AJ Clinches Countdown Spot with Semis Showing at Brainerd.

Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson clinched a berth in the NHRA Countdown to One title playoff with a semifinals appearance in the NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway on Sunday, August 10.

Johnson qualified No. 4 for the event. He defeated fellow Mopar HEMI®-powered Pro Stock driver Rickie Jones and Jason Line before losing to Dave Connolly in the semifinals. The strong Brainerd performance helped Johnson maintain his fifth-place spot in the standings and ensured that the Greeneville, Tenn., native will be among the ten drivers to battle for the Pro Stock title in the six-race NHRA Countdown to One, scheduled to begin in September.

Mopar HEMI-fueled Pro Stocker V. Gaines remains a good bet to join Johnson in the ten-man Countdown field. The Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T driver advanced to the quarterfinals at Brainerd and is currently seventh in the points standings, well within the tenth-place Countdown cutoff.

Johnson's Finals Streak Snapped at Sonoma.

Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver Allen Johnson's quest to become the fourth driver in NHRA POWERade Pro Stock history to advance to the finals at all three stops on the NHRA's Western Swing ended early at the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals on Sunday, July 27. Johnson fell to fellow Mopar-powered driver Johnny Gray in the quarterfinals round at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Johnson was red hot following runner-up finishes in the first two legs of the Western Swing — Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver and Schucks's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Seattle. The Greeneville, Tenn. native knocked out Jim Yates in the opening round and drew HEMI®-fueled pilot Gray in the second stanza. Johnson had a slight advantage off the starting line but his Dodge Stratus R/T dove sharply to the right shortly thereafter, pulling him out of the groove and out of the running for a third straight finals berth.

Gray's strong weekend ended in the semis with a loss to event winner Dave Connolly. V. Gaines steered his Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T to a quarterfinals berth, with Mopar-powered drivers Vinnie Deceglie, Justin Humphreys and Larry Morgan exiting in the first round.

Johnson remains fifth in the NHRA Pro Stock standings.

AJ Scores Second Straight Runner-up at Seattle.

Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver Allen Johnson recorded his second consecutive runner-up appearance on Sunday at the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals. Johnson's run marked his 14th career finals appearance and his third straight at the Pacific Raceways quarter-mile near Seattle, Wash.

The Greeneville, Tenn. native defeated HEMI®-powered driver Larry Morgan, Dave Connolly and Team Mopar teammate V. Gaines before losing to Jason Line in the finals. Coupled with his finals appearance at the previous event, the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Johnson is feeling good at his chances to make it three straight finals at Sonoma, Calif., the third and final stop on the NHRA's Western Swing.

"I felt really good this weekend. I love Seattle," said Johnson, who won the 2006 Seattle race and finished runner-up in 2007. "I would have liked to have gone all the way, of course, but overall we're really on a roll now with Mopar and with this team. We're going to aim for the finals at Sonoma. I think only two other Pro Stock drivers have ever been to the finals at all three events on the Western Swing in the same year. We're going to try to seal the deal there."

Johnson Goes to Finals for Second Year in a Row at Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

Mopar®/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver Allen Johnson came up just short in his quest to win a second straight Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals title. The defending champ made his first finals appearance of 2008 in his primary sponsor's flagship race but fell in a matchup with Greg Anderson at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo.

The Greeneville, Tenn. native defeated Warren Johnson, fellow HEMI®-powered driver Larry Morgan and Ron Krisher to set up a face-off with Greg Anderson, the man he beat at the NHRA Norwalk event to win the $50,000 K&N Horsepower Challenge. Johnson posted a superb pass of 7.028/195.79 but it wasn't enough to beat Anderson's run of 7.024/196.39. Anderson's margin of victory was a mere six feet.

Johnson's runner-up finish capped a weekend in which the veteran Team Mopar driver qualified No. 3, moved up to the fifth spot in the NHRA Pro Stock standings and saw his J&J Racing team capture the Full Throttle Pit Crew event award.

