Born in Virginia, Minnesota, Kurt was immersed in his father's (Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer Warren Johnson) racing efforts from the start.
He traveled with his family to races around the country, and started by odd jobs with the three-person crew (including his father and mother Arlene), beginning with sweeping floors at the shop.
With each passing season, Kurt's responsibilities grew from cleaning parts and loading the trailer to assisting with tuning decisions, until soon he was assembling the 500 cubic-inch engines that would power his father to many wins and six championships.
Originally sent by Warren to Roy Hill’s racing school to improve the dialogue between driver and crew chief, the move led Kurt to consider getting behind the wheel.
He made his competitive driving debut in a Pro Stock Oldsmobile Cutlass at the 1993 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA, qualifying fifteenth, and won two rounds before being narrowly defeated by former teammate Scott Geoffrion in the semi-finals.
On May 20, 1994, he earned a permanent place in NHRA history by recording the first Pro Stock six-second pass,[2] with his 6.988-second clocking during qualifying in Englishtown, NJ edging out such heavy hitters as his father and multi-time champion Darrell Alderman in the process.