Another top highlight took place prior to first round action, as driver of the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger, Johnson along with his father and engine builder Roy Johnson, were presented with the “Mopar President’s Award” by Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. They were recognized in front of their hometown fans and family for their contributions as brand ambassadors, their five decades of loyalty, dedication and service to Mopar, and for bringing home a long sought after 2012 NHRA Pro Stock World Championship. Father and son are the first recipients of this special award.

On track the day started off well enough for the Greeneville, Tenn.-natives after qualifying the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger in second spot on the eliminations ladder. Johnson won his first match-up against Lewis Worden but was defeated on a holeshot by Greg Anderson in the next round. Teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. met the same fate with his own holeshot loss in round two against Erica-Enders Stevens.

The elder Johnson, who tunes the HEMI® engines for both Mopar team entries still felt that there are some positive to come away despite the losses.

“We had low e.t. of both rounds, so at least we didn’t get out run,” said Johnson. “We didn’t execute as well as we would have liked with the driving, but we still showed we have the power. You’ve got to remain positive in this class.”

The good news for the championship battle is that the points leader Mike Edwards also saw his day cut short after being upset in the second round by the eventual title winner Rodger Brogden, who in only his second NHRA final round appearance beat Erica Enders-Stevens by just 0.002 seconds to score his very first career Pro Stock victory.

The HEMI-powered entries of Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines both faltered in the first round and are now seventh and tenth in the rankings.

While Johnson would have liked to have posted a No.1 qualifying position for a fourth year in a row at his home track, he’s keeping things in perspective.

“We were trying to go for it that last run and sort of over powered the track but for the weekend we have to feel good about it as we closed the gap on Mike [Edwards] still a little more and I think we have a great car for race day,” said Johnson who will face Lewis Worden in the first round of eliminations.

A title win at Bristol has eluded Johnson and after finishing runner-up to Edwards last year by less than .0000 of a second in the closest finish in NHRA history, he would love a rematch. Gifting a national title to his dad and engine builder Roy Johnson on Father’s Day on the quarter-mile strip in front of hometown fans, family and friends is definitely the goal.

“It’s Father’s Day (on Sunday) and I’m going to have extra motivation because I have my dad here by my side, but I think we have a great hot rod, we know this track, and the team is doing such a great job so we have high hopes.”

While Johnson would like to put his competitor’s streak of four consecutive wins at Thunder Valley to an end himself, maximum points would also help the defending NHRA Pro Stock World Champion gain some ground in the points battle which is currently at the half way point of the regular season. Following qualifying, Johnson finds himself tied for second place with his Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr., trailing Edwards in the lead by 164 points.

Coughlin for his part qualified sixth with a best run of 6.661-seconds at 206.73 mph in the third round, putting him up against Rickie Jones for a first round match-up.

"We had three great runs and one good run out of the four sessions," said Coughlin, who showed consistency with consecutive runs of 6.664 seconds (206.67 mph), 6.670 (206.32 mph), 6.661 (206.73 mph) and 6.689 (206.92 mph) . "The fastest session last night, for some reason we were scratching our heads after that run. We couldn't really put a finger on why we didn't perform like we wanted to, but that's the sport of drag racing. You've just got to analyze your data and get to work.”

The HEMI®-powered Dodge of Vincent Nobile was 12th on the qualifying sheets and will face Jason Line in the opening round of eliminations while V. Gaines qualified ninth and matches up with Rodger Brogdon.

While both men have won sportsman races as drivers at Bristol Dragway and their Pro1 Mopar Dodge Avenger has earned three consecutive No. 1 qualifier honors, a Pro Stock win has eluded them. The father and son team came as close to their first professional win at their home track as is actually technically possible in last year’s final round of eliminations by finishing runner-up to Mike Edwards in the closest finish in NHRA history, a race that was decided by less than .0000 of a second.

“I wasn’t horribly disappointed losing last year in the closest side-by-side final round in NHRA history,” said Allen Johnson who will run for the first time in front of hometown fans as the defending NHRA Pro Stock World Champion. “It was certainly a little disappointing, but it was an exciting finish for the fans and teams alike and you can’t be disappointed about that. We were just on the wrong side of the bullet there. It was a great race and we knew it would be. We almost got it done and that fueled us for the rest of the year and we are hoping to do the same thing this year, but come away with a win and fuel us for the championship race."

The elder Johnson has had two big wins in a Mopar as a driver at Bristol Dragway in the early 1970s in IHRA Stock and Super Stock classes. The younger Johnson’s sole victory at Bristol was earned in 1981 competing in the Super Stock class as a teenager aboard his father’s 1971 Dodge Challenger with a 340 cubic inch wedge engine (SS3FA).