"I think we're on the turnaround mode," said an upbeat Johnson. "We would have really liked to win this one, but we'll take a runner-up here at our sponsor Mopar's race and smile about it. I hope all the folks at Mopar are happy. We've been gaining momentum and I think we proved it today. Last year we won here and went runner-up in Seattle. This year we're going to reverse it."

"Allen is a longtime member of Team Mopar, and he has a great history here at Bandimere Speedway, Mopar's ‘home track,'" said Sunil Lahoti, Mopar's Senior Manager, Marketing & Strategy. "We're very proud of Allen's result here today. It's a testament to the performance of Mopar parts and also Allen's skill as a driver. When you put those two together, you're going to have success."

Team Mopar® Pro Stock Driver Allen Johnson Captures $50,000 Bonus with Norwalk K&N Challenge Victory.

Team Mopar®’s Allen Johnson reeled off a jaw-dropping .000 reaction time to defeat Greg Anderson in the finals of the race-within-a-race K&N Horsepower Challenge on Saturday during qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. The Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T driver also banked a $50,000 bonus with the victory, the first for a Mopar-powered Pro Stock car in the event since Darrell Alderman took the win 17 years ago.

Johnson was the No. 2 seed in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The event featured the eight Pro Stock drivers who accumulated the most points in qualifying dating back to the 2007 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Johnson had the better time off the starting line in each of his matches. He defeated Warren Johnson in the first round with a reaction time of .085 to Warren’s .118, beat Kurt Johnson in the semis with a .028 to Kurt’s .053, then, saving the best for last, unleashed his .000 mark in the finals against Anderson’s .024 reaction time.

"To win this means a lot," said Johnson, who made his fifth appearance in the bonus event. "Mopar hasn’t won this race in 17 years. I don’t think this will be our last. Dad [engine builder Roy Johnson] and the whole crew, everybody’s been doing an awesome job with our program."

Johnson also helped one lucky fan win big. The K&N Filters promotion featured a sweepstakes in which eight fans won a free trip to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Each fan was then paired up with a driver for the chance to win a brand-new car. Ed Merry, a Virginia Beach, Va., native and a self-professed "beach bum," was the fortunate driver who drew Johnson’s name and won a brand-new ride.

"This is unbelievable," said a joyful Merry. "This is my first time at a live event. His [A.J.’s] hitting triple zeroes was amazing."

Team Mopar Driver Johnson Tagged with Tough Holeshot Loss in First Round at Joliet.

Team Mopar NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson went down in a close holeshot loss in a first-round match with Greg Anderson on Sunday at the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill.

Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, qualified at No. 14 and drew No. 3 seed Anderson in an opening round battle. AJ's solid pass of 6.733/204.76 was for naught as Anderson posted the better reaction time, .033 to Johnson's .064 to score the holeshot triumph.

"I told the guys when we got back to the trailer that we made a really good run on Sunday," said Johnson. "I had a .064 light compared to a .075 last week. I think we're back on the road to recovery and we figured out a lot on the car this weekend. I think we proved it on that run. We were about the fourth quickest in the first round."

No. 12 qualifier Justin Humphreys, running in just his second race in a Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock car with a Mopar HEMI engine supplied by J&J Racing, suffered a heartbreaker in his first-round fight with Jason Line. Humphreys had the better time on the track with a run of 6.745/203.40, but a red-light ended his day right out of the starting gate.The rest of the Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock contingent suffered the same fate as Johnson and Humphreys. Larry Morgan, John Nobile and Rickie Jones also were sent to the trailer for good after the first round of eliminations.

AJ Advances to Quarters at Atlanta.

Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson collected his sixth straight quarterfinals appearance and held his position in the fifth spot of the points standings following the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway on Sunday.

Johnson qualified fourth in his Mopar/J&J Dodge Stratus, maintaining a season-long streak in which the Greeneville, Tenn. native has qualified no worse than fifth. He faced young Mopar-powered Pro Stock rookie Rickie Jones in the first round. Johnson notched a close win over Jones, who had a slight lead at the lights, with a margin of victory of three feet on the strength of a 6.712/206.39 pass. Johnson fell to Mike Edwards, the Atlanta event winner, in the quarterfinals.

Scelzi Scores Second Place in Bullring Short Track Event.

