"Thunder Mountain is the perfect place for Mopar to continue the celebration of our brand’s 75th Anniversary," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. "The Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals have played a key role in building Mopar’s legendary racing tradition, and we look forward to visiting the Denver area once again and connecting with our friends at the NHRA, the Bandimere family and the passionate race fans that pack the drag strip."

Allen Johnson has advanced to the final round of the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in each of the last five years in his Mopar Dodge Avenger. The native of Greeneville, Tenn., has won three times in his career in Denver (2007, 2009 and 2010), while also earning the No. 1 Qualifier award three times. Johnson enters the event with two victories this season, and six top qualifier awards. He is currently third in points as he chases his first Pro Stock title.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger has won twice in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in his career. He won for the first time in Pro Stock in Denver in 1998 and was victorious the following year over his brother Troy. The native of Delaware, Ohio, is just four points out of the 10th spot in the Pro Stock standings, as he looks for a birth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Also in action in action will be Vincent Nobile, who pilots a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger with HEMI® engines built by Johnson’s J&J Racing team. Nobile earned his second win of the season in the most recent NHRA event at Norwalk, Ohio, on July 8. He doubled up, also winning the K&N Horsepower Challenge, becoming the youngest driver in history to win that special non-points event. The second-generation driver made his debut in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals last season, qualifying in the No. 4 position. V. Gaines, who hails from the Denver area, will also be competing in a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger.

Johnson, the No. 2 qualifier, tied for the low elapsed time of the weekend, with Jason Line in qualifying, with Line taking the top spot by way of a faster speed. Johnson downed Warren Johnson in the opening round with a pass of 6.532-seconds at 211.26 mph, coupled with a reaction time of 0.050 to his opponents 6.759/208.91. In the quarterfinals, the native of Greeneville, Tenn., was victorious over Ronnie Humphrey, who fouled out on a red light. The semifinals found Johnson paired with Greg Anderson for the sixth time this season. The Team Mopar veteran got off the line first with a reaction time of 0.025, but had to shut his car down after the tires shook, allowing Anderson to pick up the round win.

Vincent Nobile, the No. 5 qualifier in his Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger, used a starting line advantage to pick up a first round win over Shane Gray. In the quarterfinals, Nobile fell to Erica Enders. Fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stock driver V. Gaines qualified in the No. 10 slot, bowing out to Humphrey in the opening frame. Jeg Coughlin Jr., piloting his Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, just missed qualifying for the 16-car field in Pro Stock.

Johnson is currently third in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Nobile fourth and Coughlin 13th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the 12th Annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., June 15–17.

Johnson was victorious last season at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in an all-Mopar final over Vincent Nobile, who competes with Mopar HEMI® engines built by Johnson’s J&J Racing team. A second-generation driver, Johnson has advanced to at least the semifinals three times in his career at Englishtown, which is one of the original NHRA tracks, and garnered No. 1 Qualifier honors in the 2006 race at the venue.

"We’ve had some good success at Englishtown and have been fast there in our Mopar Dodge Avenger," said Johnson. "We have some heat heading in there coming off our Topeka win, and have been building momentum throughout the early part of the season. The whole team is really pumped up right now. We just need to keep doing what we are doing."

To listen to a full length interview with Johnson following his win at Heartland Park Topeka on May 20, visit http://www.wforadio.com/short-clips/1514-allen-johnson-5232012.html.

Johnson, who opened the event as the No. 1 Qualifier in his Mopar Dodge Avenger, setting a new track speed record and new track elapsed-time record, was paired with four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson in the final round. Johnson used a pass of 6.587-seconds at 210.54 mph, coupled with a reaction time of 0.014 to down Anderson, who ran a 6.696/210.21 with a reaction time of 0.004.

"Congratulations from everyone at Mopar to Allen Johnson on his second win of the season," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. "The NHRA Pro Stock class is so close from top-to-bottom and the power and reliability of the Mopar HEMI engines has been showing week in and week out. We are very proud of Allen and it’s great to have him as part of Team Mopar. Congratulations as well to Jack Beckman for winning in Funny Car in a Mopar-powered Dodge Charger R/T."

In the opening round of eliminations, Johnson used a 6.587/209.79 number to dispatch Ronnie Humphrey, who turned in a 6.628/209.01. Johnson recorded a pass of 6.570/210.31 in the quarterfinals to advance over No. 9 qualifier Ron Krisher, who ran a 6.609/209.59. The semifinals found Johnson facing off with Shane Gray. The J&J Racing owner/driver recorded a lap of 6.590/210.24 to his opponent’s 6.648/207.75, to punch his ticket to the final.

"Our Mopar crew is on top of the world right now," said Johnson. "We were just so strong and consistent all weekend. I’ve been talking about consistency all season and it’s really paying off now. The HEMI engines that we build are putting out plenty of power, and we have a great set-up on our Mopar Dodge Avenger."