“He did that motor all by himself,” Roy Johnson recounted proudly as he reminisced about how he made his son work on his own engine. “Allen ground and fit every bit of it. He worked hard on that car and earned that win but not without a little bit of luck. He actually red lighted in the first elimination round but his competitor failed technical inspection because the car was too light and Allen was back in and went on to win it all. It was his first major win right here at home in Bristol.”

For Christmas four years ago, Johnson bought his father a 2009 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak which Roy took to Bristol Dragway the following May for his first runs behind the wheel in nearly 30 years posting a best elapsed time pass of 10.65-seconds at 125.95 mph.

After working 17 years alongside his father, Johnson believes celebrating Father’s day at their home track in front of their hometown friends and family is only fitting.

“It's Father's Day and racing with my father and being close to my father, and try to win this race is a special incentive,” said Johnson as he recalled some of his favorite highlights in racing together so far including their first pro win and their crowning achievement, the 2012 NHRA Pros Stock World Championship. “It would have to be the first one in Richmond together in '99, and then the championship last year at the banquet when I brought him on stage and it was pretty emotional for both of us. That's just something you'll never forget. We almost lost him in 2009 [to a heart attack] and to come back and have the success we did last year was incredible and means the world to me. Winning with my father at Bristol is the next item on our bucket list. We almost got it done for the family, friends, employees last year and there is no doubt it would be special for everyone including the hometown fans.”

Johnson is third in the championship points standings with 698 points, right on the heels of his Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. who is in second spot with 701 points on the strength of a win and three final round appearances. Coughlin has a Pro Stock win to his credit at the storied race track, earned after securing the No. 1 qualifier position in 2007. HEMI®-powered drivers Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines are sixth and ninth in the points respectively.

"We're excited," says Coughlin who has three Pro Stock wins at Englishtown earned in 1998, 2000, and 2009. "Coming off our best effort of the year, where we not only got the trophy but passed the 500 round-win mark at the same time, has us all feeling pretty good.”

His teammate Allen Johnson, defending 2012 NHRA champion, won at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in 2011 and sits third in the standings. Johnson faced Coughlin in the final elimination round at Topeka and is looking forward to a few more all-Mopar showdowns this season.

“Getting to that final round is what we’re trying to do at every event and it’s especially fun to battle against your own Mopar teammates because that makes you better,” said Johnson who has two wins to date this season and is just 45 points behind Coughlin.

As a resident of Melville, N.Y. just a few miles down the road from one of NHRA’s original seven national events, Vincent Nobile for his part is looking to do well in his HEMI-powered Dodge Avenger at the track he considers home. Nobile won his very first race here aboard a Junior Dragster and has also had class wins, including a King of the Hill victory when he was just eight years old. However, his first Pro Stock appearance at Englishtown in 2011 was certainly memorable as he worked his way to a final elimination round face off against Johnson only to set off the red-light on the start.

“That would have meant the world to win that race in front of my whole family because that would be one pretty good winner’s circle picture to have my whole family in it,” said Nobile of the missed opportunity but quickly adds that he hopes to get the chance again this year. “To win here would mean a lot for me and my dad because we have always wanted to win Englishtown.”

Johnson quickest run was made in Friday’s second qualifying session when both he and teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. not only posted the exact same elapsed time of 6.633 seconds, but matched incremental times as well at 60 ft (0.997 sec), 330 ft (2.784), 660 ft (4.272) and 1,000 ft (5.553) marks. Only a 0.16 mph difference put the Johnson’s Mopar Express Lane Dodge in third spot ahead of the Jegs.com Mopar with the quicker speed of 208.62 mph.

Johnson wrapped up qualifying on a high note by setting the quickest elapsed time of the final Pro Stock session to add three more bonus points to his total, but remained third to no.1 qualifier Mike Edwards who posted his seventh pole position in eight events.

“We’re making gains and that’s the goal,” said Johnson who has two wins in the last three years at the higher altitude track. “We were third in two sessions and then quickest in that last one and that gives us a bit of a confidence boost heading into eliminations. We knew Jeg (Coughlin Jr.) and I were pretty close but to see the numbers match up like that on Friday was pretty neat and shows just how consistent we can be. Conditions should be just about the same on Sunday and hopefully the rain will hold off so we can do our best to get through as many rounds as we can.”

Johnson will match up with Deric Kramer in the first round of eliminations while Coughlin, who qualified fourth, will face Greg Stanfield.

"I'm happy with the way we've started here at Heartland Park," said Coughlin who could reach a milestone 500 round victories in his Pro Stock career by reaching the semifinals on Sunday. "We were second in the first session and fourth the other three runs. I'm real confident the car is going to continue to perform well, and I feel great behind the wheel. I like the total package we've brought to the track this weekend.”

