customer service like?
I have yet to ever place a call to Woodford Oil and them not help me. They go above and beyond to get any fuel or oil that I need. They have never made me or any of my team feel like anything other than a VIP.
I can remember racing at Ponderosa Speedway in Danville, KY, on a three-day event and a Woodford representative from the Danville office brought me oil and fuel right to the race track. Where else can you get this kind of customer service? Nowhere but Woodford Oil.
Which products do you use from Woodford Oil?
We have to have oils and lubricants for our hauler as well, not just the race cars. Not only does Woodford have us covered with the Renegade products, but they have all of our other needs covered, too.
We use Chevron Delo 400 motor oil. We use rear-end gear oil. We use synthetic motor oil. And we use E-85 Renegade, 110 [octane] Renegade, 112 Renegade, and at times 114 Renegade. There is nowhere else that can cover our needs better than Woodford.
What are your biggest racing accomplishments?
Some of my prouder moments include several Weekend Warrior Awards and Hard Driver Awards. I’ve finished in the top five in points at three different tracks in Kentucky almost yearly since 2017. I was Track Champion at Lake Cumberland Speedway in 2021. I’ve been Rookie of the Year at two different tracks.
And I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to have won over 30 races with my crew. It truly takes a team to win and to be consistently competitive. We set out to try and win every race but we know that’s not going to happen. But we always want to be competitive and we always shoot for the top five.
PARTNER WITH TEAM WOODFORD & TAKE THE CHECKERED FLAG!
At Woodford Oil Company, we’re here to help you find the products and services that are right for your needs.
Since 1947, Woodford has been your trusted local fuel and lubricants provider. We distribute racing fuels, other on- and off-road motor fuels, professional-grade lubricants, and propane to residential, commercial and industrial, and agriculture customers in a six-state region that includes West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Contact Woodford for more information, or request a quote online! Phone: 1-800-927-3688. Email: info@woodfordoil.com. Follow us @facebook.com/woodfordoil.