On Friday, May 18 Johnson earned the 21st No. 1 Qualifier award of his career with a pass of 6.618/207.85, which established a new track elapsed-time record and track speed record at Heartland Park Topeka. The second-generation driver has topped the charts in qualifying three times this season, and has been among the six-fastest drivers in qualifying in all eight events. Johnson has now advanced to at least the semifinals in five consecutive races and is currently third in points, just 39 markers out of the second spot, as he chases his first career Pro Stock title.

A season-high five Mopar-powered Pro Stock drivers qualified for eliminations. V. Gaines qualified a season-best sixth and was victorious in a Mopar vs. Mopar first round pairing against Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, who was the No. 11 qualifier. Gaines fell to Jason Line in the quarterfinals. Vincent Nobile qualified in the No. 7 slot, used a perfection reaction time in the opening frame to advance to the quarterfinals, before fouling out on a red-light. Chris McGaha earned the No. 12 qualifying spot and bowed out in the first round.

Johnson is currently third in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Nobile fourth and Coughlin 12th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the 43rd Annual NHRA Supernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., May 31–June 3.

After recording his first win of the season on April 1 at Las Vegas, Johnson has advanced to at least the semifinals in four consecutive events, while qualifying first or second in each of those contests. The J&J Racing owner/driver has also recorded the fastest speed of the weekend at each of the last two stops on the NHRA tour.

"We have a real quality machine right now in our Mopar Dodge Avenger," said Johnson. "The car itself is great and dad (J&J Racing engine builder Roy Johnson) and the engine guys are making great horsepower with the HEMI engines."

Johnson heads to Topeka a season-best third in the Pro Stock standings. The Team Mopar veteran has been among the top-six in qualifying in each of the first seven events of the season, including earning No. 1 Qualifier honors at Gainesville and Houston.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, will pull double duty at Heartland Park Topeka, as he competes in Pro Stock and in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak in the Stock Eliminator class. The second-generation driver was victorious in Pro Stock at Heartland Park Topeka in 2000, after opening that event as the No. 1 Qualifier. The native of Delaware, Ohio, reached the final round at Topeka for the first time in 1998. Coughlin, who is the only driver in NHRA history to win in six professional classes, earned a victory in Super Stock at Topeka in 1994.

"Topeka is a fun race in a unique setting, as the atmosphere breaths racing with the picturesque road course and dragstrip," said Coughlin. "We look forward to uncorking our Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger. The run we had in Atlanta was better and we are starting to show signs of improvement with our chassis and engine programs."

Johnson, who was the No. 2 qualifier, recorded the fastest pass and lowest elapsed time of the weekend in an opening round win over fellow Mopar driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. The native of Greeneville, Tenn., used a lap of 6.594-seconds at 209.98 mph, coupled with a reaction time of 0.073-seconds, to down Coughlin, who got off the line first, with a reaction time of 0.032 and a run of 6.653/208.52.

In the quarterfinals, Johnson used a 6.613/209.75 number to dispatch Erica Enders, who ran a 6.637/208.46. The semifinals found the Team Mopar veteran paired against four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson. Johnson got off the line first but had to shut his machine down after problems early in the run.

Fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stock driver Vincent Nobile, who was victorious at Houston on April 29, reached the quarterfinals, after an opening round win over Roger Brogdon. Nobile used a pass of 6.633/208.91 with a reaction time of 0.009 to his opponent’s 6.646/209.01 with a 0.039 to advance. In the quarterfinals, Nobile again got off the line first, with a near-perfect reaction time of 0.007, paired with a run of 6.646/209.14, but lost to Jason Line's 6.605/209.49 number and 0.012-second reaction time. Mopar-powered Pro Stock drivers V. Gaines and Chris McGaha just missed qualifying for the event.

Coughlin pulled double-duty at Atlanta, also competing in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak in the Stock Eliminator class. The native of Delaware, Ohio, made a run to the fourth round, after opening the event as the No. 31 qualifier. Coughlin downed Adam Davis in the opening round, before dispatching Raymond Skipper Jr. of Richmond, Va., in the second stanza. The Mopar racer was victorious over Brett Murphree of Joppa, Ala., in the third round, before falling to eventual winner Drew Skillman of Greenwood, Ind., in the fourth frame.

Johnson is currently third in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Nobile fifth and Coughlin 12th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the 24th Annual Dollar General NHRA Summernationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan., May 18–20.

The No. 3 qualifier, Nobile faced off with Greg Stanfield in the opening round and advanced with a pass of 6.581-seconds at 210.73 mph with a reaction time of 0.020, to his opponent’s 6.637/208.17 with a 0.024-second reaction time. The quarterfinals found Nobile up against Larry Morgan, who fouled out on a red-light, a rather fortunate stroke of luck for Nobile, who shook the tires after leaving the line and slowly motored down the track to claim the round win.