The HEMI-powered entries of V. Gaines and Vincent Nobile qualified eighth and ninth respectively and will face each other in the first round of eliminations.

“Every single title the J&J racing team won last year was very important in our chances to become number one at the start of the Countdown and take a run at the championship but Topeka win gave us the confidence that we were headed down the right path,” said Johnson who had a near perfect weekend at the 2012 edition of the Kansas Nationals by securing the top qualifier position, taking almost every bonus point and working his way through the elimination rounds to post his second win of the season on his way to his first world championship title with a total of seven wins and 11 final-round appearances.

“We need a little bit of that right now as our focus has been a bit off in the last three weeks,” admitted Johnson who after posting wins at the Gainesville and Las Vegas, hasn’t made it past the second round of eliminations in the last three events. “We’re shooting to bounce back in Topeka and doing everything we can to get back to fine form. It’s an altitude track at which the HEMI-powered Mopar Dodge Avenger normally does really well at, just like Vegas and Denver. The key to doing well at here is having the tune-up correct at altitude.”

Both he and Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. tested at Tulsa Raceway Park in Oklahoma as preparation for this weekend’s event to try and close the gap to rival Mike Edwards in the both the points battle and on the track.

“We’re working on getting more consistent and getting a better combination for our Mopars,” said Johnson who has two ‘Wallys’ at Topeka in the last three years and would like to add another as quickly as possible. “I think we’ve gained a little on Mike (Edwards) in the past few weeks, cutting his advantage a bit at a time. He’s been quickest qualifier every weekend but Atlanta, when Jeg got it. He’s the front runner right now but I think we cut the deficit in half on what he was leading on everybody since the start of the year.”

For his part, Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman is looking forward to returning to the place where his own drive for the 2012 Funny Car world title began and getting back to winning more elimination rounds to move up from his seventh spot in the points standings.

"We haven't been horrible; we have six round wins but we expected much bigger things by now,” said Beckman. “This could be a big shot in the arm for us, emotionally going back to the place where our run to the championship kind of officially took off last year."

Meanwhile two other Mopar drivers have a bit of momentum and good results both finding themselves in second place in their respective classes; Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Matt Hagan.

Hagan has the ‘Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar’ Dodge Charger R/T second in the Funny Car points standings on the strength of a title win at Charlotte, one No. 1 qualifier position, two runner-ups and a semifinal finish in seven events.

Coughlin for his part jumped into second place in the Pro Stock points with a No. 1 qualifier position at Houston and two final round appearances and posting three semifinal finishes in the first seven events of the season. He now has his sights set on taking the Jegs.com Mopar Dodge Avenger to a semifinal appearance in Kansas to help mark his 500th round win in NHRA Pro Stock competition. Only 11 other drivers have achieved that milestone; Joe Amato, Greg Anderson, Kenny Bernstein, Larry Dixon, John Force, Bob Glidden, Kurt Johnson, Warren Johnson, Cory McClenathan, Tony Schumacher and Tony Pedregon.

Johnson’s Greeneville, Tenn., based Pro Stock category drag race team will be presented “Team of the Year” honors by the Tennessee Hall of Fame for representing their state with excellence and a distinct Tennessee flavor in winning a career best seven national titles and the NHRA World Championship title. Johnson’s team will be recognized as honorees during the Hall of Fame’s annual banquet on May 4 at the Renaissance Hotel Nashville. Part of an ceremony also will be celebrate the induction of a great class that includes basketball coach Rick Byrd, basketball player Penny Hardaway, and country music’s Vince Gill.

“I’m so honored to accept this award from the Tennessee Hall of Fame on behalf of my team because this is a true team award,” said Johnson as the team owner and driver of the Pro 1 Dodge Avenger. “What can I say about the accomplishments of the Johnson & Johnson racing team in 2012 except that they were certainly perfect or as close to perfect as you could get, especially in the Countdown to the Championship. We worked as a team and built a great game plan during the year to achieve a lofty goal. I am proud to be part of the team as they get this very well deserved recognition from our home state.”

Johnson is due to accept an award from Junior Achievement, not just for his on-track accomplishments, but also for his contributions to society and specifically young members of his community through his race team and business, Greeneville Oil & Petroleum. Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about work force readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs that in turn help students put these lessons into action and learn the value of contributing to their communities.

“The prestigious Junior Achievement award is a personal award that recognizes what you have done for the juniors and others in your area.” Johnson said. “It really is a humbling award because they go back to birth and recognize your life and what you have done. To be able to include my daughters, my parents, my in-laws and certainly my wife to share in this award is really humbling.”

While Johnson and his engine builder and father, Roy Johnson along with his team are being recognized by others for their accomplishments last season, the accolades and recognition are helping to shine the spotlight on what Mopar has always known.