Team Mopar NHRA Funny Car driver Gary Scelzi made a number of attempts to grab the lead from winner Doug Kalitta, but in the end the Don Schumacher Racing driver had to settle for a runner-up finish in the 15-lap Stars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Thunder Roadster race at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.

Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock hotshoe Allen Johnson was among the straight-line NHRA drag racing stars that experienced some difficulty with making turns at the three-eighths mile asphalt oval. Johnson brought about the third-and-final caution flag after a mishap in Turn 2 on lap 13. NHRA stars Jeg Coughlin and J.R. Todd were also seeing yellow after on-track incidents. Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T in his "regular job," finished fifth in the event, one spot ahead of NHRA Top Fuel pilot Morgan Lucas. ESPN2 NHRA drag racing announcer Dave Rieff served as the honorary starter.

Johnson Stays Put in Pro Stock Top Five After Vegas.

Lady Luck failed to show much love for Mopar NHRA POWERade Pro Stockers at the NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 13. Although an impressive group of five HEMI-powered Dodge Stratus R/Ts qualified for the 16-car field, only Allen Johnson advanced to the quarterfinals.

Johnson qualified fifth and drove his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T to a win over V. Gaines in an opening round HEMI vs. HEMI duel. The Greeneville, Tenn. native then lost to Jim Yates in the quarters.

Johnson Says He Needs to 'Get Better on Sundays' Starting at Houston.

Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson has launched himself to a stout start in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock series, claiming the fourth spot in the early points' battle. But the Greeneville, Tenn., native won't be content until he becomes a familiar guest in the winner's circle on Sundays. He plans to pay his first '08 visit to victory lane at this weekend's O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston.

"We've had a lot better start [than 2007], and we are consistent, but I feel like we've already given away two rounds this year, and we should have been in a final, at least," said Johnson, pilot of the HEMI-powered Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T. Johnson added, "We've got to get better on Sunday. We've had a car that could have won every race this year and we've been going out in the second round. It's just not acceptable."

Team Mopar Drivers Johnson and Scelzi Will Compete in the 'NHRA Stars in Short Track Cars' Event.

Team Mopar and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series drivers Allen Johnson and Gary Scelzi will trade their usual quarter-mile drag strip "office" for a three-eighths mile asphalt oval when they line up for the "NHRA Stars in Short Track Cars" event. The event will be held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Bullring on Saturday, April 12.

The HEMI-powered duo will do battle in the final two qualifying sessions of the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday before heading to The Bullring at LVMS that night for the short-track race. The Mopar pair will strap themselves into Thunder Roadster cars manufactured by 600 Racing and compete against fellow NHRA drag racers Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, Jeg Coughlin and Morgan Lucas in the 15-lap match race.

"I’m looking forward to it," said Johnson, driver of the Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T. "I love doing events like this, and would love to do even more in the future." Scelzi, the four-time NHRA champion and pilot of the Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, playfully predicted that he’s going to run away with the win or at least beat Mopar teammate Johnson to the finish line.

"I'm just going to wax him. Allen Johnson is not going to have a chance unless he has dad [engine builder Roy Johnson] over there tuning on that engine. That's the only chance that Allen Johnson's got to beat me, is if his dad's tuning on that engine."

Johnson, Gaines Drive HEMI®-Power to Semis at Houston.

Team Mopar Pro Stockers Allen Johnson and V. Gaines posted solid outings at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, advancing to the semifinal round on a muggy Sunday at Houston Raceway Park.

Johnson continued his recent scorching track record in qualifying, pacing his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T to the No. 2 spot with a run of 6.650 at 207.77. He then faced Justin Humphreys in the first round, taking the round win with a pass of 6.686 at 206.70 to Humphreys' 6.704 at 205.98. In the quarterfinals, luck shined on the Greeneville, Tenn., native. His Stratus R/T went into tire-shake right off the line, but adversary and defending Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin red-lighted, giving Johnson the win. Unfortunately, AJ's good fortune did not hold true for the semis. He was relegated to the lackluster right lane and again went into tire-shake as event winner Greg Anderson ran away with the round win. Gaines continues to rack up impressive outings, as the recent Phoenix winner powered his Kendall Oil Dodge Stratus R/T to round wins over Kenny Koretsky and Jim Yates before losing to Kurt Johnson.