Competing with Mopar HEMI engines built by Roy Johnson out of Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson's J&J Racing team, Nobile edged Mike Edwards in the semifinals with a 6.622/209.33 number coupled with a reaction time of 0.017 to his opponent’s 6.644/209.79 with a 0.078. In the final round, Nobile used a stunning reaction time of0.009-seconds paired with a run of 6.595/210.14 to down Dave Connolly, who posted a 6.604/210.41 and a 0.011-second reaction time.

Allen Johnson opened the weekend as the No. 1 Qualifier in Pro Stock in his Mopar Dodge Avenger, earning his 20th career pole and moving into the top-10 all-time for No. 1 qualifying spots in the Pro Stock ranks. He dispatched Shane Gray in the opening round with a pass of 6.564/211.20 and Ronnie Humphrey in the quarterfinals with a 6.595/211.46 effort. The native of Greeneville, Tenn., fell to Connolly in the semifinals, who used a starting line advantage to pick up the win despite Johnson’s quicker 6.580/211.56 run.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, just missed qualifying for the event by 33-one-thousandths of a second. The native of Delaware, Ohio, pulled double duty in Houston, competing in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak at Houston, falling in the second round. Also failing to qualify in Pro Stock were Dodge Avenger drivers V. Gaines and Chris McGaha.

Nobile is currently third in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Johnson fifth and Coughlin 12th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the 32nd Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 4–6, at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.

Johnson opened the event as the No. 2 qualifier in his Mopar Dodge Avenger, marking his third straight top-three qualifying effort. The native of Greeneville, Tenn. has been sixth or better in qualifying in all five races to start the 2012 season. In the first round of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Johnson was paired with Greg Anderson, Kurt Johnson and Mark Martino, and used a pass of 6.551-seconds at 211.43 mph with a reaction time of 0.082 to move into the semifinals. He fell in the semis to Anderson and fellow Mopar-powered driver Vincent Nobile.

Coughlin grabbed the final starting position on Saturday in qualifying his Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger. He was paired with No. 1 Qualifier Jason Line, along with Ronnie Humphrey and Roger Brogdon in the opening round. Coughlin used a 6.607/210.57 number, coupled with a reaction time of 0.026 to advance to the semifinals, where he was edged out by Anderson and Erica Enders. The native of Delaware, Ohio pulled double duty at Charlotte, also competing in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, falling in the second round of eliminations in the Stock Eliminator class.

Nobile, the No. 3 qualifier, made a run to the final round of the 4-Wide Nationals, before falling to Greg Anderson and Erica Enders. Nobile used a run of 6.562/210.80 to advance in the first round, and recorded a 6.565/211.33 mark in the semifinals. Fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stocker V. Gaines did not qualify for the event.

Johnson is currently fourth in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Nobile fifth and Coughlin 10th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the 25th annual NHRA Spring Nationals at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston, Texas, April 27–29.

"After you pick up a win, you can’t wait to get back to the track and enjoy that high while you can, because there are a lot more lows than there are highs in this sport," said Johnson. "We’ll stick out our chest in qualifying at Charlotte and hopefully be right back in the competitive spirit again."

Johnson has advanced to the semifinals three times at Charlotte dating back to 2009, including in each of the first two editions of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. The native of Greeneville, Tenn. made his debut at the state-of-the-art venue in 2008. In five career starts at zMax Dragway, Johnson has qualified seventh or better each time.

"As a driver, you really have to approach the event differently," explained the second-generation driver. "There is a lot of focus and concentration needed when working the trees at the starting line, because there are four of them. We’ve been fast there before and have good notes to refer to."

Johnson has been one of the fastest drivers in qualifying this season, starting sixth or better in all four events, including earning a No. 1 Qualifier award in the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. He opened the season by reaching the quarterfinals in Pomona, Calif. and rebounded from a pair of opening rounds losses with his win in Las Vegas on April 1.

"We have a great package right now with our Mopar Dodge Avenger," Johnson stated. "Being consistent is what it’s all about, and the driver has to do his job as well. I feel really good right now, I'm driving well, and everyone on the team is working hard as always."

Johnson used a pass of 6.648-seconds at 207.30 mph with a reaction time of 0.033 to track down Nobile, who got off the line first in the final, with a reaction time of 0.008 and a 6.738/207.53 number. Both drivers compete with Mopar HEMI® engines built by Roy Johnson, Allen’s father, out of the family’s J&J Racing shop. A season-high five drivers qualified for Pro Stock eliminations in Mopar-powered Dodge Avengers.

"We took advantage of all that we have been given," said Johnson. "We have a fast race car and great Mopar HEMI engines. I’ve said again and again, our team motto is ‘Be Consistent,’ and that is what we were today. I knew we had a race car that had a chance to go all the way today.