“Allen Johnson has always been a champion, only now it is officially in record books and others are beginning to take notice, ” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “What these awards demonstrate is that the qualities differentiating him, both on the drag strip as a competitor but also away from the race track as a valued member of society, are now rightfully being recognized by other organizations outside our automotive and motorsports world. That recognition is well deserved.

“Allen, his father Roy, as well as his team and family have been loyal friends and amazing representatives for our brand,” Gorlier added. “The qualities that have made them champions on the drag track also epitomize the core values of Mopar. They live the experience as true ‘Mopar motorheads’ just like many of our fans, starting from the heart of the engine build, to the driver, to working as a team.

“Allen and Roy’s loyalty to Mopar is commendable as they have lived the ups and downs along with our brand. It is only fitting that, as we too began to see an upswing, that they were rewarded and recognized for their own perseverance, determination, hard work and dedication with a championship as well as all the accolades and attention that goes with it. Everyone at Mopar is excited to cheer them on as they work to defend that world title through this season.”

Johnson and the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger are currently second in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series championship points standings with two wins in the first six events of the 2013 season.

Eight Pro Stock cars were able to make qualifying passes on Friday before rain returned, forcing the cancellation of the first two qualifying sessions. Wet conditions on Saturday, and in the forecast for Sunday, gave NHRA officials no choice but to postpone the race, located in Commerce, Ga., just outside Atlanta.

“We were a few pairs away from making our first run of the weekend on Friday before the rain returned, and then with the forecast looking like it did, we kind of expected this postponement,” said Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger driver Allen Johnson, the defending NHRA Pro Stock champion and currently second in the point standings. “So many fans stuck around on Friday to try to see us run, and I hope they can make it back next weekend, when the weather should hopefully be better. We’ll cross our fingers.

“One good thing for us, the Atlanta event is like a second home race, with it being so close to our J&J Racing shop in Greeneville, Tenn. That eases the burden a bit on the team having to return next week. We’ll be rested and ready to hit the track next weekend, for sure.”

Two qualifying sessions are scheduled at Atlanta Dragway for Friday, May 10, at 2 and 4 p.m. Eliminations are set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11. ESPN2HD will air one hour of qualifying coverage on Saturday, May 11th at 10 a.m. (ET). Three hours of eliminations coverage will air starting at 6 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 12th.

The rain that fell and washed out most of qualifying on Saturday continued through the night and proceeded to wash away much of the rubber that had been laid on the racetrack. That made track conditions for eliminations an unknown entity with lack of traction becoming a concern for all sending teams scrambling to make adjustments to their car set-ups in order to compensate.

Coughlin was looking fast and strong as the top Pro Stock qualifier with consistent runs through the first two rounds but saw his JEGS.com Mopar get squirrely at the 200 feet mark in a semifinal loss to eventual title winner Jason Line.

"Two more win lights would have made this weekend extra special but anytime you can get multiple round wins on race day, it's pretty hard to be upset," Coughlin said. "The JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger is running great and earning that No. 1 qualifier was a nice feather in our caps. It proves just how much horsepower Roy (Johnson, engine builder) is making. We're still very pleased with how we're running and I don't expect any letdown next weekend in Atlanta."

After having a motor expire during a burnout in Saturday qualifying, Allen Johnson had his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger back it top shape for his first round elimination matchup, running his quickest pass of the event with a 6.566-second (211.99 mph) elapsed time run. Things didn’t go quite as well in the second round when Johnson was out of the gate first, but ended up turning the car off after strong tire shake brought his efforts to a end.

“I didn’t back it down far enough and the track got hot and we didn’t adjust enough to it,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t get it back in gear after it shook or it would have been a good drag race because it looked like he (Shane Gray) did the same thing on the other side, but he just got his back in gear and I didn’t. Overall it was a decent weekend for the Mopar contingent. We’re normally a bit better than this on big-power hot-weather tracks but we lost a run there yesterday with a broken motor and that got us behind and in a bad qualifying spot. We just didn’t overcome it this weekend but we’ll be ready to make another run at a title in Atlanta next weekend.”

Two-time defending winner at the SpringNationals, Vincent Nobile faced his own premature exit after a second elimination round loss. Fellow HEMI-powered Dodge, V. Gaines also fell out of the running early with tire shake in the first round.

Despite the difficult weekend, Johnson remains second in the NHRA Mello Yello series points standing with two wins in the first six events. Mopar teammate Coughlin is right behind him in a third place tie with Erica Enders-Stevens while Nobile drops out of the top-5 into sixth spot, dislodged by the SpringNationals title winner Jason Line. Gaines also falls one position into eighth place.