An impressive total of five Dodge Stratus R/Ts qualified for the ultra-competitive Pro Stock field at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals. In addition to Johnson and Gaines, Matt Hartford grabbed his first-ever round win in his Nickens Brothers Racing Dodge Stratus R/T, scoring a holeshot victory with a reaction time of .056 to Ron Krisher's .124. Hartford then exited in the quarterfinals at the hands of Greg Anderson. Rickie Jones and John Nobile also made it to race day, with both heading to the trailer after the first round.

Johnson Moves to Fourth in Pro Stock Standings Following NHRA Gatornationals.

Team Mopar factory-backed driver Allen Johnson continued his solid start to the 2008 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock season, advancing to the quarterfinals at the NHRA Gatornationals on Sunday and moving to the fourth spot in the NHRA Pro Stock points standings.

Johnson seeded his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T fifth on Saturday, after Friday's round of qualifying was cancelled due to rain. AJ defeated Dave Northrop in the first round, overcoming a shaky reaction time off the starting tree to drive his HEMI-powered Stratus R/T to the round win by more than a car length. In the quarterfinals, Johnson bettered his reaction time, reeling off a near perfect light of .003 seconds—only to see his opponent, Mike Edwards, earn a perfect .000 light and score the round win.

Johnson Seeks to Sustain Strong Start at Gatornationals.

Team Mopar and J&J Racing driver Allen Johnson is off to a fast start. He's earned a semifinals appearance, a No. 1 qualifier award and the fifth spot in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings through the first two events. The Greeneville, Tenn., native would like to keep the momentum going at this weekend's ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals. The event is scheduled for March 13–16 at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla.

"I feel like we've got the stuff for them," said Johnson about the recent performance of his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T. "I feel like we can just carry [the strong start] into this race and just challenge for it again. The car is really working well. We've got great power [courtesy of his engine builder and father, Roy Johnson, and crew chief Mark Ingersoll] from our Mopar HEMI engine. We'll just try to do a little bit better track management on Sunday."

"It's great to see Allen and the Mopar/J&J Racing team doing so well in the first few races of the season," said Rob Richard, Director of Global Mopar Parts, Sales and Service Marketing, Chrysler LLC. Richard is scheduled to speak at the International Drag Racing Hall Fame induction banquet on Thursday, March 13 in Gainesville. Mopar greats Ken Veney and the "Frantic Four" of Weekly, Rivero, Fox and Holding are among those to be inducted. Mopar is an event sponsor.

Johnson Shoots to Semis in Season-opening NHRA Winternationals.

Allen Johnson proved once again that he belongs on any list of elite drivers from the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock circuit, as the Team Mopar® driver made a strong run to the semifinals of the NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., the season-opening event of the 2008 season.

Johnson's goal for his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T team was to gain momentum for the long NHRA Pro Stock campaign right out of the gate, and that's exactly what he did. The veteran HEMI®-powered driver qualified No. 5, then took out fellow Mopar Pro Stocker Matt Hartford in the first round with a pass of 6.645/207.85. AJ then dispatched of Warren Johnson with a run of 6.702/205.54, before bowing to eventual event champ Greg Anderson, posting a solid-but-losing run of 6.654/207.85 to Anderson's 6.643/208.62.

The strong showing was huge for Johnson, who finished fourth in the Pro Stock points in 2007 despite a slow start to the year, which included a first-round exit at Pomona. The fast start bodes well for AJ's championship hopes.

"Any time you can go to the semifinals, you have to be happy with that," said Johnson. "It's a good start. We'll head to Phoenix and see if we can't improve and go to the final round."

Mopar-powered Pro Stockers joining Johnson and Hartford in the 16-car field were veterans Max Naylor, V. Gaines and newcomer Johnny Gray. All three suffered first-round defeats.

Johnson Embarks on Battle for First Pro Stock Title at NHRA Winternationals.