"It was a testament to our entire team. Mark Ingersoll (Johnson’s crew chief), Jim Yates (team engineer), dad, all the crew and the guys in the engine shop, we’re just focused on being consistent, and it’s paying dividends. We’ve gotten so much from the folks at Mopar, all the great parts and the moral support from those at Chrysler Group headquarters. It’s a great feeling to give them a win."

Johnson, who was the No. 3 qualifier in his Mopar Dodge Avenger, began his march to the final with an opening round victory over Shane Gray, using a pass of 6.637/207.15 and a reaction time of 0.032 to his opponent’s 6.689/205.19. The second-generation driver was victorious over four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson in the quarterfinals, before facing off with Erica Enders, in the semifinals. Johnson used a 6.659/206.89 run to advance to the final over Enders, who recorded a 6.735/206.01 pass.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., who pulled double duty at Las Vegas, winning in his wife Samantha's JEGS.com Super Comp dragster to earn his 68th overall NHRA National win, qualified in the No. 9 position in Pro Stock in his Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, and was paired with Nobile in the opening frame. Coughlin ran a slightly faster 6.674/206.13, with Nobile using a nearly perfect reaction time of 0.002 to pick up the win with a 6.676/206.86 number. Nobile defeated Jason Line in the quarterfinals and downed the Camaro of Greg Stanfield in the semifinals to set up the all-Mopar final. Fellow Mopar-powered Pro Stock drivers V. Gaines and Chris McGaha both fell in the opening round.

Johnson is currently fourth in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, with Nobile fifth and Coughlin 12th. Next up for the Mopar-powered NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock competitors is the Third Annual NHRA Four-wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., April 13–15.

Johnson was paired with veteran Larry Morgan in the first round. The native of Greeneville, Tenn. turned in a pass of 6.564-seconds at 210.97 mph coupled with a .049 reaction time off the line, to Morgan’s 6.572/210.34 run and .024 starting mark.

"The track got a little better today and we weren’t aggressive enough with it," said Johnson. "I think we underestimated it, and the car wadded the tires up. It could have been a great day for us, but now it’ll be a great day for someone else. We’ll take the positives away, a great result in qualifying, and our Mopar HEMI® engines were strong."

Chris McGaha, a native of Odessa, Texas, in just his third Pro Stock event and his first in a Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger qualified tenth. He took out Erica Enders with a 6.571-second elapsed time at 209.33 mph, then bested Mark Martino in the quarterfinals on the strength of a 6.604/208.81 pass. McGaha, with a Mopar HEMI engine supplied by David Nickens, will race Greg Anderson in the semifinals today, in the rain-delayed completion of the event.

Mopar-powered Vincent Nobile fell in the opening round in Pro Stock to Rickie Jones, while Jeg Coughlin Jr., in his Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger and Mopar-powered Pro Stocker V. Gaines were unable to crack the Gainesville field for eliminations.

Once the delayed NHRA Gatornationals is complete, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series will head next to the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 30–April 1.

"We’re ready to get to Gainesville," said Johnson. "When you have a couple of weeks away from the track, it makes you want to get back in the car that much more. We are excited to show what we can do in our Mopar Dodge Avenger and build upon what we learned in the first two races of the year."

Johnson reached the final round at Gainesville in 2009 and has advanced to at least the semifinals three times in his career at the NHRA Gatornationals. The native of Greeneville, Tenn. has been among the top-five in qualifying at Gainesville in four of his last five visits to the venue.

Following a pair of events on the West Coast to open the season, Johnson and his J&J Racing team will head south early to test in Bradenton, Fla. and get re-acclimated to the unique conditions that racing in Florida presents. The team tested at Bradenton during the off-season, with crew chief Mark Ingersoll and team engineer Jim Yates trying a number of combinations on Johnson’s Mopar Dodge Avenger.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., who made his return to the Pro Stock ranks this year in the Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, will pull double duty this weekend, competing in both Pro Stock and Stock Eliminator in his Mopar Challenger Drag Pak.

"We have done a lot of work on our Mopar Drag Pak Challenger chassis over the winter and renowned world champ Jeff Taylor did a test with the car at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series race in Gainesville and won," said Coughlin. "So, I guess that means the car is ready to go. Jeff and I have worked together for nearly 20 years and more recently on the 6.1 HEMI and Drag Pak Challenger project. The car appeared to be very happy in his race, and I look forward to taking over the helm."

Coughlin is fifth in Pro Stock points, following a trip to the final round in the first race of the season at Pomona, Calif. He looks to rebound from a first-round loss at Phoenix. The four-time Pro Stock champion has two career wins in the class at Gainesville, with the most recent coming in 2008 and the first in 2001. The native of Delaware, Ohio has raced his way to the final round of the NHRA Gatornationals five times in his career and has been the No. 1 Qualifier once at the event.