"To get our first pole in a couple of years is fantastic, and we'd like to perform well tomorrow,” said Coughlin who has four title wins at the Houston SpringNationals. “It speaks volumes to where our team has come this year. We owe a lot of credit to Allen and Roy Johnson. We put a two-car team together, literally with one team (crew), and we communicate extremely well. Between him (Allen) and I and the addition of Vincent (Nobile) we’ve become a great threat thus far.”

While Coughlin never got a chance to improve his time, there had been enough of a break in the weather to allow a handful of Pro Stock runs, including the HEMI-powered Dodges of V. Gaines (6.590 sec/ 210.87mph) and Vincent Nobile (6.606 sec/ 210.01 mph). Both made slight improvements on their passes and will start eighth and 11th respectively.

Allen Johnson was set to make his third qualifying pass in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger when, following his burnout, he lost power and team headed back to the pits to replace the motor. Rain began to fall just moments later and washed out the rest of the day’s schedule.

“It was a stroke of luck really because had rain come just a few minutes earlier we would never have known we had a problem then would’ve probably lost the motor in our first round of eliminations, so we’re kind of happy with how it all worked out,” said Johnson who ended up seventh in qualifying and will face off against Rodger Brogden in a first round match-up. “We thought maybe something was up at the end of our second run yesterday but we looked everything over didn’t find anything. I’m happy things happened the way they did and now we know the Mopar Express Lane machine is all good for going rounds on Sunday.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr. took full advantage of his HEMI power and went straight to the top of the timing charts on his second qualifying pass with a low elapsed time of 6.569 seconds (211.20 mph. But as great as his run was, he quickly had a bit of peddling to do after the finish line when his parachutes didn’t deploy.

"You've got to be ready for anything and to be quite honest with you, I wasn't ready for that,” said Coughlin who is currently fourth in the Pro Stock points with two final round appearances so far this year. “Our parachutes always work and work well. We made a fantastic run, but my attention was quickly called away by just trying to get stopped.”

Once Coughlin got his car stopped just before the runoff area without any damage, he was able to reflect on finally dislodging competitor Mike Edwards from the top spot for the first time this year.

“It's our first time at the top with the JEGS/Mopar Dodge Avenger with J&J horsepower and let me tell you, it feels pretty nice. We're going to do our best to peck away at this thing and see if we can have a better racecar tomorrow."

Of all the Mopar drivers, Pro Stock driver Vincent Nobile is likely the one most looking forward to this weekend’s event as the two-time defending winner at Royal Purple Raceway, and the site of his first career victory. Nobile and his Mountain View Tire Dodge Avenger team have had a good start to 2013 with a win in the season opener and a fifth place spot in the standings after five events. Working with the Mopars of J & J Racing’s Allen Johnson and Coughlin as teammates has helped keep his confidence up.

“I have a hard working team who doesn’t give up and we’re hoping to get back on track this weekend,” said Nobile who was 11th in qualifying with an e.t. of 6.614 seconds (209.98 mph). “We’ve never qualified in the top-3 here but for whatever reason Royal Purple Raceway treats my team well. We are currently not running up to our par, but I feel confident we can make a run at the Championship by the time it really counts, the Countdown to the Championship.”

Winner of titles at both the GatorNationals and Las Vegas, Johnson is working to get back to the winners circle. While he posted the second best run of the first session with a 6.680 second e.t. (211.49 mph), Johnson’s Pro 1 Dodge Avenger did not improve on his second pass, putting him seventh on the qualifying charts. HEMI-powered V.Gaines (6.602 sec / 210.57 mph) is in 10th spot.

The first to fall was No.2 qualifier Jeg Coughlin Jr. who had great 0.005-second reaction time to take the lead off the start in the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger until it suddenly got loose and he lost his chance to advance. Teammate Vincent Nobile had a similar fate after also coming out the gate first, but was beaten to the line by both Mike Edwards and fellow Mopar driver V. Gaines.

Coming off wins at the previous two National events, Allen Johnson drove his Mopar Express Lane Dodge to the finish in second place to make it through the first round.

Johnson and Gaines second round quad eliminations appearance didn’t go quite as planned as both saw their red lights come on, disqualifying their run at making the final four.

“It’s disappointing not to make it to the final and it hasn’t been our best weekend but the four wide is fun for the fans and mixes things up a bit,” said Johnson. “It’s kind of unusual for me to foul out and for both me and V. (Gaines) to both do it at the same time is really odd. It’s just not something we normally do. The good news is the Mopar Express Lane Dodge isn’t too far back in the points in second spot.”

The Pro Stock Four-Wide National title was won by Mike Edwards who takes over the points lead. Runner-up finisher Erica Enders-Stevens slips into third sport behind Johnson. The final-four semi-finalists were Shane Gray and Greg Anderson.