NHRA POWERade Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson had a career year in 2007, posting a fourth-place finish in the Pro Stock standings, his best finish ever, and capturing one of only four spots in the NHRA Countdown to 1 title playoff. The driver of the HEMI-powered Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T will seek to build on that positive momentum as he starts his quest for his first NHRA Pro Stock championship at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, set for Feb. 7–10, 2008, at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.

Johnson's 2007 campaign included a win at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver, Colo., in July. The Greeneville, Tenn., native also posted two-runner up finishes and four additional semifinals appearances during the year.

His '07 success hasn't made Johnson lackadaisical. He's been hard at work in recent weeks, fine-tuning the set up on his Dodge Stratus R/T in numerous test sessions, including the Pontiac Pro Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the weekend. Johnson had his car dialed in, recording four straight 6.73 runs during eliminations and posting a runner-up finish in the final testing tune-up before Pomona. The veteran Team Mopar driver, with the help of his father and engine builder, Roy Johnson, who was recently inducted into the Southeast Division Hall of Fame, and crew chief Mark Ingersoll, will no doubt be prepared when he makes his first official 2008 run at Pomona.

Mopar Will Debut New Team Mopar 'Liquid Metal' Paint Scheme for 2008.

Team Mopar drivers Gary Scelzi, Allen Johnson and Samuel Hübinette will debut Mopar's new "Liquid Metal" paint scheme on their HEMI-powered Mopar race machines for the 2008 season. The new Mopar "Liquid Metal" design will serve as the official paint scheme for Mopar's factory-backed efforts in the NHRA POWERade Funny Car and Pro Stock Series as well as the Formula Drift Series.

Scelzi's Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and Johnson's Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T Pro Stock Car already turned heads with the new paint scheme at recent test sessions in preparation for the start of the NHRA season scheduled for Feb. 7–10, 2008 at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

The Mopar "Liquid Metal" scheme was unveiled as a work-in-progress on Scelzi's Mopar/Oakley Funny Car at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in October 2007. Designed by Competition Graphics® of Farmington Hills, Mich., the look was tweaked before the final version was delivered to the Mopar race teams.

The novel paint scheme has garnered early raves. Spy photos of Johnson's Mopar/J&J Racing Pro Stock car with the Mopar "Liquid Metal" wrap were featured on the cover of the Jan. 18 issue of National Dragster®. The drivers are also pleased with the innovative new motif.

"I think it's probably the best paint scheme we've ever had," said Johnson. "Judging by fan reaction on our Web site and National Dragster® putting it on its cover, I think everyone feels the same way."

"The Mopar 'Liquid Metal' design is a unique, modern look that has already been a hit judging from early reaction and press coverage. The new, cutting-edge design is indicative of Mopar's endeavors to stand out from the crowd in our motorsports efforts," said Rob Richard, Mopar's Director of Global Parts, Sales and Service Marketing, Chrysler LLC.

'Testy' Johnson Ready to Ring in 2008 NHRA Pro Stock Season.

The 2008 NHRA POWERade Pro Stock campaign doesn't officially start until Feb. 7–10 at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. But for Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson, the opening bell has already been rung.

The veteran drag racer, not content after a career year in 2007 that included a fourth-place finish in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock standings and a berth in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoff, conducted test sessions recently with his Mopar/J&J Racing Dodge Stratus R/T team, with three more sessions on tap for this week and a final tune-up at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway set for Feb. 1–2. It's crystal clear that Johnson remains just as hungry as ever for his ultimate goal—a NHRA Pro Stock championship.

"The first test session was just to break in the new car. We put 14 runs on it," said Johnson, who took delivery on his Rick Jones chassis around Christmas. "It was focused on getting the car balance for this car, and getting it going straight. The session this week, we will continue breaking in the car, and will add some different parts, such as clutch parts. And, of course, Dad [Roy Johnson, Allen's father and engine builder] will have two or three engine combinations that he will want to test and see how they go down the track.

"We'll continue to do that at Vegas at the Pro Stock Superbowl. That will be the final test. What we will do there will be to put in what we found best at the previous test sessions, and just optimize everything at Vegas."