Weather permitting, qualifying should resume on Saturday with two sessions to set the field for Sunday’s Four-Wide elimination rounds where Mopar is hoping to continue a win streak that spans 10 events. It began here in Charlotte in Sept. 2012 and is currently at 12 title wins (Pro Stock and Funny Car) which includes the five victories in the first four races of this season. Contributing to that total are five Pro Stock wins by Allen Johnson, three Funny Car titles by Ron Capps, and individual victories by Jack Beckman (FC), V. Gaines (PS), Vincent Nobile (PS), and Johnny Gray (FC).

Friday’s action did see the first ten Pro Stock entries post times before rain began to fall just prior to runs by the Dodge Avengers of Johnson, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Nobile and Gaines. Shane Gray holds the provisional No. 1 qualifier position following the cancellation of the rest of qualifying for Pro Stock, as well as Funny Car and Top Fuel classes.

Mopar Express Lane driver Johnson (354 points) heads into this weekend’s event as the points leader following two consecutive National title victories at the Gatornationals and Las Vegas, as well as the K&N Horsepower Challenge. His teammate Coughlin Jr. (330 points) is third in class after taking JEGS.com Mopar to the semifinals in three of the last four events while Nobile (276), who also runs Johnson & Johnson supplied HEMI engines, rounds out the top-five with a win in the season opening race. The fourth full-time HEMI®-powered Dodge driver, Gaines (232 points) is in seventh place.

It is the fourth consecutive national event in which a Mopar has advanced to the final round of eliminations in either Pro Stock or Funny Car categories. The SummitRacing.com Nationals win also brings Mopar’s title victories total to five in just the first four races of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Series season.

Johnson’s weekend success comes on the heels of his victory at the Gatornationals, and propels him to the top of the leaderboard in the Pro Stock Championship points standings.

In a repeat of Saturday’s final match up in the annual K&N Horsepower Challenge, Johnson faced Erica Enders-Stevens as his final round elimination opponent with the same result and an elapsed time of 6.713 seconds (206.76 mph). In previous rounds, Johnson had to defeat his own Mopar teammates, Vincent Nobile and Jeg Coughlin Jr., in order to earn his second win of the year and his third consecutive at the Las Vegas dragstrip.

“It seems like our car really likes altitude tracks, and hats off to my Mopar Express Lane guys for pulling off the sweep today,” said Johnson whose two wins this weekend made it the second year in a row that a HEMI-powered Dodge won both the K&N Horsepower Challenge and the National title after Nobiles’ sweep at Norwalk in 2012. “It’s awesome to win both races. I was asked if this just became my favorite track and I still have to answer that another high altitude track, Denver, is still tops in my books. Not just because it’s Mopar’s title race but probably because I’ve won there four times. But Las Vegas is quickly becoming a favorite after winning it three times now, along with our sweeping the K&N Challenge.”

“All of us at Mopar are thrilled to see Allen (Johnson) return to the winner’s circle for the second consecutive event and defend his titles at Las Vegas,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Allen and the Mopar Express Lane team haven’t stopped working and building on the successes of last year and have set the bar even higher this season. It’s great to watch him continue to contend and take the Championship lead amid some tough Pro Stock competition.”

Coughlin Jr. took the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger to the semifinals for the third time in four races and stands third in the championship points race. Nobile rounds out the top-five on the strength of his win in the season opening race while the HEMI-powered Dodge of V. Gaines is in seventh place.

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is an annual race-within-a-race bonus event at Las Vegas, in which all four Mopar drivers were among the eight Pro Stock entries for this year’s edition. As the top seed, Johnson faced off against his teammate and fan vote favorite, Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the first round to treat fans to an incredibly close race. Although the Jegs.com driver had the starting line advantage with a 0.019 second reaction time versus a 0.039, Johnson’s Dodge Avenger ran him down and beat him to the stripe by just 0.0031 seconds, also giving the Mopar Express Lane car the quickest pass in the third round of qualifying.

Last year’s winner of the All-Star event, HEMI-powered Vincent Nobile, lost his match-up against Erica Enders-Stevens, while Mopar driver V. Gaines fell to Jason Line. In semi-final action, Enders-Stevens disposed of Line to set up the K&N Horsepower Challenge final showdown against Johnson’s Mopar following his defeat of Greg Anderson.

Facing off on a slick track following a Top Fuel session, Johnson and Enders-Stevens found themselves in a near Funny Car style pedalfest that saw the Mopar reach the finish first with e.t. of 7.188 seconds (200.62 mph) over its rival’s 9.602 / 110.96. It is the fourth time a Dodge has won the K&N Horsepower Challenge since it was first held in 1985.

“Any time you can stack up against the eight drivers that were in that thing, just to be there is an honor, and to beat them is an even bigger honor,” said Johnson who last won the K&N Challenge in 2008. “The new Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger got it done today. We did everything at the track as fast as the guys working the Mopar Express Lane do changing your oil. It was a lot of fun. I appreciate K&N. Man, what an awesome company to sponsor this thing. We’ve been out here with them for many years now, and they’re quality people and a quality company.”

As the winner of the Challenge, Johnson and his Mopar Express Lane crew earned the $50,000 purse but are now eligible for the "Sweep Bonus" of $25,000 if they also make it to victory lane in the SummitRacing.com Nationals on Sunday.

After four rounds of Pro Stock qualifying, those Vegas odds look a bit better for the Johnson as the defending winner and the top Mopar seed with a second place e.t. of 6.652 seconds (207.53 mph) putting him just behind No.1 qualifier Mike Edwards with a low e.t of 6.642 seconds (208.26 mph). Coughlin was third on the score sheets on the strength of his best effort of 6.655 seconds (207.34 mph).

“Qualifying No. 3 is nice, and it took the sting out of getting nipped there in the first round of the K&N Challenge,” said Coughlin who has claimed five titles at the National in Las Vegas. "We made four good qualifying runs and got some bonus points to boot. That's extremely exciting because it means we were one of the top three cars every session. That consistency gives myself and the rest of the team a lot of confidence going into Sunday."

The HEMI-powered entries of Gaines and Nobile are sixth and tenth respectively heading into Sunday’s elimination rounds.

Defending Pro Stock winner of the fall event, Allen Johnson not only brings a new car to the track after testing it this past week at Rockingham, N.C. but is also sporting a fresh new look with Mopar’s “Express Lane Fast Oil Changes & More” message. Currently more than 800 Chrysler Group dealerships provide a dedicated Express Lane to provide fast service and convenient light maintenance without the need of an appointment.

Heading into this event, Mopar drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr., Johnson & Vincent Nobile are second, third, and forth in Pro Stock Championship standings. Coughlin is hoping to press his Dodge Avenger and his luck in Las Vegas in order to join his teammates in earning a Wally after he finished runner-up to each one in Pomona (Nobile) and Gainesville (Johnson).

So far so good in Friday’s qualifying rounds as Coughlin posted an elapsed time of 6.655 second (207.34 mph) to place second to the low e.t of 6.651 set by rival Mike Edwards (207.98mph). Johnson put his Dodge Avenger third with a run of 6.672 (207.21 mph) with teammate Nobile is in ninth spot (6.697 / 206.54) while HEMI-power had V.Gaines (6.702/206.64) rounding out the top-10.

All four Mopar drivers are among the eight Pro Stock entries that will also be racing for a lucrative payday in the K&N Horsepower Challenge, race-within-a-race bonus event, on Saturday. The eight-racer field features the seven drivers who have accumulated the most points in qualifying since this same event in 2012, along with a final spot for the driver who collects the most fan votes.

For the first time in his career, Johnson will lead the K&N Horsepower Challenge field as No.1 seed while HEMI-powered Vincent Nobile, seeded sixth, is the defending winner of last year’s race. V. Gaines qualifying points gave him the seventh place entry while Jeg Coughlin Jr is the eighth driver thanks to being voted in by NHRA fans. The winner of the event will earn $50,000, and the runner-up will take home $10,000. As the top seed of the event, Johnson will face off against Coughlin in the opening round.

In Funny Car qualifying action, Johnny Gray was the best of the Don Schumacher Racing Mopar entries with a third place effort of 4.107 seconds (309.42 mph) while teammate Matt Hagan put his ‘Magneti Marelli offered by Mopar’ Dodge Charger R/T in fourth spot with a pass of 4.115 sec / 306.53 mph. Fellow DSR driver Ron Capps is currently qualified in fifth place (4.133 /302.55) just ahead of teammate Jack Beckman (4.158 /297.16). Competitor Robert Height paced the field with a low e.t. of 4.053 seconds at 315.19 mph.

Mopar leads the Funny Car Championship standings with a tie between Capps and Gray, who each have a win. Hagan has been off to a strong start with a final-round appearance at Gatornationals and currently sits fourth in standings while 2012 NHRA Champ Beckman is in ninth place.

Television coverage of the NHRA Nationals from Las Vegas will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD with two hours of qualifying highlights airing Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m. (ET) while on Sunday, April 7, three hours of eliminations action will be featured starting at 11 p.m. (ET).

It’s only fitting to have the new Mopar Express Lane paint scheme unveiled at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas this first weekend of April as it is designated National Car Care month and a way to remind drivers to get their vehicles inspected and properly maintained.

Currently more than 800 Chrysler Group dealerships provide dedicated Express Lane service for light maintenance like fast oil changes for all make and model cars, along with a world-class inspection, provided by highly trained Chrysler Group dealership technicians. Express Lane provides fast and convenient service without the need for making an appointment.

“I’m really excited to debut our new car with the Mopar Express Lane scheme at Las Vegas where I’m looking to defend our win there,” said Johnson whose decisive win at Las Vegas last fall during the Countdown helped secure his 2012 championship title. “I took part in Mopar’s promotion of Express Lane in 2010 and it’s great to be able to tell people about what a great service they offer. Just like my team, they have highly trained technicians ready to get to work and get you back on the road in no time. That’s the kind of service that gets you into the winner’s circle and that’s what I’m hoping to do quite often this year.”

“Allen Johnson and his team have been great ambassadors for the Mopar brand and we’re excited to now have him help increase awareness of our world-class Express Lane service,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Allen and his dedicated Mopar team personify the kind of fast, professional service that our Express Lane provides everyday drivers to maintain their own Chrysler Group vehicles in top shape. It’s important to note that thanks to our relationship with Magneti Marelli and Shell Lubricants, Express Lane also permits our dealerships to service all makes and model vehicles.”

Available Express Lane services include oil and filter changes, multipoint vehicle checkup, tire rotation with brake inspection, air and cabin filter replacement, wiper blade replacement, headlight and light bulb replacement and battery testing. Mopar Express Lane Service isn’t limited to Chrysler Group vehicles — with the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar program, fast service also is available for all other makes and models.

“All of us at Mopar are very proud of Allen Johnson and Johnny Gray on doubling up today with wins at the NHRA Gatornationals to continue the strong start to the season,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “After winning both Pro Stock and Funny Car Championships in 2012, these two wins send a clear message that Mopar HEMI®-powered teams and drivers are once again going to be a force to reckon with in both classes as they work to earn more wins and defend the world titles.”

After both Johnson and Coughlin put up career numbers in their Dodge Avengers with their qualifying runs, improving each of their marks for both quickest elapsed time and top speeds, they battled their way through eliminations only to set up a Mopar versus Mopar final showdown. Johnson’s quicker reaction time helped defeat his teammate with a 6.535-second elapsed time (212.59 mph) ahead of the Coughlin’s quicker 6.514 E.T. (212.25 mph). It was Johnson’s first Gatornationals title win and the 17th of his career after 37 final round appearances, and Coughlin’s second runner-up finish of the year.

“I think we’re one of the premier teams in Pro Stock now, and I think anyone would tell you that,” said Johnson after earning Mopar’s second Pro Stock title in three races this year after fellow teammate Vincent Nobile’s season-opening win over Coughlin. “We’ve got a crew that makes great decisions based on scientific methods and data, and we keep improving those decision-making tools. We’ll be right there again (for the championship).”

The three HEMI®-powered teammates are now second (Coughlin), third (Johnson) and fourth (Nobile) in the championship points standing behind Mike Edwards who took the lead on the merits of bonus points earned during the weekend as No.1 qualifier, setting the national event low E.T. and a new top speed track record.

“I’ve said all along, everybody asks me why I hired my two assassins, two of the best drivers in the class,” said Johnson about battling his own teammates. “I said that they make me better. Last year in the last six races, I ran Vincent (Nobile) every race, and beat him in all six. I beat him because he challenges me and makes me better. That makes me better as a driver overall. Same thing with Jeggy (Coughlin)as I knew that I would have to do my ultimate best to beat him. I hope we can go head-to-head a bunch.”

Defending NHRA World Champion, Allen Johnson’s quarterfinal run elapsed time of 6.549 seconds was beaten on a holeshot by Greg Anderson’s 6.551 pass. Coughlin had an identical .022 second reaction time to his competitor Jason Line but lost the round with a 6.538 to 6.581 difference.

V. Gaines was defeated by Erica Enders who won with a .033 to .074 holeshot after both cars posted identical runs of 6.553 seconds. Vincent Nobile’s .025 second reaction time was beaten by No. 1 qualifier Mike Edwards’ .013 and then at the line by a 6.505 to 6.582 second difference.

Enders went on to earn her fifth career Pro Stock title by defeating Edwards with a holeshot win in the final round to move into second place in the standings.

Nobile still leads the Pro Stock Standings with 171 points, while Coughlin (149 points) is fourth, Gaines (142 points) is fifth and Johnson (107) is tied for seventh place.

It has been a solid start to the 2013 NHRA season for Mopar with wins in the first two races with Capps’ Funny Car victory this weekend in Phoenix and Pro Stock HEMI-powered Nobile’s title win at Pomona. Mopar will work to make it three in a row as teams and drivers prepare for the 44th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, the traditional east coast opening event and the third of 24 events on the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule slated to take place in Gainesville, Fla. on March 14-17.